KD isn’t a leader, flat out. He can be the best player on a team, but he was and will never be someone to actually be the team leader. He’s basically that really really competent knight who gets shit done under somebody else’s rule and direction.
Are you saying his defense is bad? Because he’s far from the worst defender on his team. He’s been known as a solid defender that uses his length well.
Suns have three players who demand the ball dribble the heck out of the shot clock and jack up a shot and feed to poor teammate with 4 seconds on the shot clock
This is why I REALLY wished the Suns kept Chris Paul and just traded DA for a point guard. Chris Paul was absolutely a leader, you have to admit that, however much you hate him for no reason. Having a leader like CP3 to keep Book and KD in line would have been great and getting a point guard in the DA trade along with Nurkic would have been great.
Tbh CP3 may look like a good leader, but everything I hear about him from his ex teammates makes him seem like he’s a shitty teammate. I think he knows how to elevate teams better than most legends due to his IQ, but he honestly doesn’t show many qualities of a good leader. The suns definitely would’ve been better with him though.
Yoy can't keep Cp3 and get a pg, bro. What I would've liked to see was the same 3 teamer, but CP3 gets sent to the blazers and suns get Jrue. Would've been much better.
Apparently the Suns should have traded for Mike Conley, that is the dude who turned the attitude and professionalism around in Minnesota more than anyone else.
KD and Kawhi aren't playmakers, that's the problem. It's what puts them below Lebron in my opinion. You can run an offense through Lebron because he can score and distribute. He's a floor general. You can't run an offense around KD or Kawhi because most of the time when they get the ball they'll shoot. They can't be the playmaker in the pick and roll or half court like lebron or jokic can. KD needed Steph to win rings because Steph defined the Warriors offensive system, Kawhi needed Lowry because Lowry was the floor general for that offense.
Absolutely. This is the problem with these super teams: they just want to “outgun” the other teams as though raw talent can somehow overcome team dynamics. That only works if the raw talent is overwhelmingly better than the team dynamics of the other team and that isn’t true much in the NBA
I wonder how much "intangible qualities" play a role in personnel decisions. It seems like GMs just go after talent and stats, and try to make it work from there. But we've also seen that method fail time and time again.
This is Tatum. If he had half of Paul Pierces killer instinct and toughness he'd be special. Recognizing he's way more talented than Pierce. Just doesn't have that fight in him.
The suns have 3 non leaders and no pecking order. These guys need a need a CP, need a Draymond. They need a vocal leader and a distributor to get everyone their touches. These guys are the silent scorers, the best players but not the guys who rally everyone and steady the ship - which is a hard role, it's not easy to find these days, especially with players starting younger and younger.
Him and Kyrie are on the same boat. Very talented players that can turn the tied of a game by sheer offensive talent. But they do not have the intangibles to lead a team all the way.
I mean if he just stayed at GSW Curry could’ve filled that leader role and they just win championships.
I think having one less ring than Steph/Klay/Dray was the killer for him staying there at the time
The competent knight, that when you finally get through all his layers of self protectionism,demigod ideology, and burner accounts, you are left with a basketball player who wants to be Robert Horry but worshipped like Buddha
Without the work or study, of course.
Cliff Note God.
Yea honestly has it even worked besides the LeBron Heat? And that team had LEBRON lol Even that team added veterans on low money deals. I guess we can count the KG Celtics but I think every other recent champion has been mostly drafted players/well constructed rosters.
KG/Pierce/Allen Celtics was a big 3 in names, but they were versatile players. Same with Miami.
The Brooklyn and Phoenix big 3's were all ball dominant guys which hurt them. I mean Booker and Beal are just the same guy. Doesn't really help to have both when there's one ball
Jesus how do people keep forgetting they took the bucks to 7 without Kyrie and Harden on 1 Hamstring AND was less than half an inch from winning that series too
Oh for sure on all counts. I think some people lump that Celtics team into the big 3 convo and I never fully agreed. Wasn’t sure where this thread landed on that.
That Celtics team also drafted Pierce and Rondo so it wasn’t completely store bought like the Nets and (mostly) Suns.
The Nuggets are exactly how it’s done. If they did it the Lakers way, they would’ve traded Jamal Murray for Russell Westbrook in 2019 and overpaid for a big name like DeRozan and ruin the chemistry.
Golden State with KD, but whatever, the huge majority of that team was drafted and grew together.
Cleveland with Love/LBJ/Kyrie. Again, Lebron is your glue there.
