How'd that taste, Dins?

Raydah James · Post by **Raydah James** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:34 pm

6
5

Kobe personally makes the Failblazers his lifelong bitch by torching them for the most points by any single opposing player in thier history

PWNT.

Fucking. RACK. Kobe.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:48 pm

So, the Lakes barely avoiding the forst season-sweep by either team in 15 years, and requiring overtime to do so, is somehow "BODE" in Lakerhonk's world?

You'll excuse me if I laugh at how the mighty have fallen.

PSSST!!!! The Pinwheels are starting a rookie at OG, a second-year player at PG, a for-all-intents-and-purposes-rookie at SF, an overrated tub-of-goo "superstar" at the 4, and a rook at center. They've packed it in for the sake of draft position(which the Lakers should have done months ago).

Yet...squeaking one out in overtime against a team that's playing for lottery balls is bigtime BODE for the Lakes...en route to losing the season series.

To answer the question -- the game (which I watched start to finish) didn't taste so good. But seeing this thread just put a big smile on my face.

While Blazerfan sits in anticipation of the lottery (which we knew nothing about for its first 21 years of existance...not one ball in the hopper for over two decades of the lottery) finally being fair(in the Blazers 4 trips to Lotteryland, we've got fucking screwed every time...the worst record got the 4th pick? WTF?). The Zers can lose out, and assure themselves of no worse than the 3rd worst record. 3rd most ping pong balls = a very good chance at the #1 or #2 pick(remember, we're die for some luck).

The Blazers getting the #1 pick = MAKE YOUR FUCKING TIME, NBA BITCHES!

Raydah James · Post by **Raydah James** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:14 pm

Ahhh-The 'My team sucks cock and your team barely beat us when they should've killed us so they suck too' comeback.

Laughable.

Not quite as laughable as 'The Blazers will win a Ring before the Lakers do' post, but funny nonetheless.

Sixty. Fucking. Five. Bitch.

On the blazers books for all eternity.

The Lakers should definitely roll over and play for lottery position too-I mean, being in the thick a playoff race sucks and is totally overrated.

Yeah, Not Really.

Enjoy yet another losing season, bitch.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:26 pm

Dinsdale wrote: The Blazers getting the #1 pick = MAKE YOUR FUCKING TIME, NBA BITCHES!

Kevin Durant would probably look good in a Blazers uni.

Hey RJ, I seem to remember just two weeks ago when Dallas laid a 36 point vicious beatdown on the Fakers on their home court. Seems it was their worst home loss since they moved from Minneapolis in 1960.

Do tell, how'd that taste?

And yet you're in here running smack? Dude why would you even want LA to make the playoffs when you know the utter humiliation that teams like Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix would most certainly subject them to?

Raydah James · Post by **Raydah James** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:38 pm

War Wagon wrote:Hey RJ, I seem to remember just two weeks ago when Dallas laid a 36 point vicious beatdown

The same Dallas whose 17 game win streak we snapped earlier this season?

How'd that taste

Win some. Lose some. Its a long season, and as long as we make the playoffs, where anything can happen-im good.

Besides, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic and Lamar Odom were all out with injuries, and Smush Parker was ejected early in the second quarter. I didnt expect much from them going into that game.

Why would you even want LA to make the playoffs when you know the utter humiliation that teams like Dallas, San Antonio, and Phoenix would most certainly subject them to?

This is why dumbfucks who dont have a team, let alone dont know the game shouldnt be allowed to run thier beatdown cocksucker.

The lakers have run with and beat every one of those teams you named, bitch. Come playoff time, we'll have every guy back-and they'll be rested and ready to go instead of worn down from the season. On those merits alone, I like our chances at wrecking shop and making noise this postseason...........and of course, having the best player in the league on your team doesnt hurt, either.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:06 pm

Raydah James wrote: This is why dumbfucks who dont have a team, let alone dont know the game shouldnt be allowed to run thier beatdown cocksucker.

Oh, I know the game and still follow it to some extent, even though KC doesn't have a team. I was attending Kings games on a regular basis when you were still wet behind the ears. I saw guys like Dr. J., George Gervin, Kareem, etc. come thru town. I saw some great games back then, including Daryl Dawkins aka "Chocolate Thunder" smashing the backboard with one of his monster gorilla dunks. Took 'em like 45 minutes to clean up that mess, as I think that was the first time that had ever happened and nobody was prepared for it. Good times. KC actually made it to the Western Conference finals in 1980 behind the sweet shooting of Otis Birdsong, Scotty Wedman and the slick point guard play of Nate "Tiny" Archibald. Got punked by San Antonio and the above mentioned Gervin. I still hate that fucker, but in a good way.

