Memphis is tanking for Oden. We can't count on them to beat Utah. Timberwolves are in a bigtime slump, right now. Washington will have to be the one to beat Utah.
ehh, didn't really get my hopes up high that the Grizz could beat them. Any Rudy Gay comments on his play tonight? Isn't Durant's game about the same as Rudy Gay's? Both are versatile tall wingmen type of players.
oden has a looooot to learn in the nba. he won't make any significant diff for a while. plus he's gonna have to put on some muscle.
Jazz are going to win this one, lets hope they lose their next games. SO close to homecourt advantage.
Durant is about a hundred times more polished on the offensive end (better shooter, more range, with the ability to post up and score in a lot of different ways), and plays with about a thousand times more fire and assertiveness. There's a reason Gay fell to #8 in a weak draft, and Durant is touted as a can't miss franchise player.
Rudy Gay is a joke. Good deal for Rockets to get Shane. Rudy Gay will not be in rookie's 1st team. Maybe not even 2nd team.
I saw much of the first half, Rudy Gay didn't show very much. He's all about athleticism. No handles, no real outside shot. I've seen him throw down some serious dunks in the open court during other games. Durant and Gay are night and day. Durant can handle, shoot the long ball, post up, shoot unblockable turnarounds and take people off the dribble (in college). He also shows a "dominantion" mentality and always wants the ball when games get tight. Last year at UConn, Gay disappeared during long stretches of games. Perhaps the biggest difference between them is Durant loves the game of basketball and is consumed by it. I don't think anyone has ever said that about Rudy Gay. Durant will continue to get better and the sky is the limit for him. Gay needs someone to light a fire under him that will burn for 82 games per season. Durant has the passion. Saying Durant and Gay have the same game is like saying Amare and Stromile Swift have the same game.
Now those comments were what I was looking for...thanks... kinda bad for me to say this bit I'm kinda glad Gay has been disappointing, for the record I'd still do the trade but this makes it even better.
Have you seen ever seen Durant? That dude has the total package and is just utterly phenomenal. Gay went 8th in the draft, Durant on the other hand is a lock for the top two pick in this year's draft and possibly a #1 pick over the next great big. If Gay were in this draft, do you think anyone would debate him over Oden? Not a chance. Just like a previous poster said, he's be known to disappear in the season, and that's not the case at all with Durant. Gay will no doubt be an NBA superstar later on in his career, but he's not on the same level as Durant. If you've ever seen him play, then you know he's the REAL deal.
Buh? Not quite seeing what you're coming from, Gay hasn't shown anything particularily great during his rookie season...he's terribly inconsistant on a terrible team with a coach who was hired to play him more. Its not like every top 8 draft pick ends up being a superstar, especially when the draft class is REALLY weak. Case in point, check the 7 draft picks (yes I know I'm skipping over Amare but he's the exception no the rule ) after Yao Ming in the 02 draft and see where they are now. Gooden is decent and Dunleavy...eh. Either way, no superstars.
My bad, I meant to imply that only on the basis if he was consisted. Superstar kinda just slipped out of my mouth. Last year's draft was indeed a very weak class, this year it's the other way around and loaded with lots of talent.
Great analogy there. You'd think by now Stromile Swift and Darius Miles would have proved to the world that great physical talent does not guarantee greatness, especially when there's little or no passion for the game to accompany it. (Isn't it amazing that Stro is still can't get significant rotation minutes on the worst team in the league, a team that plays zero defense and essentially just likes to run and gun?)
Watching him tonight reminded me just how bad he is. Giving him away for nothing was a net positive for the Rockets. It was addition by subtraction.
im starting to wonder... if we want homecourt advantage... it seems to me our guys play better when they are the underdogs... and some times down to the level of teams they should beat...