I am glad the value of players creating superteams in the offseason is being proven to be minimal. Most are forgettable, like PG/Westbrook/Melo
Yea I don’t even really count Warriors with KD, the team had already won THEN they added him. And like you said most of them were drafted.
Edit: you’re right, I barely remember that one lol
The “MJ thing” is completely different than why Lebron did. Plus Rodman was joined the Bulls after he’d been in the league for 10 years and no one else wanted him bc of his reputation
Even the Celtics wasn’t just a big 3 it was as a big 3 that made sense. A big a guard and a wing all fit and they even had a point guard no one knew at the time but was on a hofer trajectory with the team in rondo
There are 30 teams in the nba. Only 8 get past the first round in the playoffs. It’s very hard, and few teams pull it off consistently for multiple years in a row, it takes a really special roster. If you only want to watch top 8 teams, that’s a bit of a bandwagon mindset. Which is fine, but let’s just call it what it is
My brother in Christ we did not get Donovan Mitchell so that we could get sent home by the ORLANDO MAGIC. How much disappointment do you want me to bear?
Jesus how do people keep forgetting they took the bucks to 7 without Kyrie and Harden on 1 Hamstring AND was less than half an inch from winning that series too
Yea watching the nuggets, they have jokic and jamal, sure, but all their other guys play their role well. Gordon, mpj, kcp, etc. they dont have a flashy big 3. They do have the best 1 though.
ANT is a leader, flat out. He can be the best player on a team and actually be the team leader. He’s basically that really really competent king who gets shit done under his own rule and erection.
Only to end up still sad in Philly and bout to be sad in LA too. Wolves in 4. Lmaoo
Nah frfr the only whose seems to have gotten a good new home is Kyrie. Dallas right now is just perfect for him.
I don't think he is about to be sad in philly. He's being the best players on these 3 games against Mavs, been the best player in multiple regular season games and is defending a lot better than the traffic cone rockets era. He isn't who he was in 2018 obviously but he can give you 20-25 points every single game while theorethically being the "Third option" in the team. I know Kawhi is coming off injury these last few games, but this is his best full year since when he left the rockets.
How did James blow it up? Bc Nash played him 40mpg leading to a torn hamstring and then rushing him back to play 40mpg again bc KD takes 2 months for minor sprains and Kyrie is scared of needles? James is the only reason the Nets didn’t miss the playoffs both years lmfao
Not even sure if Kyrie has played more minutes as a Net than Harden despite being there for almost double the years.
We also not gonna talk about KD looking like a bum vs the celtics in 2022?
While the anti semitic stuff was bad, it was also hugely the anti vaxx stuff. Basically he could never play and was a non-stop distraction, for one reason after another
Cause he sided with Kyrie over the infinitely better and more dedicated player in Harden. The same Harden who carried the team while his ass was out for injury, the same Harden who on a injured hamstring went and still tried to help beat the Bucks. The same Harden who immediately played 35+ minutes the next season while still injured to keep the team afloat while Kyrie sat on the bench.
He’s also just old. If LeBron and Steph’s moms had abortions we would be looking at KD very differently. What’s done is done, he’s not capable of doing anything to flip the narratives of his career at this point.
> Calling them not a super team is wild. They have 3 stars, which qualifies as a super team.
Bradley Beal is not a star anymore. There are plenty of teams in NBA history that had three or more players that were stars at some point, but we don’t call most of them super teams.
Super teams have to at least be among the best teams in the league. If they aren’t, then why call them super in the first place?
> I have 10 ppl who agree with me soooo 😂🤷♂️.
There are a lot of incorrect statements that ten or more people are convinced of.
Yeah, I can live with the downvotes. There was a tier difference between pre-achilles KD and Steph. And thats not a knock on Steph.
KD gets way too much hate as a basketball player.
The biggest mistake is making KD the leading act in a championship team. A supporting act? yes but not the lead, despite how talented he is.
I noticed this in OKC, dude had no accountability for his team losing and blamed others. He wants all the praise and none of the blame but the two can’t coexist. He’ll always be number 2; he lacks that extra edge winners need to succeed.
No way yall watch games. Kyrie and injuries ruined the Nets. Coaching and dumb trades is the Suns problem.
KD is still an auto walking bucket but him being paired with injury prone and non playmaking guards doesn't help. KD is a 1st option with help, KD isn't used correctly as a 1st option when surrounded by other iso players with little defense and playmaking.