...having the best player in the league on your team doesnt hurt, either.

Kobe's a great player no doubt, but I'd take Dirk Nowitski or Steve Nash over him anyday, and so apparently would the MVP voters.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:40 pm

War Wagon wrote:
Dinsdale wrote: The Blazers getting the #1 pick = MAKE YOUR FUCKING TIME, NBA BITCHES!
Kevin Durant would probably look good in a Blazers uni.

Are you on drugs?

Let's play hypothetical -- justice is served, and the Blazers get the #1 pick. Let's see...we've got Ime Udoka, Brandon Roy (the NO BRAINER rookie of the year, even after missing a quarter of the season), and even Martell Webster who play the 3(Durant would get worked like an underaged Thai whore trying to play the 4 in the NBA)...and hopefully we don't have Arius Miles at that spot in a few weeks. And I think Travis Outlaw is probably going down the road next season.

Oh, and on that subject -- Udoka, Roy, and Webster are all U&L natives, which fits in quite well with the organization's "win the fans back" mentality. Heck, Ime won a high school championship for his team here in Portland, and played for Portland State...dude can do no freaking wrong in this town.(Dan Dickeau and Freddy Jones are also Portland-Area natives....that's 5 U&L guys out of 12.)

Hmmm....should they draft a super-skinny dork who never, EVER passes the ball to come in and play the 3, when they have potentially one of the greatest players in the history of the game* who plays there(Roy has been starting at the 2, while Udoka and his minimum-salary, hometown-hero ass has started every single game at the 3...only Blazer player to start every game this year). Durant is about a Shawn Livingston away from being a nobody.

Then again, Durant could bulk up and play 4, someday maybe. Oh....the Blazers traded away a few year's worth of lottery drafts to get the #2 pick, who should be second in ROY voting(dude goes something like 17/10 with a bunch of blocks since he became a starter, but the dumbass voters will give second place to Bargnani, just because of his position in the draft, due to boneheadedness by Toronto...not that Bargnani isn't showing massive promise...don't get me wrong). As an aside, the third best rookie this year also wears Red and Black...Sergio Rodriguez, who every single team in the NBA allegedly offered a trade for at the deadline.(Couple of weeks ago, Spanish Chocolate was a couple of stats short of logging his first career triple-double...in 18 minutes of play)

If you think ANY team is going to pick Durant over Oden, then you're too high to function, and should seek some medical attention. Sure, if the Zers get the #2, they'd be all over Durant like dung beetles on a War Wagon post, and I could see Zach going down the road(for Gasol, maybe?).

* -- Since there have essentially been no Blazer games on national television this season(how the mighty have fallen, part 2), I'm guessing few, if any of you have seen Brandon Rookie Of the Year play more than a game or two. Too bad, your loss. He missed 20 games, and still has the fattest rookie numbers out there. Dude is the real deal, no if's, an's, or but's.

And Toronto, and everyone else was freaking STUPID to draft anyone else in the first round....although hindsigght is always 20/20.

But, any of you who think the Blazers getting the three best players in last year's draft isn't going to have an impact over the next few years...

well, you're not thinking clearly....or in Lakerfan's case...you're scared.

And add a Oden or a Durant to that lineup?

BWAHAHAHAHA! Your teams are FUCKED.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:17 pm

Dinsdale wrote: If you think ANY team is going to pick Durant over Oden, then you're too high to function...

Tears.

Durant is WAY more of the complete package than that big galoot Oden. Hell, that fucker can't even get back on defense half the time. He's constantly in foul trouble, and woefully inept as a post player. Way over-rated, in my book. He's like another Adam Eaton, but without the muscle.

If you think that ANY team takes Oden over Durant, then I pity your ignorance. If it were to happen, then I pity the ignorance of the brain trust on that team.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:49 pm

War Wagon wrote:If you think that ANY team takes Oden over Durant

Really?

Can't...stop...laughing.

Matter of fact....it's a couplefew months off....but how about a death-bet?

Durant goes #1, I retire from this board forever. Oden goes #1, and we've seen the last of Whitey?

