Kevin Durant’s own ‘Decision’, announced on Tuesday morning via The Players’ Tribune with the words: “I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors” has delivered wonderful anarchy to the NBA.
No fans, outside Golden State’s increasingly tech-bro Bay Area/Silicon Valley fanbase, wanted to see Durant team up with the already historically legendary Warriors team.
The obvious comparison to LeBron James’ reviled Decision was both due to James’ teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to form a Big Three, and the nature of the hour long TV spectacle.
Durant makes him an instant villain. Fans want stardom to rise above and carry teams to greatness – as per James’ return to Cleveland and the win this year.
He joins an historically great team to chase Championship rings in a manner that leaves a deeply sour taste in the mouths of many, and scares the 29 other teams left now to piece together the rest of free agency.
Rather than fight to create a legacy, he joins one midway through a winning streak halted only by an all-time Finals performance by LeBron James.
He joins the 73-win Warriors after coming within one game of defeating them in the Western Conference Finals with his ex-Oklahoma City Thunder team.
The Warriors now hold arguably two of the top three players in the league in Stephen Curry and Durant, and combined with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, four of the top 10 to 15 players.
Durant’s own words are being dragged up to haunt him, in what will likely be the most dragged up old tweet in the history of the NBA.
The Western Conference becomes more stacked and imposing, with the Spurs, LA Clippers, and Oklahoma now fighting what would seem to be insurmountable.
Russel Westbrook, discarded by Durant, now leads a less-than-stacked Oklahoma City squad, hoping to get a lot out of new acquisitions Victor Oladipo and 11th draft pick Domantas Sabonis.
The Warriors face minor dilemmas – Durant’s two-year deal (second year player option) with them valued at $54.3 million, means Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli won’t fit under the cap and will be traded. That leaves them short on true big centers outside of the flailing Anderson Varejao, but they only need a defensive minded big that can grab rebounds.
Scoring won’t be required with this offensive arsenal. Free agents will be lining up out the door.
The Warriors front office, led by Jerry West, have pulled off a giant coup. Many factors had to fall together – the giant new TV deal opening up cap space in a giant leap, rather than smoothed, and a fantastically small contract that took a risk on Curry.
Durant says he’s moved out of his comfort zone to find his greatest potential. Many will say he’s simply joined that which appears to be easiest to gain a ring, failing to strive for true glory as a superstar willing to rise against. Durant will hear boos across the nation. LeBron has become the saviour in the space of a season.
Provided all stay healthy, put your money on a Warriors vs Cavaliers Finals. Just don’t count on LeBron and co. being able to overcome a ridiculous Warriors team.
bjvm
Roar Rookie
Will be interesting to see how all the roles work and how it will affect Steph, KD and Klay's numbers this season. I'm excited.
one armed scissor
Guest
Good on Durant & I hope he wins it all with the warriors. He's one of the marquee faces of the nba for years to come. Its not his job to put champion teams together. His job is to play like a champion which he does pretty well most nights. Given the championship is so hard to win this sort of arrangement may become the new normal. The Warriors will fill out the roster with scrubs & they'll still be hard to beat
Davico55
Guest
Why would the Cavs want D-Wade? He is way past his best and would want big money.
pete bloor
Guest
A couple? Wasn't that like 6 years ago. I just saw Venus Williams answer at a press conference "that was 6 years ago, that's ages I can't even remember" when asked about how she felt at Wimbledon. As Keynes said you should reassess your opinion when the facts change and there has certainly been a shift in the NBA away from your flawed egocentric Neanderthal model
Tristan Rayner
Editor
That was a trade situation involving an NBA-owned team so the NBA had power there. Here, it's a free-agent signing, so a very different set of circumstances. If the Spurs sign Pau Gasol it'll be interesting. A healthy, firing Clippers side should be good enough to give them a shake but they never quite aim up.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Ha, he's in line for max money or in that threshold given his playoff performance and his age. He won't take that big a paycut!