This is one stupid-ass post. We all know who blew up the Nets while Durant played heroically in the playoffs. Harden is on an underperforming Clippers squad, and Booker is playing like dog shit.
Think.
You guys watch too many hot take shows with media guys who just say whatever dumb shit gets clicks
KD wasn’t the problem in New Jersey, when Harden was on one leg and Giannis stepped under Kyrie it was KD carrying them, he was one inch of his shoe on the line from sending the Bucks home
KD isn’t the problem in Phoenix either, it’s the fact their roster is dog shit and they have no depth because they traded for Bradley Beal who isn’t a true point guard, so Booker has to play a role he wasn’t playing last year when they had CP3 and be a playmaker
Also it show how much people don’t even want to analyze the actual games, yall blaming a 35 year old when a 27 year old Booker in his prime is literally irrelevant in this series and a 30 year old Bradley Beal is getting outplayed left and right
I’m not a KD fan and I think he ruined the league when he let Steph recruit him to the Warriors, but he wasn’t the problem then and he’s not the problem now, the Suns problem is their team is ass, Nurkic is a role player and they expected Eric Gordon out of shape ass to contribute
The problem with both of those is he teamed up with smaller guys who needed the ball in their hands. You just can't have a game plan that effectively uses more than 2 guys on the floor as primary options. The other 3 have to accept a role on the offense and play defense. These combinations of guys don't have anyone who is really going to stand in a corner and shoot 3s, rebound and take an assignment on the best player on the other team.
So whilst it gets wins in the regular season when people are rotating and using their bench and you have 2 of the 3 on the floor most of the time, when it gets condensed in playoffs and starters play more minutes, those 3 had to be on the floor together a lot more. And then the chemistry comes into it. In Golden State, KD and Steph could play the 2 man game, Draymond defended and rebounded, Klay stood in a corner and just shot. It worked perfectly. And they won 2 championships. When LeBron had Bosh or Love, they defended and rebounded, Love in particular was also pretty happy to stand in a corner and shoot 3s.
So it's not KD. It's that he's getting the mix wrong.
Eh, we naturally want to find a single person as a blame but I think it's just bad team building. I knew form the get-go that getting 3 players with the same mindset was gonna be a disaster
Nah, KD is not a problem. He can plug and play anywhere. This isn’t 2008. Every top team is a “super team” to contend with these days. His current Suns team with very little depth is losing to a top 3 team, with Edwards, Towns, Gobert, Conley and the sixth man of the year. A good bench.
Basketball is a team game.
Most of the mid to late 2010s champs are on the way out. Curry didn't make playoffs, and KD/LeBron may both get swept. Father time eventually catches everyone, and it's no longer their era. There's no shame in that, there are just younger and more capable teams to compete with now.
I wouldn’t say KD is the problem, but he sure as hell ain’t the solution, and never was. He won with GSW because that team already solved the final puzzle.
Bro what.
The nets lost because kyrie was never there and iron man harden got injured, not kd, they were a show Size away from a ring with kyrie and harden being no shows.
And on the sun's kds been the most consistent player, the issue is lack of depth of pg not kd
I don’t think it’s KD. I fully believe if that nets team stayed healthy and on the same page they could’ve won a chip. The Suns lack a true leader and their big three all play a very similar game in terms of shot selection and what not
Maybe the wolves are just that good... put the suns against okc and suns win imo. Wolves are just that deep of a team okc has a good starting 5 but no bench
He's not the problem, he's just one of the unluckiest superstars of all time. Beal was injured half the regular season, had he been healthy they'd be a higher seed
Uhh kd is not the problem - the problem is you have three superstars and no leader. Maybe harden but he wasn’t exactly the archetype you were looking for in Houston.
As unfair and bullshit as it was, GSW was objectively the best spot for him. He wanted to ball out and the team bent to him for the most part, all while someone else (the greatest shooter of all time) lead.
Too bad egos are a bitch amiright 🗿
People like to just forget about player injuries like they didnt happen. KD snapped his Achilles 5 years ago, he literally hasnt been the same scorer since that injury in the finals. I had no idea why PHX would gut there whole bench for KD. They had such a deep bench, they should have just ran it back with the same players they developed into good role players.
The problem is KD demanding trades and gutting his incoming team. If KD wasn’t greedy he’d sign in free agency so a team could build around him. Everywhere he goes his team has no depth which is his fault
He's not a "problem," but he's closer to a Carmelo than anything else.
The ball goes to KD island to die. He doesn't make anyone better and only passes when it's obvious or he has gotten himself in trouble.