Deal?

Or maybe a year-long sig bet, if you're feeling like a pussy?

I'm willing, since I'd say the odds of me being right and you being wrong are somewhere around 99.9%.

And if you can't figure out why, I'll laugh even harder at your stupidity. If you think there isn't one lottery-bound team GM that hasn't already made up an Oden jersey yet, you're fucking high.

There's a 6'9-6'10" Durant every couple of years...he's Arius Miles with some brains. He's Kevin Garnett before his head swelled. A 7'1" big man with athleticism and talent...there's one of those maybe every ten years. If Orlando had kept Shaq, they'd be celebrating their 8th championship this season. How has Tim Duncan worked out for SA?

Are you really this dense?

Let's see...the 2006 draft...who went first? A big man with athleticism, even though there were several BETTER players available?

2005? Who was first? A big man with athleticism, even though better players, including Deron Williams and Chris Paul were out there?

2004? Maybe Orlando took a flyer on the potential of a high school big man, even though there were MUCH better players available?

2003? Well, the most highly touted HS player in a long time came up, and was a "no-brainer" pick. Who went second...the guy who just led hids team to the NCAA title as a freshman, or....are you ready...an athletic big man?

How about 2002? Refresh my memory...did Houston pick a Chink with zero proven credentials, based on the "potential" of an athletic big man?

2001? Wow, that's going back a ways, isn't it? Hmmm...seems like the first four picks were complete flyers on completely unknown quantities(three high schoolers and a Euro), because....are you ready,...they were all athletic big men.

Yeah, you've got this NBA draft stuff all figured out, dude.

Seeing a fucking pattern, douche?

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:02 pm

War Wagon wrote:Durant is WAY more of the complete package than that big galoot Oden.

Still can't...stop...laughing.

Here's some Durant Trivia for you, Douchewagon --

Kevin Durant played in 5 postseason games this year.

In those 5 games playing the "swingman" position, how many assists did Durant have?

Here, I'll save you the trouble...he had two.

Not "two per game"...he had two total.

Sadly, that wasn't too far off his season average. Yeah, NO RED FLAG to NBA GM's, eh?

Great scorer, great individual rebounder. HORRRRIBLE pivot man...just horrid. He makes his teammates worse, not better...not what NBA GMs are looking for...rather the opposite. Sure, he'll go #2 based on sheer talent...but to think he's #1 material over a big athletic guy is fucking absurd. Durant has so much to learn about team basketball it's laughable. He really needs 3 more years at Texas, but with that kind of money on the table, he'd be an idiot to stay.

Beacsue let me tell you...ballhogs and egomaniacs are pretty hard to come by in the NBA...no, really.

Greg Oden has potential to be a dominant center for the next decade. Kevin Durant has the potential to be a locker room cancer on his way to Europe(sup Walter Berry). Tough call for a GM there.

Don't get me wrong, Durant's a no-brainer #2, due to his talent. He's also a huge gamble(that's worth taking). Oden is about as $$$ #1 as you're ever going to see.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:10 pm

I agree w/ Dins that IF both come out, Oden goes #1. That being said, Durant isnt a malcontent and he is as good a kid as you will find. He has that IT and you cant teach that. Who ever gets the Top 2 picks will get future HOFer's if both of them come out.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:22 pm

Cicero wrote: Who ever gets the Top 2 picks will get future HOFer's if both of them come out.

With the inclusion of just one word, this post goes from intelligent to a run-of-the-mill Cicerism.

And reality says that neither one of us knows the first thing about Durant's character. But him playing the fence-sitting game about coming out(there's a 0.00% chance of him returning. No one would tell him to publically announce "I'm not coming back"...but keep your fucking mouth shut.)

BUT....Durant's COMPLETE REFUSAL to EVER give up the ball would definitely cause a reasonable person to have some doubts about him. In one year he's proven beyond all doubt that at this point in his career, he couldn't care any less about being a team player. This has been established, despite whatever the Durant-apologists might say. He actually got worse at sharing the ball as the season went on, and demonstrated a complete indifference to improving that part of his game(and don't even try and tell me the coach didn't spend sleepless nights trying to figure out how to teach him team-ball).

Oden comes with no such baggage.

