You can say the same thing about the Spurs, right? Did no superstar want to play with Duncan? Who went to join Kawhi? Lillard? Butler? Maybe it's just hard to acquire stats?
Did you actually follow NBA? How the Spurs get their super stars in the Duncan era? Did they flew off the tree or they had hired Morey to make the trades? As regarding what stars they got to play with Kawhi, did you ever heard about LMA whose actually in his prime and left another star in Portland when he signed with the Spurs?
He can't win. He's ball dominant= he's a ballhog, he needs to let these players who can't dribble or playmaker, make plays for everyone Hes not ball dominant= he's passive, why isn't our superstar dominating the ball??
He didn't join the Spurs JUST for Kawhi. Spurs still had Ginobili/Parker/Duncan and he even said he was glad to be closer to his family/friends.
No I don't follow the NBA at all. I just post here because I find DD highly entertaining. You didn't answer what superstar in his prime ever went to play with Duncan? The answer is nobody. Guess who was expected to sign CP3 had he hit FA in 2017? Yes, the Spurs. How did the Spurs pursuit of Lebron or KD work out? Aldridge is your big star? He's definitely an all-star but he'd no superstar level player. It's pretty simple. In 2013 free agency Dwight Howard was the concensus #1 free agent ( or so I'm told by those who actually follow basketball). He signed with Houston to play with Harden. In 2017 CP3 was the #3 FA (behind Curry and Durant) and he forced his way to Houston to play with Harden. So, two top 3 free agents in 6 years. How many other teams signed top 3 guys in two different years since 2013? Who are these teams that are pulling in so many more top free agents than Houston? Who's doing it with no cap space? Even better, what Super Stars are signing with teams that already have two players making almost $40M? Earlier you mentioned Durant going to play with Kyrie. Do you really consider Durant to still be in his prime? Ruptured achilles and he won't see the floor again until he's 32? That's prime Durant?
You're right not a lot of stars went to the Spurs.. They were home grown built... Spurs ran a system, not a 1 on 1 isolation. T_Man
I would argue the Spurs developed players rather than make them fit a system (like Nellie ball or the Triangle). Pop made adjustments as the league evolved and his personnel changed. The Spurs distinguish themselves in their scouting and development of players. Rockets do a decent job in scouting, finding diamonds in the rough over the years, and playing to a player's strengths, but development has been more uneven. Harden added a step-back, Beverley added shooting, but players have regressed in Houston like Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lin, Corey Brewer, etc.
So what is the comparison here? Of course LMA joined the Spurs NOT JUST for Kawhi, but on the same scale, can anyone say CP3 and Dwight joining the Rockets JUST because of Harden? Lets not forget to judge it from the result, how are these so called superstars performing AFTER they have joined the Rockets? So it is all Keith Jones fault for their decline in performance?
But they've still tried to chase big name free agents. They tried to get Lebron to meet with them, they went after Durant. They wanted CP3. They didn't get any of them. Acquiring stars is the exception, not the rule. I'm not even counting the Rockets acquiring Harden. Nobody knew that he'd be this good. We signed the #1 free agent in 2013 ( Dwight was 28 yo at the time). We acquired the #3 FA in 2017. That's not easy to do. When it comes to signing free agents, you're going to fail much more than you succeed. Just look at the Lakers. They struck out with Free Agents for how long? Now they got Lebron and then AD. Should they have given up trying because it was "embarrasing" to chase and not sign so many guys? You win in the NBA with stars, that's just a fact. If you're afraid to chase stars because you might fail then your chances of success are much lower.
Pop has a system and yes he does tweak it here and there with the personnel he has. But the fact is, the system is for team ball and not isolation ball and that's why they can plug in individuals and still be a top team in the west. The reason players are regression is because they are playing an isolation offense and just sitting around waiting and watching.... Not a productive system. T_Man
I really don't know how hard Pop has tried to get the big free agents you mentioned. A lot of those guys will not fit Pops system. Toronto just won a Title with 1 (ONE, NUMERO UNO) star.. But they played as a team... The Rockets won their first title with 1 (ONE, NUMERO UNO) star.. But they also played as team.... The 2003-04 LA Lakers were STACKED with stars and didn't win the Championship.... The 1977 Philadelphia Sixers were STACKED with stars and didn't win a Championship... Heck even Team USA Basketball as been STACKED with talent and not won the Gold medal. You can have as much Talent as you want, there's only one BALL and you have to play as a team. T_Man
If Harden wasnt here,neither of those two come here. Bro think about what you are saying, you are literally accusing Harden of making people worse at the game of basketball, 2 future HOF I might add, LOL this isnt smart.