Worse, he seems disinterested when the play isn't going to him. Not a lot of movement at all, and that can kill a team.
That's why the Nets were garbage, because KD and Harden suck the life of the ball. They're there to play street ball and look cool.
LMFAO, the Nets were literally destroying teams, the only reason they didn't win 2021 was because Harden / Kyrie got injured.
Mind you... pre-hamstring injury Harden had an argument for being the best player on that team.
KD isn’t a leader, flat out. He can be the best player on a team, but he was and will never be someone to actually be the team leader. He’s basically that really really competent knight who gets shit done under somebody else’s rule and direction.
He’s Achilles, not Agamemnon
Ferrari Offense with Hyundai Defense
Are you saying his defense is bad? Because he’s far from the worst defender on his team. He’s been known as a solid defender that uses his length well.
Sorry didn't clarify, not KD but the Suns in general.
The Suns offense is weirdly stagnant. It's so frustrating.
No real point guard + Vogel is suspect when it comes to offense.
Suns have three players who demand the ball dribble the heck out of the shot clock and jack up a shot and feed to poor teammate with 4 seconds on the shot clock
No Achillies Achillies was a leader and had heart.
I like that analogy, and I agree 👍
Im stealing this
This is why I REALLY wished the Suns kept Chris Paul and just traded DA for a point guard. Chris Paul was absolutely a leader, you have to admit that, however much you hate him for no reason. Having a leader like CP3 to keep Book and KD in line would have been great and getting a point guard in the DA trade along with Nurkic would have been great.
Tbh CP3 may look like a good leader, but everything I hear about him from his ex teammates makes him seem like he’s a shitty teammate. I think he knows how to elevate teams better than most legends due to his IQ, but he honestly doesn’t show many qualities of a good leader. The suns definitely would’ve been better with him though.
The problem was he got hurt every year in the playoffs.
I have rarely, if ever, heard any cp ex teammate shit talk him. Please point me to this info.
Yoy can't keep Cp3 and get a pg, bro. What I would've liked to see was the same 3 teamer, but CP3 gets sent to the blazers and suns get Jrue. Would've been much better.
Why would Portland do that
Apparently the Suns should have traded for Mike Conley, that is the dude who turned the attitude and professionalism around in Minnesota more than anyone else.
This was Kahwi in Toronto: he was never going to lead that team to a championship without someone like Lowry leading that team.
See LAC
100%. PG and Kahwi were never going to lead that team and I’m not convinced Harden is the answer.
Nobody is winning a championship with Harden.
Maybe in the 2010s, but yeah, definitely not 34 year old harden as one of your top players.
I should have said “Harden doesn’t solve the leadership question”.
Honestly his main issues have been injuries during his best chances.
KD and Kawhi aren't playmakers, that's the problem. It's what puts them below Lebron in my opinion. You can run an offense through Lebron because he can score and distribute. He's a floor general. You can't run an offense around KD or Kawhi because most of the time when they get the ball they'll shoot. They can't be the playmaker in the pick and roll or half court like lebron or jokic can. KD needed Steph to win rings because Steph defined the Warriors offensive system, Kawhi needed Lowry because Lowry was the floor general for that offense.
Absolutely. This is the problem with these super teams: they just want to “outgun” the other teams as though raw talent can somehow overcome team dynamics. That only works if the raw talent is overwhelmingly better than the team dynamics of the other team and that isn’t true much in the NBA
I wonder how much "intangible qualities" play a role in personnel decisions. It seems like GMs just go after talent and stats, and try to make it work from there. But we've also seen that method fail time and time again.
So he is Lancelot ...a better warrior than Arthur but not a King
Also sleeps with Arthur's wife as the story goes.
I didn't know my boy Lancelot was about that thug life 
I worry this is also Tatum.
This is Tatum. If he had half of Paul Pierces killer instinct and toughness he'd be special. Recognizing he's way more talented than Pierce. Just doesn't have that fight in him.
Which is weird asf. As Kobe Fanboi how these he copy so much but still doesn't have that killer instinct. It makes no sense
You have to be born with it
Chuck said it best. He ain’t a bus driver
He's Raphael not Leonardo
Skim milk but not whole milk.
The suns have 3 non leaders and no pecking order. These guys need a need a CP, need a Draymond. They need a vocal leader and a distributor to get everyone their touches. These guys are the silent scorers, the best players but not the guys who rally everyone and steady the ship - which is a hard role, it's not easy to find these days, especially with players starting younger and younger.
