This is great news for the Oklahoma City Thunder, and I’m glad for Russell Westbrook. Following Kevin Durant’s departure, many assumed Westbrook would bolt as well.
I love OKC’s squad, which has some serious size and athleticism and can still make a run at the NBA Finals. Westbrook is an amazing player, and now he’s the clear leader of this team. The drama with Durant is gone, and Billy Donovan is a great coach. With Westbrook tied up for three years they can also try to lure another superstar.
Kevin Durant has declared his independence and taken his talents to Oakland. He’ll sign a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors in an attempt to form a super-team and finally win a title.
I don’t blame Durant for leaving, it’s his decision, yet I also feel bad for the fans in Oklahoma City. As a Cavs fan I know how they feel. But I am a little confused by this decision, as Durant had a very good team in OKC with a clear shot at getting back to the Finals. He clearly didn’t have to leave, which makes this even more painful for OKC fans.
Many assume that Durant and the Warriors will be unbeatable, but how many scorers can a team accommodate? We’ve seen Kevin Love and Chris Bosh make real sacrifices to win a title in a Big Three environment. Who will make the sacrifices here? Who takes the big shot at the end of the game? Durant thrives on ISO basketball. What happens now?
Chemistry is critical in basketball, so now we’ll have to see what kind of chemistry develops in Golden State.
Also, the Warriors will have to shed salary in order to make this happen, so say good bye to players like Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli. Who will play center now for the Warriors? How will they handle bigger teams? Will Draymond Green wear down as he’s forced to handle the load against big centers over a long season? The starting five of the Warriors looks like a dream team, but there’s so much more that goes into winning a title.
In many ways this is great for the NBA, driving some serious buzz heading into next season. Lebron James and the Cavs can play the role of underdog yet again. It should be fun to watch!
Lionel Messi missed a penalty kick. Argentina lost the Copa America final against Chile. Then Messi announced he’s retiring from the Argentina national team without ever having won a major international title.
Wow. That was quite a bad day for Argentina football. Let’s see if Messi eventually let’s the emotions of the moment subside so he can gear up for the 2018 World Cup. It’s difficult to imagine him refusing another opportunity to perform on the world stage. It’s critical to his legacy.
Draymond Green has a knack for committed questionable fouls, with many of his kicks and blows somehow finding the groin area of opposing players. The NBA has a knack for letting him get away with it.
What will the NBA go now after another Draymond blow to the groin, this one to a Lebron James who was massacred all night long by the Warriors but barely sniffed the free throw line?
Lebron James had a rough night last night as the Golden State Warriors took a 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. He settled for too many three-point shots (going 1-5) and seemed way too anxious to pass the ball when he drove to the hoop. His dribbling skills seem to have disappeared and he’s become a turnover machine. As a result, he shied away from trying to finish at the rim all night.
But can you blame him? Lebron James was basically mugged by the Warriors defense every time he got into the paint. Of course, this has happened to pretty much every player on both teams throughout this series. The NBA seems to have decided that most fouls in the paint won’t be called unless it’s a flagrant slap, push or hold.
The result last night was a game that didn’t seem to resemble basketball at times, and also risked a physical confrontation as players from both teams pushed the envelope on the physical nature of the game.
This bizarre turn of events also plays into the hands of the Warriors. The Cavs need to be effective in the paint in order to run their offense, while the Warriors thrive with long jumpers that then open up the paint on passes off of aggressive perimeter defense from the opposing team.