Don't misunderstand my statements...I'm a Durant fan. But I'm looking at things through the eyes of a NBA GM, and being objective. And if I'm the GM with the #1 pick, the subject isn't even open to debate. I'm going with the Horse, instead of a guy that would rather take an off-balance 3 from 35 feet out with two guys on him, rather than actually give the ball to an open teammate. That can be a hard habit to un-break in a young primadonna.

In college ball, we look at things as fans. When draft day comes around, the homerism and the "guys you'd rather watch play" go right out the window, and some common sense and objectivity come into play. And when you look at it that way, there is no debate over #1.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:29 pm

Dinsdale wrote: There's a 6'9-6'10" Durant every couple of years...

I may be high, but you're a certified lunatic if you believe the above. That, or you're trolling. There might not ever be a player of Durants stature to even compare him too, much less "every couple of years". Kevin Garnett, maybe. Oh, and wasn't he drafted right out of HS?

A 7'1" big man with athleticism and talent...there's one of those maybe every ten years.

Oden's athleticism and talent are debatable, but let's run with this, shall we? Every 10 years, huh?

And then you go on to list the last 6 years where a big man was selected #1 or close to it. Contradiction much, or do just enjoy KYOA? You're doing a fine job of it. Keep it up.

As for a wager, how about a little cash? Say $50 bucks. I'm not interested in having you ban yourself or a harmless sig bet. I want to hit you where it really hurts. In your pocket.

Put your money where your mouth is, Dinsypoo. Of course, this wager is contingent upon both players coming out, which should be a slam dunk. But we'll see.

Regardless of who get's drafted 1st, Durant will far surpass Oden in his impact on whichever team is wise enough to pick him.

ps; I see that you've got Sissyroo squarely in your corner there, so that has to give you the warm fuzzies.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:45 pm

War Wagon wrote:might not ever be a player of Durants stature to even compare him too, much less "every couple of years".

Huh?

Dude...he IS Darius Miles. Same fucking guy. Same level of talent. Same abilities. And Arius decided it was about "me, me, and me." And when Arius' current contract runs out, it's unlikely he'll ever get another one.

Kevin Garnett, maybe. Oh, and wasn't he drafted right out of HS?

Yes, he was. At the #5 spot. Back before it was "cool" to take HS players. And why did they take him in that MONSTER draft of 1995 with the #5? Because they thought he would grow more, and become a dominant big athletic guy. BTW-bear in mind that of the 4 players taken ahead of him, 3 were potentiallly athletic big men, one of which was even drafted with a bum wheel with an uncertain future. The other player taken before KG was the NCAA player of the year).

And since he never bulked up in the body as hoped, what has KG done for his team? Nothing, last I checked.

Wait...my bad, that's totally inaccurate. He's done something, alright. He's acted like such a fucking primadonna, his unchecked ego has completely destroyed any chance that the Wolves have in the near future, and any chance they had over the last decade of winning anything. He has truly grown uyp to be everything an NBA player shouldn't be. But that part where he said that all of his teammates should sign their paychecks over to him, because he was the only player who was worth a damn on his team...that was a classy touch, and exactly what you want in your team captain.

And when asked about what he learned in his first decade in the NBA, he replied "that I should never pass the ball in the 4th quarter." Outstanding.

And Durant is starting to show he may well be cut from the same cloth as KG....yup, no red flag there.

A 7'1" big man with athleticism and talent...there's one of those maybe every ten years.
Oden's athleticism and talent are debatable, but let's run with this, shall we? Every 10 years, huh?

And then you go on to list the last 6 years where a big man was selected #1 or close to it. Contradiction much, or do just enjoy KYOA? You're doing a fine job of it. Keep it up.

No, seriously...you're trolling, right? Because I doubt any being that's this stupid can remember to breathe on their own.

So...an athletic big man is so fucking valuable, that GMs are willing to gamble those once-every-few-years high lottery picks just on the notion that they might turn out to be dominant athletic big men?

And this supports your argument against the value of a big man...how?

I see the Logic Fairly didn't leave anything under your pillow last night...again.

As for a wager, how about a little cash? Say $50 bucks. I'm not interested in having you ban yourself or a harmless sig bet. I want to hit you where it really hurts. In your pocket.

The day I make a cash wager with someone using an alias on the internet will be...never. Try again, douche. Bet your board-existence on it, pussy. Or a year-long sig.

Or shut the fuck up and retract your statements, since they're stupid.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:11 pm

Dinsdale wrote: The day I make a cash wager with someone using an alias on the internet will be...never.