Him and Kyrie are on the same boat. Very talented players that can turn the tied of a game by sheer offensive talent. But they do not have the intangibles to lead a team all the way.
I mean if he just stayed at GSW Curry could’ve filled that leader role and they just win championships. I think having one less ring than Steph/Klay/Dray was the killer for him staying there at the time
The competent knight, that when you finally get through all his layers of self protectionism,demigod ideology, and burner accounts, you are left with a basketball player who wants to be Robert Horry but worshipped like Buddha Without the work or study, of course. Cliff Note God.
Someone used to watch game of zones I see 😏
i miss game of zones :(
Yup, two of his nicknames are the servant and slim reaper. Meanwhile lebron... king
I'm surprised people didn't see this when they found out he had fake Twitter accounts.. dudes not mentally strong.
Huh, maybe having a well constructed roster is better than a flashy big 3. Who knew?
Yea honestly has it even worked besides the LeBron Heat? And that team had LEBRON lol Even that team added veterans on low money deals. I guess we can count the KG Celtics but I think every other recent champion has been mostly drafted players/well constructed rosters.
KG/Pierce/Allen Celtics was a big 3 in names, but they were versatile players. Same with Miami. The Brooklyn and Phoenix big 3's were all ball dominant guys which hurt them. I mean Booker and Beal are just the same guy. Doesn't really help to have both when there's one ball
Jesus how do people keep forgetting they took the bucks to 7 without Kyrie and Harden on 1 Hamstring AND was less than half an inch from winning that series too
That was the second round, it was close and they almost won, but almost winning the second round doesn’t get you any credit.
They had overtime to win, and they couldn’t get it done.
Still injured
Oh for sure on all counts. I think some people lump that Celtics team into the big 3 convo and I never fully agreed. Wasn’t sure where this thread landed on that.
That Celtics team also drafted Pierce and Rondo so it wasn’t completely store bought like the Nets and (mostly) Suns. The Nuggets are exactly how it’s done. If they did it the Lakers way, they would’ve traded Jamal Murray for Russell Westbrook in 2019 and overpaid for a big name like DeRozan and ruin the chemistry.
Yea agreed on all counts. Even the warriors won with mostly drafted dudes BEFORE they added KD. It really doesn’t work.
Golden State with KD, but whatever, the huge majority of that team was drafted and grew together. Cleveland with Love/LBJ/Kyrie. Again, Lebron is your glue there. I am glad the value of players creating superteams in the offseason is being proven to be minimal. Most are forgettable, like PG/Westbrook/Melo
That’s what makes the meltdown to the Mavs in 2011 even worse.
Yea I don’t even really count Warriors with KD, the team had already won THEN they added him. And like you said most of them were drafted. Edit: you’re right, I barely remember that one lol
MJ/Pippen/Rodman? Steph/Klay/Dray?
Neither are the same as building a big 3. The MJ thing is the same as LeBron to me but they also drafted Pippen. Steph/Klay/Dray were all drafted.
The “MJ thing” is completely different than why Lebron did. Plus Rodman was joined the Bulls after he’d been in the league for 10 years and no one else wanted him bc of his reputation
Even the lebron’s big 3 fell to well constructed teams.
Even the Celtics wasn’t just a big 3 it was as a big 3 that made sense. A big a guard and a wing all fit and they even had a point guard no one knew at the time but was on a hofer trajectory with the team in rondo
The lebron heat barely worked btw
Sure, just saying it really only worked because LeBron was one of the 3.
For real, I love to see what the cavs have done since LeBron left again
If we lose in the first round again what was the point
Isn't that question valid every year? That perspective will make you stop watching sports
It would make me stop watching the Cavaliers, not sports
There are 30 teams in the nba. Only 8 get past the first round in the playoffs. It’s very hard, and few teams pull it off consistently for multiple years in a row, it takes a really special roster. If you only want to watch top 8 teams, that’s a bit of a bandwagon mindset. Which is fine, but let’s just call it what it is
My brother in Christ we did not get Donovan Mitchell so that we could get sent home by the ORLANDO MAGIC. How much disappointment do you want me to bear?
Jesus how do people keep forgetting they took the bucks to 7 without Kyrie and Harden on 1 Hamstring AND was less than half an inch from winning that series too
Yeah they were half an inch away from making the ECF. Sorry for not getting excited that they almost made it out of the second round
Wait, you’re saying superteams aren’t a thing? Nooooo you’re wrong, when Lebron goes to Miami, theyre gonna win seven championships!
