**OFFICIAL 2019 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD**

[VARNELL HILL]

First...we're making a gigantic reach with the "someone better than Barnes" variable.

Let's take a look at the 2016 NBA Free Agents (excluding LBJ and KD obviously).

Mike Conley
Demar Derozan
Nicolas Batum
Al Horford
Chandler Parsons
Hassan Whiteside
Luol Deng
Ryan Anderson
Evan Turner
Dwight Howard
Kent Bazemore
JR Smith
Bismack Biyombo
Joakim Noah
Timofey Mozgoz
Ian Mahinmi
Marvin Williams
Soloman Hill
Courtney Lee
Dwyane Wade
Jamal Crawford
Jon Leuer
Pau Gasol
Austin Rivers
E'Twuan Moore
Al Jefferson
Jared Dudley
Jeremy Lin
Dwight Powell
Lance Thomas
Rajon Rondo
Joe Johnson

Which one of these "better than Barnes" guys is shoring up the Warriors? Which one of these guys is stepping up to carry the load when Steph goes down?

 

[danikerhino]

Fax
They only needed to not have to face him I. The WCF again cuz they were 1 game form losing to him
Just so happened he joined them

Get rid of Barnes and get someone that’s a legit scorer would still make them favorites. Just not world beating favs imo

If having KD turns us from favorites to unbeatable, that's a big difference in my eyes.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

Fax
They only needed to not have to face him I. The WCF again cuz they were 1 game form losing to him

Hmm...maybe they should have signed Chris Paul this summer too.

 

[P C H]

First...we're making a gigantic reach with the "someone better than Barnes" variable.

Let's take a look at the 2016 NBA Free Agents (excluding LBJ and KD obviously).



Which one of these "better than Barnes" guys is shoring up the Warriors? Which one of these guys is stepping up to carry the load when Steph goes down?

Right. Maybe they could have swindled Batum or Derozan or brought HB back on a 1 year or 2 year deal or something Idk.

But to me, all you're saying is that the road to the finals w/o KD would have been harder, which it would have. But that's not a "need" unless you believe that Barnes and his 12ppg from that year was that important to their 73 win season and that they had no shot w/o him.

And the warriors brass has earned the benefit of the doubt that they would have been able to find someone competent to replace barnes in FA, or even via trade at some point in the next season.

But w/ or w/o Barnes or KD...they unequivocally would have been a favorite coming into 16-17

 

[wavycrocket]

Jaylen Adams > Trae Young

Gahhh dummy ! Baltimore ****

 

[P C H]

I get what you're saying, but Draymond didn't drop off yet. He just fully committed to defense, rebounding, and assists. He didn't fall-off, he just doesn't feel he needs to shoot the ball like he used to, but he's still fully capable of being that player.

Uh...what?

Dray is shooting 28% on 3's this year, and is barely averaging 8 a game. Last two years before this year? 30%. His offense is for sure dropping off. It literally is.

What I'm saying is that undersized bigs have short shelf lives. W/o KD, maybe this drop in production comes into play. He's in full decline WITH KD added to their core, can't imagine it'd be better w/o him.

If having KD turns us from favorites to unbeatable, that's a big difference in my eyes.

I don't think anyone is saying that adding KD isn't a big difference

but the idea that the warriors needed KD...in essence saying that they didn't have a chance to win the chip unless KD went to GSW...is wild.

Unless we're operating on a different definition of what "need" is

 

[trynafeelmink]

Personally i do hope KD leaves after this season because i genuinely can't think of a realistic pairing of players that would beat this squad as is. W/o KD this team is still extremely good but they would be hurt. KD leaves this summer there still way over the cap, Iggy & Livingston can't play big regular season minutes. It's gonna be hard for them to reload.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

I'm not saying they needed him to get there...I'm saying they needed him to win it (with the likelihood that it's Bron/Kyrie/Love at the end of the road).

Whoever that "better than Barnes" guy is that they magically acquire better be able to free Steph of the burden of being the primary playmaker.

 

[P C H]

Personally i do hope KD leaves after this season because i genuinely can't think of a realistic pairing of players that would beat this squad as is. W/o KD this team is still extremely good but they would be hurt. KD leaves this summer there still way over the cap, Iggy & Livingston can't play big regular season minutes. It's gonna be hard for them to reload.

Think they're secretly hoping / keeping an eye on Boogie in case KD leaves.

 

[P C H]

I'm not saying they needed him to get there...I'm saying they needed him to win it (with the likelihood that it's Bron/Kyrie/Love at the end of the road).

So they wouldn't have needed KD to get through the west, but would have needed KD against the Cavs? The team they went up 3-1 on the year before? Now they lost, which means that the warriors weren't overwhelmingly better than the Cavs, but that's far from saying they "needed" KD to win that series. They were literally right there w/o him.

I mean the margin w/o KD would have been a lot smaller between the two teams but the Cavs were awful defensively for the majority of Bron's time there. I can't imagine that Steph/Draymond/Klay/Iggy/Shaun/Harrison Barnes or player x/ wouldn't have a real legit chance to win it.