Chickenshit. At least RJ had the sack to back up his big words with some serious cash, and then pay off when things didn't go his way. I've made cash wagers with many folks on these boards over the years, and all have been resolved w/o a problem. Fuck it, I only bet with those whom I respect anyways, and you don't rate.

Or shut the fuck up and retract your statements, since they're stupid.

Nope, I won't be retracting any of my statements. What's stupid is anyone believing that Oden is a better value than Durant. Guess I'll have to settle for simply ridiculing you when Durant goes ahead of Oden.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:15 pm

War Wagon wrote:Guess I'll have to settle for simply ridiculing you when Durant goes ahead of Oden.

And what better way to do that than to have free run of my sigline for 52 weeks?

Talk about a pussy...

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:37 pm

A year is a long time. Even I don't want to see my own words for that long. Make it 30 days and you've found your Huckleberry.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:07 am

aw shucks, you don't want to come out and play?

Whatever, we'll see soon enough anyway.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:16 pm

Dins - I think you're way off on your assessment of Kevin Durant. I do think Oden will be picked first and that isn't right or wrong, it's just the way NBA GM's think. Same reason Bowie was picked ahead of Jordan, because every year there is some 6'6 athletic guy coming out of the draft. Once again, it's not right or wrong it just is. If I had the first pick, I'd be taking Durant and no I'm not high (I may wish I were high, but that's another story). In my opinion Kevin Durant is one of the most talented and complete college players I've ever seen, and he's only a freshman. He will get better. I don't think if somebody took Oden they are wrong, I just personally think Durant is going to be a better pro, time will tell. Anyway, I'm rambling.

Now, as for Durant I don't know why people think he isn't a team player. I watched him play several games this year and always came away very impressed with his ability and effort. He will pass and does but that isn't his primary role. The problem UT had this year was a freshman PG who controlled and turned the ball over too much. Texas played two damn near perfect offensive halves this year against Kansas. Their offense was spread out and the ball was moving around. If KU doubled Durant he passed out of it and the UT shooters would knock down threes. If KU didn't double or played off Durant he took the three or went to the hoop. The guy will pass, he is simply the best scoring option on a very young team. What amazed me is how many times UT would go multiple possessions WITHOUT Durant touching the ball. If I'm not mistaken his shooting percentage was quite good this year and he was near the top of the league in rebounding and you can say whatever you want but rebounding leaders are generally big effort type guys and you really can't have enough of those in the NBA. In my opinion Durant's biggest weakness right now is his post-up game, but frankly he isn't going to be a post up player in the NBA. I think he creates mismatches for threes or fours on the offensive end in the NBA. On the defensive end, he would match up fine with three's and would probably struggle with the fours right now. Finally, Kevin Durant has a similar build to Darius Miles......but they are most definitely not the same player. Durant is better right now at 18/19 than Miles will ever be. Once again, time will tell.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 6:53 pm

Mook, I agree in your assessment of Durant's game. I think he is a lot better player than Miles. Durant can shoot and has 4-5 NBA ready baskteball moves. He is a leader on the court and he actually is a pretty good defender for a Freshman. He was voted First Team All Defense in the Big 12. He average 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while only committing 2 Personal Fouls a game.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:02 pm

Mook wrote:Dins - I think you're way off on your assessment of Kevin Durant. I do think Oden will be picked first and that isn't right or wrong, it's just the way NBA GM's think. Same reason Bowie was picked ahead of Jordan, because every year there is some 6'6 athletic guy coming out of the draft. Once again, it's not right or wrong it just is. If I had the first pick, I'd be taking Durant and no I'm not high (I may wish I were high, but that's another story). In my opinion Kevin Durant is one of the most talented and complete college players I've ever seen, and he's only a freshman.

I'll toss out this anaolgy -- In Orlando's two huge draft scores of the early 90's, who was a more talented player...Shaq or Penny Hardaway?

If you answered "Shaq," then you should probably do the right thing and cut all of your fingers off, to prevent yourself from ever offering up another hoops take.

Now that we've got that straightened out...who has been a more valuable player in their career(granted, they were both injury-plagued, one just proved to be, through a series of events, an even bigger pussy than the other....which it's no small feat to out-pussy The Big Sissy)?

Any arguments over this one?

Didn't think so.

And why is/was that?

Because a big man has a much greater inherent value in the NBA than smaller guys. Closer to the basket, more love from the refs, and a host of other reasons.