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Agreed, nice points made here. The problem is former Mav Zaza Pachulia has plugged himself in on the minimum to chase a ring with the rest. He's not as good as the departing (and new Mav!) Bogut, and needs to be nursed as the end of his regular season tailed off, but he'll be a good fit.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Thanks Ryano. Helps being awake when the news goes down!
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Very good point there Swampy regarding there depth moving forward. Bogut and Barnes were very important cogs in the wheel. Injuries or lack of to there starting lineup will be key.
Bman
Guest
I agree josh - everyone is losing their minds and rightfully so but they are going to have to fill the rest of the roster with bargain basement players . I think Livingston is the 6th man that will stay but the rest are probs going to have to make way. And that could spell trouble. There are only so many shots to take
Steele
Guest
Pathetic decision. He has really tarnished his image permanently now. Living in San Fran obviously is a bit nicer than Oklahoma but cmon, really...? Lebron didn't win it on his own for the Cav's though as some like to suggest. Irving was instrumental and clearly isn't getting enough kudos for mine. Westbrook will win the MVP next yr!
Sam Walker
Roar Guru
Biggest issue is going to be cap space, I saw they had just a tick over 1 million available and 9 roster spots filled so they would need to do some serious crunching, They won't be able to keep the team completely intact but the could ditch some of the poorer performers such as Andy V and it might help.
Swampy
Guest
Completely different. Whilst Bosh, Wade & Lebron formed a big three, they had no other pieces in place at the time of Lebron's signing. Miami were really bad beforehand. They had to start the team from scratch basically. It worked - they won titles and Lebron was in the Finals every year. The Warriors are already the greatest regular season team ever and have been to the Finals two years in a row winning once. They also have the reigning two-time MVP. Durant simply not doing anything like what Lebron did other than $h!tt!ng on the team he has played his whole career for. No Championship is ever cheap. Don't expect the Warriors to win by default. Would be funny if D-Wade signed with the Cavs though to even things up.
Kevin
Guest
Geez not sure about that , the Heat weren't world beaters before lebron got there .. Be clear KD is joining the greatest team in basketball ( regular)..and the team that he couldn't get by!
SAVAGE
Guest
I think OKC just needed another year together and then it may have happened. Now? Hopefully Westbrook takes on the the leadership role, if not, then the sooner he goes, the sooner OKC can identify and lockin who they want to rebuild the team around. But seriously KD, of all the teams.......Golden State? F^^&* Off!
anon
Guest
Durant's simply doing what LeBron did when he piled on at Miami to win a couple of cheap championships (should have won 4 with that team).
Swampy
Guest
On paper it makes the Warriors look ridiculous but there's been plenty of super teams on paper before. Let's just hold our predictions of 75 wins back until Xmas maybe. We have no evidence their lineup will work as yet. To win 73 games last year the dubs had a lot of things go right. For one, they barely had an injury til the playoffs (Iggy & Barnes were out for a bit and that's all I can recall). Will the number of shots Durant needs be a positive or negative on the splash brothers? To get Durant they've had to jettison all their centres bar the corpse of Varejo. They were actually hurt by Bogut's absence in games 5, 6 & 7. Their bench depth is a bit questionable now (even if they fill it with handy vets who want a ring before they retire) meaning the top 6 or 7 will log many more minutes than last season. I'm not suggesting the Warriors will not be outright favourite's for the title - they are assured of that. However, it's a long season and I doubt Steph & Co are going to be feeling the love they had last season on the road. Things may pan out differently. Plus, there will be a human fireball awaiting in OKC (or some other venue) to display his own personalised take on proceedings when KD renews acquaintances.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Could you imagine if Adams jumped ship to the dubs !
rayray
Guest
slightly off topic however this did tweak interest; "That leaves them short on true big centers outside of the flailing Anderson Varejao, but they only need a defensive minded big that can grab rebounds". one "steve adams", currently in the throes of contract re-negotiation would fit this puzzle quite nicely?...
Kingcowboy
Guest
Durrant was complaining on Twitter a couple years back about LBJ joining the Heat and forming so called "super teams". Now he is doing the exact same thing. Anyway I guess that is the difference between a man and a boy but me personally, I hope he never wins a ring for being a hypocrite!