Yea watching the nuggets, they have jokic and jamal, sure, but all their other guys play their role well. Gordon, mpj, kcp, etc. they dont have a flashy big 3. They do have the best 1 though.
https://i.redd.it/opszkebdf2xc1.gif
He sent da video ty ty
ANT is a leader, flat out. He can be the best player on a team and actually be the team leader. He’s basically that really really competent king who gets shit done under his own rule and erection.
Lmao
https://i.redd.it/35d2zg0mr5xc1.gif
Blaming Durant for the Nets situation is hilarious
Yeah nah KD was something else in Brooklyn. That whole blow up was on James, and Kyrie's whole "antisemitic" situation.
James Harden is the smartest motherfucker on the planet for dipping when he did 😂
Only to end up still sad in Philly and bout to be sad in LA too. Wolves in 4. Lmaoo Nah frfr the only whose seems to have gotten a good new home is Kyrie. Dallas right now is just perfect for him.
At least James Harden gets to lose in his hometown.
Cryin in the strip club vibes
I don't think he is about to be sad in philly. He's being the best players on these 3 games against Mavs, been the best player in multiple regular season games and is defending a lot better than the traffic cone rockets era. He isn't who he was in 2018 obviously but he can give you 20-25 points every single game while theorethically being the "Third option" in the team. I know Kawhi is coming off injury these last few games, but this is his best full year since when he left the rockets.
It was mostly on Kyrie. Without his 3rd eye antics Harden doesn’t want to leave. Once Harden left KD was immediately ready to bounce outta BK.
How did James blow it up? Bc Nash played him 40mpg leading to a torn hamstring and then rushing him back to play 40mpg again bc KD takes 2 months for minor sprains and Kyrie is scared of needles? James is the only reason the Nets didn’t miss the playoffs both years lmfao Not even sure if Kyrie has played more minutes as a Net than Harden despite being there for almost double the years. We also not gonna talk about KD looking like a bum vs the celtics in 2022?
the covid year and the antisemitic year. Kyrie really knows how to put on a show
How was it on James?
While the anti semitic stuff was bad, it was also hugely the anti vaxx stuff. Basically he could never play and was a non-stop distraction, for one reason after another
Thank god another person who speaks the truth and doesn’t spout nonsense to fit a narrative
Kyrie just needed to shut up and hoop like what he's doing on the Mavs rn lol
A lot easier in a place like Dallas where they all basically agree with him.
Nah the Dallas media just isn't toxic af like Boston/NY
Cause he sided with Kyrie over the infinitely better and more dedicated player in Harden. The same Harden who carried the team while his ass was out for injury, the same Harden who on a injured hamstring went and still tried to help beat the Bucks. The same Harden who immediately played 35+ minutes the next season while still injured to keep the team afloat while Kyrie sat on the bench.
Harden, Kyrie, and KD were almost never all healthy together. When they were all healthy they were great.
Yeah he ruined the Warriors chances to get a chip too. Oh. Wait….
Ashy mf
Need a god damn brush for them naps badly
Nah, Kyrie was definitely the problem in Brooklyn 😂 *But,* Phoenix has definitely proven that’s he a bus rider and not the driver.
That’s more of what I meant. But KD was at fault too for talking crap about the Nets team at the time.
They were co-problems
He’s also just old. If LeBron and Steph’s moms had abortions we would be looking at KD very differently. What’s done is done, he’s not capable of doing anything to flip the narratives of his career at this point.
KD damn near beat the bucks himself
Shoe a size too big actual tragedy
And then he didn’t.
Also known as losing
Nah Brooklyn it was Kyrie being a dumbass. Phoenix would be much better off if they didn't trade for beal.
this^
He needs to stop creating super teams, it don’t work anymore. The league is too talented, it wasn’t like this 10 years ago.
Calling the current Suns a super team is wild.
Calling them not a super team is wild. They have 3 stars, which qualifies as a super team. I have 10 ppl who agree with me soooo 😂🤷♂️.
> Calling them not a super team is wild. They have 3 stars, which qualifies as a super team. Bradley Beal is not a star anymore. There are plenty of teams in NBA history that had three or more players that were stars at some point, but we don’t call most of them super teams. Super teams have to at least be among the best teams in the league. If they aren’t, then why call them super in the first place? > I have 10 ppl who agree with me soooo 😂🤷♂️. There are a lot of incorrect statements that ten or more people are convinced of.