It's just the way it is.

And since of all the early pre-draft shows I've seen so far, every last analyst says despite Durant's talent, Oden is an absolute no-brainer at #1, and since every single "student of the NBA" I know (and in a one-sport town, there's a bunch of them, believe me) thinks Oden is the no-brainer, I'll go ahead and stick with my guess.

But nobody is going to go wrong with Durant at #2.

Now, as for Durant I don't know why people think he isn't a team player.[/quote]

Because he isn't.

Now, in college ball, he has ample ability to bulldog through double-teams, and CBB hasn't exposed a very, very obvious weakness. His weakness is a two-headed monster, in both mind and body. He's always been a better player than anyone he's ever stepped on the court with. He's always been the best option, even in a double, and the "share the ball" mentality has never been ingrained in his head. But in the NBA, with that scrawny-ass little body (hell, according to T1B Lore, I'm a stick-man, and I'd ride that little bitch out of the paint...but that really isn't how the NCAA rolls...but the NBA sure the hell does), an NBA double-team would not only turn him into one of the great turnover machines of all time, but might turn him into Sam Bowie.

Close to home for me, but one need look no farther than Zach Randolph. Much different skillset than Durant, but good case studies. At MSU, Zach was pretty much the "dump it to him low, and start running back on D" guy. Weren't too many assists in that one year career. Fast forward to his NBA days. Once Rasheed was gone and Stasbo got the starting job, he put up sick numbers from the get-go. Yet, where's those All-Star appearances(in fairness, the 4 spot on the West All Stars is a pretty hotly contested spot, year in and year out)? Where's the championships? Where's all of the accolades for the 24/10 guy?

They're not there....because 6 years in, he's finally just starting to figure out that passing out of the double is a more effective strategy that trying to force a shot(although once he gets deep, it doesn't matter if they throw 5 defenders at him, he can get a decent shot...I'll give the tard his due there). And even now that the light is coming on in his head, it's just not second nature to him. He doesn't have that amazing timing-born-of-talent that Barkely and Hakeem had in regards to the timing of the pass.

This is Zach's great weakness. And I see the same weakness in Durant. Maybe Durant can learn this mentality early on, maybe he can't. If he doesn't, he's never going to be the next **insert name here**.

Zach is truly a black hole that would even make Kevin Willis jealous. And he still has better assist numbers than Durant. Sure, NCAA to NBA stats comparisons are a little apples-to-oranges-esque, but passing out of the post 3 times a game is passing out of the post 3 WHOLE times a game, regardless what level you're playing at. And since Durant does much of his work on the perimeter, his low assist totals are almost comedic in nature....hey Kevin, ever thought about looking for a cutter? You see fucking double-teams on the perimeter, dude....and you can't manage more than 1.5 dimes per? Are you fucking kidding me? That's an absolutely mind-bogglingly low number, given the style of ball Durant plays.

While a person's heart might try to tell them "Durant's a good team player," the numbers and on-court results just don't support it.

In college ball, when often the winning team's point total can be 50 or 60, you get away with a guy like Durant. Despite what the defense does, his mad-freaking-game is still good for 30 points a night, which is one fatass percentage of his team's production. But in the NBA, where the best of the best of the best labor hard to get 30 a night...30 ain't shit. A winning total in an NBA game is usually about 100. If a guy is going to go-it-alone and hang 30 fighting through doubles, he's pretty much rendered 80% of his team useless. And 30 isn't much when you need 100. If a post/feature player doesn't make the opponent pay for doubling by hitting shooters and cutters...~~well, he might be wearing #50 for the Blazers~~ his team probably won't have much success. If they double your star, the ball needs to move, and you at least have to punish the opponent in the legs and lungs by making them rotate, if not punish them from the rainbow. This doesn't hold nearly so true in college ball.

It's just so much easier for a player like Oden to transition to the NBA than someone like Durant. A center kind of needs a "me-first" mindset...the other positions need the opposite. And with the style he plays, that transition might be a tough road to hoe for Durant.

Don't get me wrong -- I'm a long way from ruling out Durant stepping to the big time and making as huge splash from Day 1. Entirely possible that were only seen the surface of what he can do. But it's much less of a gamble that a great big center won't have nearly the trouble learning the NBA game.