 

[tay1]

It literally makes 0 sense for Kevin to leave. Don't even know why this is a topic of discussion right now. It isn't like they're on the decline. I could understand if they were struggling but nah, they pretty much have this chaptionship in the bag. Honestly, they could have the next 3 seasons on lock. 2 for sure.

 

[wavycrocket]

I'm not saying they needed him to get there...I'm saying they needed him to win it (with the likelihood that it's Bron/Kyrie/Love at the end of the road).

Whoever that "better than Barnes" guy is that they magically acquire better be able to free Steph of the burden of being the primary playmaker.

They were up 3-1 with a hobbled Steph (not an excuse) and lost on like one possession . Everything had to go right in 2016. You run that back the next year...Warriors winning it without KD in 6.

 

[kingjay718]

NBA History tells us that every dynasty eventually ends! GSW will eventually fall off. It'll make for great drama when a team finally sends GSW home. Just wait on it.

I am a Knicks fan, and I personally do not see anything wrong with GSW's dominance. They played by the rules in regards to free agency etc, The players chose to go there,, and they roster genuinely likes being around each other.

The NBA was built on dynasty teams. OKC had a chance to derail them in 2016, Houston had a shot last season. And they both failed to slam the casket door.

Just remember the emotions we all had when dynasty teams such as the '03 Lakers fell to the Spurs in the 2nd Round, The Clutch City Rockets when they fell to Seattle in '96, or look at when the last remnants of Magic's Lakers fell to the Bulls in '91. When GSW finally falls, it's gonna be epic.

 

[wavycrocket]

The Grizzlies just need to go away

 

[wavycrocket]

I also hate watching Jimmy Butler play. Dribble, Dribble, Dribble....mid post...pump fake, pump fake, shot.

He’s a good player...but ive grown annoyed with him.

 

[danikerhino]

I don't think anyone is saying that adding KD isn't a big difference

but the idea that the warriors needed KD...in essence saying that they didn't have a chance to win the chip unless KD went to GSW...is wild.

Unless we're operating on a different definition of what "need" is

If a player joining a team makes a big difference on their chances of winning a chip, than they need him. The goal in the NBA is to win a chip, so if a player can make a "4-3" close finals series turn into a comfortable "4-0" series, I would say the definition of "need" becomes more relevant for the player that was the difference maker.

 

[jumpmantwenty3]

I'll never understand how a team that already won a chip, then went 73-9 the next season with mostly the same personnel, suddenly 'needed' the second player in the league to win a title

 

[freeze]

kd leaves, they going after AD hardbody.

Light years b. They not just gonna stop trying because durant leaves. Them trying is how they got durant to begin with. They try and scoop PG or giannis lol, there are tons of players that wold love to fill that spot i'm guessing. And while none as as good as KD, you pair them with curry and klay, they dont have to be as good, just good enough.

 

[Peep Game]

The Grizzlies just need to go away

They’re really about to waste people’s time again

 

[kingjay718]

Memphis should just move to Seattle.

 

[P C H]

If a player joining a team makes a big difference on their chances of winning a chip, than they need him. The goal in the NBA is to win a chip, so if a player can make a "4-3" close finals series turn into a comfortable "4-0" series, I would say the definition of "need" becomes more relevant for the player that was the difference maker.

You can't bring up 4-3 w/o bringing up the fact they were "Comfortably" up 3-1 in the first place. Not to mention that up until game 5 they had beaten the Cavs 5 times that year by an average of like 20ppg a game. That's extremely comfortable...

Now we all know what happened next w/the dray stuff and Iggy stuff, and bron and Kyrie going wild, but if we're talking about "need" the warriors were very comfortable in that series until chaos happened.

What they "needed" was for Dray not to get suspended / Iggy and Bogut to not die. They didn't "Need" KD to win that series comfortably. They were already champions and comfortably up 3-1.

 

[VARNELL HILL]

I'll never understand how a team that already won a chip, then went 73-9 the next season with mostly the same personnel, suddenly 'needed' the second player in the league to win a title

Why does everyone just conveniently leave out the fact that the chip they already won came against Lebron with Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert as his running mates?

That regular season record don't mean ****. They loss. I don't care that they were up 3-1. They took the L.

 

[danikerhino]

I'll never understand how a team that already won a chip, then went 73-9 the next season with mostly the same personnel, suddenly 'needed' the second player in the league to win a title

Well we considering we lost after going 73-9, that should tell you right there that the Warriors were great but other teams were within reach.

 

[shotsrangout]

kd leaves, they going after AD hardbody.

Light years b. They not just gonna stop trying because durant leaves. Them trying is how they got durant to begin with. They try and scoop PG or giannis lol, there are tons of players that wold love to fill that spot i'm guessing. And while none as as good as KD, you pair them with curry and klay, they dont have to be as good, just good enough.

AD don’t seem like a ho *** ***** like that. He seems like he might go somewhere and make his own super team

The brow and the browettes

 

[shotsrangout]

Well we considering we lost after going 73-9, that should tell you right there that the Warriors were great but other teams were within reach.

Y’all lost because of bad luck honestly. The warriors were better than the cavs and they should of won. The momentum after that draymond suspension broke those weak Hearted light skin dudes into pieces.