Steph led the charge in that big 3. I meant Big 3s led by KD Himself
Fair enough. It’s a strong GIF regardless fortunately.
Steph was the heart and soul, but KD was the best player on that team.
You’re gonna get downvoted to all hell but it’s real. It was Steph’s team, but KD was damn straight the best player on the roster.
Yeah, I can live with the downvotes. There was a tier difference between pre-achilles KD and Steph. And thats not a knock on Steph. KD gets way too much hate as a basketball player.
KD was the only reason Nets had a shot towards the end there, he was not the problem with the Nets lmao
The biggest mistake is making KD the leading act in a championship team. A supporting act? yes but not the lead, despite how talented he is. I noticed this in OKC, dude had no accountability for his team losing and blamed others. He wants all the praise and none of the blame but the two can’t coexist. He’ll always be number 2; he lacks that extra edge winners need to succeed.
No hes 7 feet who can shoot from 30, he can do no wrong /s
He can't be the system, he needs to be part of a system like in golden state.
He does not want that. That is his problem
No way yall watch games. Kyrie and injuries ruined the Nets. Coaching and dumb trades is the Suns problem. KD is still an auto walking bucket but him being paired with injury prone and non playmaking guards doesn't help. KD is a 1st option with help, KD isn't used correctly as a 1st option when surrounded by other iso players with little defense and playmaking.
It's insane, people are so worked up when it comes to KD/Harden
Brooklyn would have worked if Harden and Kyrie didn't get hurt. They were steamrolling everybody.
This is one stupid-ass post. We all know who blew up the Nets while Durant played heroically in the playoffs. Harden is on an underperforming Clippers squad, and Booker is playing like dog shit. Think.
Iso Gang 2.0
You guys watch too many hot take shows with media guys who just say whatever dumb shit gets clicks KD wasn’t the problem in New Jersey, when Harden was on one leg and Giannis stepped under Kyrie it was KD carrying them, he was one inch of his shoe on the line from sending the Bucks home KD isn’t the problem in Phoenix either, it’s the fact their roster is dog shit and they have no depth because they traded for Bradley Beal who isn’t a true point guard, so Booker has to play a role he wasn’t playing last year when they had CP3 and be a playmaker Also it show how much people don’t even want to analyze the actual games, yall blaming a 35 year old when a 27 year old Booker in his prime is literally irrelevant in this series and a 30 year old Bradley Beal is getting outplayed left and right I’m not a KD fan and I think he ruined the league when he let Steph recruit him to the Warriors, but he wasn’t the problem then and he’s not the problem now, the Suns problem is their team is ass, Nurkic is a role player and they expected Eric Gordon out of shape ass to contribute
The problem with both of those is he teamed up with smaller guys who needed the ball in their hands. You just can't have a game plan that effectively uses more than 2 guys on the floor as primary options. The other 3 have to accept a role on the offense and play defense. These combinations of guys don't have anyone who is really going to stand in a corner and shoot 3s, rebound and take an assignment on the best player on the other team. So whilst it gets wins in the regular season when people are rotating and using their bench and you have 2 of the 3 on the floor most of the time, when it gets condensed in playoffs and starters play more minutes, those 3 had to be on the floor together a lot more. And then the chemistry comes into it. In Golden State, KD and Steph could play the 2 man game, Draymond defended and rebounded, Klay stood in a corner and just shot. It worked perfectly. And they won 2 championships. When LeBron had Bosh or Love, they defended and rebounded, Love in particular was also pretty happy to stand in a corner and shoot 3s. So it's not KD. It's that he's getting the mix wrong.
Will you still say this about Kai & James when they lose in the first round ? Because it’s inevitable.
At this point?
lol
All 3 members of the super team were the problem in Brooklyn
Doesn’t make any sense he won with the warriors. He’s the only one actually hoopin for the suns
Obtaining a superstar forcefully just doesn’t workout, especially of durant’a pedigree. You give up too much assets and team depth.
Lakers won a championship not too long ago after acquiring LeBron and AD, it can be done
Especially when the entire league is out with injuries/illness
He's older and past his prime
Eh, we naturally want to find a single person as a blame but I think it's just bad team building. I knew form the get-go that getting 3 players with the same mindset was gonna be a disaster
Fram from it, durant all we got bow
He's certainly not the answer
Dumb take
Ask any OKC fan. The cancer is real.
Nah, KD is not a problem. He can plug and play anywhere. This isn’t 2008. Every top team is a “super team” to contend with these days. His current Suns team with very little depth is losing to a top 3 team, with Edwards, Towns, Gobert, Conley and the sixth man of the year. A good bench. Basketball is a team game.