And how many times in the last week have we heard allegations of Durant and his family showing complete disregard for NCASA rules about contact with NBA employees? What's that, about 4 or 5 of them now? If true (seems like they've been pretty public, so I'm guessing they are), I guess that settles the "is Durant coming out" question. And since Oden will be the #1 pick, he'd be a fool to not declare. An absolute fool. And since in the little bit I've seen of him off the hardwood, he seems like a fairly intelligent fellow, so I'm betting he's no fool. Sure living at and playing for your college is crazyfun, but when he was a kid, Oden didn't dream about cutting down nets at the Dance -- he dreamed about the NBA Hall of Fame. Years from now, in the vast expanse of basketball legend, who will history shine more brightly upon -- Christian Laettner and Crliss Williamson(arguably two of the greatest players in NCAA history), or Shaquille O'Neil and Tim Duncan, who couldn't touch either of those guys' college achievements with a ten foot pole?

They're both coming out.

Mook · Post by **Mook** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:54 pm

Of course Oden and Durant are both coming out. I didn't think that was in question. And I agreed that Oden would be picked #1. I agree he'll be a force. I understand why he is the #1 pick. I just said that I would take Durant.

Nice example with Penny and Shaq..........and legitimate. Just as my example of Bowie/Jordan was a legitimate argument comparing the same point. Does the name Michael Olowakandi ring a bell, Kwame Brown, should Darko have been picked ahead of LeBron? How about Rafael Araujo? Desagana Diop? All notable big men picked in the top 6 or 7 in the draft. And I know there are plenty of little guys who busted out as well.

Look both of these guys will be superstars in the NBA. You can't go wrong either way.

I do question how much you have watched Durant play, because apparently we have not watched the same player. We very much disagree on his play.

This is kind of an interesting debate and one you could go back in to history about the value of players like would you rather have Jordan or Shaq? Magic or Kareem? Bird or Joe Barry Carroll........kidding. Anyway I typically lean towards taking a big man, but this year I'd go with Durant. Like I said, time will tell.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:15 pm

Mook wrote: I do question how much you have watched Durant play, because apparently we have not watched the same player. We very much disagree on his play.

s'what I'm saying.

Dins saying that Durant isn't NBA ready is like saying Lebron wasn't NBA ready. Durant has the whole package. There's not one weakness in his game. None.

Oden, on the other hand, has no discernible exceptionable skills other than being "BIG". Well, maybe he's an exceptional shot blocker which is simply a by-product of being tall and having the wingspan of a 747, but that's about it. Certainly not what I would consider a #1 prospect even if Durant weren't available.

WolverineSteve · Post by **WolverineSteve** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:09 am

The way Oden is asserting himself in the dance he may be headed back to Columbus next year...that is if he attended class this semester.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 3:16 pm

War Wagon wrote:
Raydah James wrote: This is why dumbfucks who dont have a team, let alone dont know the game shouldnt be allowed to run thier beatdown cocksucker.
Oh, I know the game and still follow it to some extent, even though KC doesn't have a team. I was attending Kings games on a regular basis when you were still wet behind the ears. I saw guys like Dr. J., George Gervin, Kareem, etc. come thru town. I saw some great games back then, including Daryl Dawkins aka "Chocolate Thunder" smashing the backboard with one of his monster gorilla dunks. Took 'em like 45 minutes to clean up that mess, as I think that was the first time that had ever happened and nobody was prepared for it.

Good memory. Dawkins' first backboard destruction did indeed come in KC's Municipal Auditorium in 1979. That would be "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Glass-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Babies-Crying, Glass-Still-Flying, Cats-Crying, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Thank You-Wham-Bam-I-Am-Jam".

Terry in Crapchester · Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:22 pm

Good story, War Wagon, but you totally screwed up the details.

War Wagon wrote:KC actually made it to the Western Conference finals in 1980 behind the sweet shooting of Otis Birdsong, Scotty Wedman and the slick point guard play of Nate "Tiny" Archibald. Got punked by San Antonio and the above mentioned Gervin. I still hate that fucker, but in a good way.

A few points here: first, it was the 80-81 season when the Kings made it to the Western Conference finals (after a 40-42 regular season, btw), and it was Houston, not San Antonio, who knocked them off. http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nba/kc ... kings.html

Also, Nate Archibald was playing for the Celtics by that time. His last season with the Kings was in 75-76. http://www.databasebasketball.com/playe ... =ArchiNa01