There were times in the WCF were Durant was a none-factor, and Westbrook was running the team with big shots made by Losha and Harden. It's team ball though. In 09, Scola played at a high level because of the offensive system of Adelman. Samiliarly, Durant played at a high level this year because of the offensive system of Brooks. It's coaching systems.
Smoothie King has got to be faking these opinions for reaction. Durant is never a non-factor. His mere presence on the floor changes opponents gameplans. If anything, Scottie Brooks' coaching (or lack thereof) did the Thunder in against the Heat. I would trade every player the Rockets have had over the past decade for Kevin Durant. All of them. Together. Durant + any 11 scrubs = greater upside than the Rockets currently have.
Durant +11 scrubs and without Westbrook is just Tracy Mcgrady all over again. The heat got lucky after game 2 when Durant didn't get the foul called but they wouldn't have even been in the game without Westbrook.
I'm just trying to make the point that you can't compare anything the Rockets have now to OKC. Serge Ibaka is a better player than anyone on the Rockets and he is OKC's 4th best! Durant is a future hall of famer and arguably the best player in the league. You can build around that. McGrady had his moments with the Rockets and was definitely a superstar, but give me Durant over Tmac every time.
Its not called a plan to lose everyone you go after and already have. Other than that the way it has fallen for the Rockets with how he has been able to stay flexible despite thigs falling apart for him has been I will say close to genius because he can stay afloat and look good doing so while the his actual plan falls apart. Nobody else I will admit can have his plans completely fall apart like Morey and at the same time be gathering assets and things that could help this team for the future on the plus side like Morey has. Thats basically because they need to lose to rebuild. So taking a step back wouldnt be a negative to him. The good about Morey I find is the ability to step back in his plans and look like he may come out of it with the proper rebuilding tools in place. That is his strength. Anyone still trying to move him towards his weakness of getting Howard and Superstars together through his weakness of gathering talent through convincing them to come here is delusional. That is his weakness. He can rebuild and gather assets. So that is why he has to be steered to rebuilding which is his strength. This whole time chasing stars has been wasted on his weakness of gathering stars through blockbuster deals. Thats a huge mistake. He is not good at doing those things. His path to a good career is made through drafts and young players.
Is there anyone worse that Solomon? The guy is a complete tool and thinks the only opinion that matters is his own. Add-in that he just isn't a very good writer, and I wonder how he stays employed.
NOW, I'm pissed. I derived a great deal of satisfaction knowing that you Morey-haters were just Solomon wannabes. The fact that I agree with 80-85% of what he said here makes me want to throw up. If he agrees with me again, I'm going to give up and become a soccer fan. Or hockey.
I hate Solomon's articles mostly...I think I have read a few that I like and most of them I hate. Hes right that we haven't even hit the signing period and people are freaking out. I'm starting to a little. I think Howard leaves if we get him and we will have to rebuild the next year for sure because we cashed in everything to get him. We should just go young now, especially since we lost Lowry now and dont have a legit PG. Lin is staying put in NY. Hopefully we get Asik. We need to trade Scola and Martin. That should be next.
I don't understand the logic behind losing to rebuild. Cleveland got the number 1 draft pick in Kyrie Irving but they're still in the dumps.
Is he serious? He craps all over Morey every chance he gets, using circumstantial facts without context to back up his criticism and condemnation of his management skills. Remember all those articles dogging him for last place finishes (he conveniently left out that it was last place in the division and we had a winning record) or throwing a fit when our 2% chance to move up from 14th place in the lottery fizzled. Now he's pretending to be the voice of reason? LOL. This guy is a freaking chameleon. What a sorry excuse for a sports writer.
Again, this article points out that Morey is just a public relations manager. He isn't looking to build a team, but intead he is looking to protect his rear-end from the owner.
There was a scene close to the end of game 2 where you can see Westbrook having a meltdown after Durant drove to the basket and he didn't get a foul call after the replays show Lebron clearly fouling him. At that point, they knew the odds where stacked against them since their next three games was in Miami. I think after that point on Westbrook started to really look for his shot a little more and maybe play a little more hero ball which meant that there was some indecision as to the "go-to" guy in the clutch.
I think the thing that really got Lowry traded was a potential suspicion that he was milking his injury, and Morey traded him just to prove a point that Lowry isn't special adn Lowry hasn't arrived yet.