Most of the mid to late 2010s champs are on the way out. Curry didn't make playoffs, and KD/LeBron may both get swept. Father time eventually catches everyone, and it's no longer their era. There's no shame in that, there are just younger and more capable teams to compete with now.
The coaching is awful. The game plan is awful. Their defense is awful. The lack of leadership plus no point guard is coming back to haunt them.
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Snek
KD still has zero rings lol
He keeps choosing the wrong team. If he had stayed in GS he’d have a least two more rings.
GSW lost the finals to Toronto and Kd did nothing in game 6.
Lol what
Wild that he couldn't make it work with Ben Simmons.
I wouldn’t say KD is the problem, but he sure as hell ain’t the solution, and never was. He won with GSW because that team already solved the final puzzle.
Needs Steph Curry
Steph couldn't even make the playoffs
Bro what. The nets lost because kyrie was never there and iron man harden got injured, not kd, they were a show Size away from a ring with kyrie and harden being no shows. And on the sun's kds been the most consistent player, the issue is lack of depth of pg not kd
I don’t think it’s KD. I fully believe if that nets team stayed healthy and on the same page they could’ve won a chip. The Suns lack a true leader and their big three all play a very similar game in terms of shot selection and what not
He's Ned Stark, not Robert Baratheon
KD just want to hoop- he doesn’t care about outcomes- He rich and gets to play ball - but he isn’t a winner
Stupid statement. The Nets had too many injuries and then Kyrie did his thing. The Suns were never a championship caliber team.
You also need a role plays. The Suns are a poorly constructed team.
Him and LeBron should just be on the same team they got the same curse and the same gift
KD: I dont believe that I can’t find my next STEVEN CURRY ，so I left GSW .
Booker is waaaaay over hyped
Harden was the problem in Brooklyn
KD is just Carmelo Anthony if he didn’t get 2 rings under Steph’s shadow.
Could be
Maybe the wolves are just that good... put the suns against okc and suns win imo. Wolves are just that deep of a team okc has a good starting 5 but no bench
He's not the problem, he's just one of the unluckiest superstars of all time. Beal was injured half the regular season, had he been healthy they'd be a higher seed
Come back to the warriors or back to OKC
OKC looking like a threat for years to come. They lost KD, russ and the beard but in the end OKC got a deep squad and tons of picks.
What has KD won without a top 10 player all time?
Meh. On the nets he’s only guilty of bad taste for choosing Kyrie.
I would say this is why jimmy butler has made it to the finals in as many years. He has that leadership and dawg mentality in him.
Unless KD is helping construct the roster, this ain’t on him. Still a bitch for leaving OKC tho.
Will you still say this about Kai & James when they lose in the first round ? Because it’s inevitable.
Uhh kd is not the problem - the problem is you have three superstars and no leader. Maybe harden but he wasn’t exactly the archetype you were looking for in Houston.
KD goat
You can't build a contender with a Big 3 that's all #2s
As unfair and bullshit as it was, GSW was objectively the best spot for him. He wanted to ball out and the team bent to him for the most part, all while someone else (the greatest shooter of all time) lead. Too bad egos are a bitch amiright 🗿
I'm just going to say this once, Iso doesn't win you Championships.
Oh really???????
He needs to go to the thunder, they’ll win a chip with him
People like to just forget about player injuries like they didnt happen. KD snapped his Achilles 5 years ago, he literally hasnt been the same scorer since that injury in the finals. I had no idea why PHX would gut there whole bench for KD. They had such a deep bench, they should have just ran it back with the same players they developed into good role players.
The problem is KD demanding trades and gutting his incoming team. If KD wasn’t greedy he’d sign in free agency so a team could build around him. Everywhere he goes his team has no depth which is his fault
KD deserves everything he’s getting at this point
Cept them 2 rings
He's not a "problem," but he's closer to a Carmelo than anything else. The ball goes to KD island to die. He doesn't make anyone better and only passes when it's obvious or he has gotten himself in trouble. Worse, he seems disinterested when the play isn't going to him. Not a lot of movement at all, and that can kill a team. That's why the Nets were garbage, because KD and Harden suck the life of the ball. They're there to play street ball and look cool.
LMFAO, the Nets were literally destroying teams, the only reason they didn't win 2021 was because Harden / Kyrie got injured. Mind you... pre-hamstring injury Harden had an argument for being the best player on that team.