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So your point is, give him Boogie (who for stretches was better than AD and carried the team), a good coach, and another stud, and then he can definitely win a championship?! Well damn, that could be said for a dozen other players in the NBA. Give Giannis a good coach, Boogie, another stud, and a good bench and watch out! Give DeMar DeRozan, Boogie, another stud, a good coach, and a quality bench and he could absolutely win a championship.Originally Posted by GuardianAngel25
You can win a title with AD and Boogie. You just need to give them a better coach, and surround them with another superstar.
If you Jimmer it, they will come.
I think what gets lost on a lot of people is the perfect storm of events it takes to win in the NBA. Step 1 is getting a top-10 guy, and AD is absolutely that. But that's step 1 in a series of steps that goes well-beyond simple talent acquisition.
Russ missed the playoffs on a championship contender without KD. I don't remember his fans giving him this kind of attack for not putting the team on his back. Maybe because that offense was designed around having a 7 foot wing who has an indefensible shot and losing him meant you're asking everyone 1-15 to do more than they are capable to make up the difference. They had a whole season to adjust, we have had 5 games.
In a vaccuum, no we shouldn't be awful just because we lost boogie. But, when you dig into the nuance, you realize we're running a Chris Finch offense that was designed especially for Boog's play making. It's on the staff to make this work and grind their way into the playoffs. I believe AD is our best player, but I also believe Boogie was the most important player to this offense, and I think taking away the most important player in any offense requires an adjustment period and causes some losses and bad play.
So the conclusion we’re drawing is that 3 All NBA calliber players and a good coach can win a championship. Thanks.
I like where this conversation is headed...
Well you also need the solid role players. Where are the Celtics without Rondo and Tony Allen? The Warriors without AI and Livingston? The Heat without Miller and Haslem?
We lack the role players and coach...and 3rd star player.
If AD was never a pelican he wouldn’t be in anybody’s top ten on this forum .
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Yes he would. I can appreciate LBJ, Curry, KD, and others even if they aren't on my team.
Are we all turning against AD or something? God damn.
AD is a top 5 player in this game. Leading isn't his thing. He's a leader by example.
I wouldn't go that far. He is definitely too ten
I'm a grinder
I'm not turning against AD. But if the team didn't have New Orleans on the jersey, I probably wouldn't watch them. I'm less a fan of AD and this iteration of the team than I am a fan of professional basketball in New Orleans. So from my point of view, if/when it comes time to trade AD I hope they sell at the top of the market instead of waiting like they did with Baron Davis and Chris Paul and getting far less than what they should have gotten to set the franchise up for continued relevance.
I like AD, but he's not a basketball Jesus. Dude hasn't won a playoff game.
I think he just means being a vocal leader isn't his thing.
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That's a ridiculous thing to say. I appreciate the hell out of Steph Curry, Harden, Westbrook (begrudgingly), or Paul George without them being on my team. I'd think AD is awesome and be pestering Charlotte talking about getting them to trade AD to us as much as anyone else does.
I think the biggest problem with AD besides his passive attitude, is that he's not a guard anymore. The ball bounces a long way whenever he has the rock and his size makes the agile way he wishes he could play unsafe for him. If he grew to only about 6'7" he'd probably be even better. A lot like T-Mac or Kobe in play style, if not demeanor, obviously.
Bron, KD, Steph, AD, Harden. Unless you are a fan of flopping and playing "no defense" then you could take Harden over AD.
Let's also not forget that KD is just like AD. Has all the talent in the world but doesn't have the fire to go with it. He had Westbrook in OKC and Draymond in GS to fill that role.
AD got Cousins and suddenly we were a middle seed in the playoffs in their 1st year together. Does that mean KD isn't a top 5 player? No.
I think that's everyone's narrative, until it isnt. LeBron was a choke artist until the big 3. Kobe couldn t win without shaq until he got pau. people always struggle defining individual success in a team game, but swap AD for KD on the warriors and they're still the championship favorites.
No Lebron wasn't. Lebron carried a terrible Cavs team to the finals on his back alone. I'm not talking about winning a championship. I'm talking about talent. KD and AD are very similar in that they have a ton of talent but not enough fire to carry a team on their own. Lebron, Kobe those guys had enough fire.
This is a ridiculous comp. KD was a league MVP and got a team to the finals in OKC. If it wasn't for injuries and then a killer game from Klay Thomspon, we're talking about multiple finals appearances. And it's selective amnesia to say those were anybody but KD's Thunder at the time.
And he did that alone or did he have help of two other top 7 players to do it?
My point isn't to say KD isn't talented. He is top 3. But he still lacks fire and needed others to give him that. Thats why I Compared AD to him and not LBJ.
Neither Harden or Russ was top 10 NBA player when they got to the Finals against the Heat. And no one had Russ as a top 7 player when they made it to the semis against Warriors. KD might be a bit sensitive off the court, but has he ever lacked heart and a killer instinct?! I mean you can attribute that to guys like Russ and Draymond all you want because of how demonstrative they are on and off, but KD has always been the one stepping up to put the team on his back when they needed it.
I couldn't care less about AD's personality off the court or his demeanor. He needs to demonstrate that he can rise to the occasion of not just getting his numbers in a big game, but carrying a marginal roster to victory in games they should win at home. That's all I'm asking. I could seriously not care less about the Russ/Draymond version of "fire" and "heart". Can AD make the other players better and push his team to victory when he's the best player on the court. That's all I want out of AD. I want to see him rise to the occasion against the Kings and Magic of the world, and not just the big games when it's the game of the night and NBA twitter is watching.
People were wrong. They were both top 7 back then and have went on to prove it. The entire discussion is about talent vs heart. KD has NEVER shown he has the heart to lead a team. That's the entire reason he ran away to GS. He doesn't have competitive fire to him.
Talented? Absolutely. Competitor who carries their team? Absolutely not.
Unfortunately AD has a lot more Durant in him than Kobe. You can win with both, but with Durant you still need another emotional leader.
I honestly feel like kd can carry a team and part of the reason he left is because Westbrook wouldn't defer. When he went to golden state, it was understood that he would be lead dog that's why it looks so easy. Curry doesn't have the ego of most of these superstars. He is a dog but cares more about winning over being the man. Curry could come here and would be the perfect pairing to ad or he could go to okc and deal with Westbrook and his ball hogging
Curry is basically today's Scottie pippen.
Sure. He didn't earn that Finals MVP last year by matching LeBron play for play on the offensive and defensive end. It should have gone to Draymond, obviously.
Harden and Westbrook have gone on to become top 7 NBA players but you're crazy if you think they were even top 10 in the NBA at the time KD carried them to the Finals. That's like saying Kobe was a top 5 player all time when Shaq was carrying them to those titles. KD led the league in minutes and points when he got the Thunder team to the Finals. Westbrook had swagger, but he wasn't a top 10 player and he wasn't close to being the "emotional leader" of that team. KD carried them!
And Durant was 23. Anthony Davis is 24. There's no comparison.
Last edited by NMThreeMVP; 02-12-2018 at 06:11 PM.
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