Okay, so Presti got the job at the absolute best time, but while Durant was obvious at #2, you should at least give him credit for absolutely nailing the Westbrook and Harden picks. Sure they were high, but Memphis had the second pick in 2009 and took Hasheem Thabeet, so when it comes to the draft, the guy clearly knows what he's doing.
As far as Blesoe, yeah, okay, that was bad, lol, as he was traded for the first round pick in 2012 that ultimately became Fab Melo (thank you so much, Danny (sarcasm)
. Ugh.). However, as much as Westbrook and Durant don't compliment each other and never have, can you imagine trying to fit Bledsoe into that rotation, lol? He is a much better shooter than Westbrook, sure, even though that's not saying much
, but if he could coexist with John Wall at Kentucky maybe it could have worked? I really don't know, although it is a good problem to have
, I'll give you that.
Also, I understand that you're bitter about the ownership and what happened in Seattle, and I'd blame their cheapness for not being able to keep that team together more so than Presti, but yes, trading Harden to Houston for, what, Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and a pick or two (right? I can't remember), was monumentally stupid, and was further compounded by acquiring Dion Waiters, who did have some good moments in the postseason, but he simply isn't a good enough shooter to be able to fit with Westbrook and Durant, and especially because he needs to handle the ball to be effective, which just isn't happening on that team, lol
. To me, the Harden trade looked like Presti was attempting to do a baseball trade where you acquire a few blue-chip prospects and a veteran for salary cap reasons to offset the loss of a superstar, except that that isn't how the NBA works. If you've got a guy like Harden, Durant, or Westbrook, you do everything in your power to keep them (well, from his perspective, anyway. I've never been a fan of any of those guys, to be honest,), because guys like that don't grow on trees or can be replaced the same way as in baseball. That's how I look at it, anyway.
On the court, though, the blame rests solely on the shoulders of Westbrook and Durant. Not only due they not play well together, they have also never understood the team concept because neither of them are team players. They never have been and they never will be, barring a sudden epiphany from either party, and they just don't get it, same as Jordan. The only time that I saw a light bulb come on was, unexpectedly, from Westbrook after game 3 against the Spurs, iirc. From that point until the end of game 5 against the Warriors, he actually looked to have finally figured out how to be a point guard, recognize that Durant is the number one option, and only take over when need be.
For his part during the same time frame, Durant, too, seemed to actually pass the ball, although not very well (there were times when he threw Ezeli/Whiteside passes out there, and at the most inopportune time, to boot), but when they had to close it out, Kevin was atrocious. He played as if he'd never won a close out game before, just chucking bad shot after bad shot instead of passing, and when this happened Westbrook didn't come to the rescue, as he had been doing. Both of them reverted to their 1 on 5 games, shutting out the other guys on the court and making their team much easier to defend, which is why they ultimately lost. Both of them are simply way too selfish to ever be winners, in my book, and I hope neither of them ever becomes a Boston Celtic. Just like Jordan and Kobe, KD and Russ don't like to pass - they see it as a chore that they begrudgingly have to do - and until that changes neither of them will ever win anything. With the amount of talent that they've had on that team over the years it's honestly pathetic that they haven't won a title, and they only have themselves to blame, imo.
I will say this, though. There is one player who might just be what they need in order to beat the Warriors, in addition to needing to change their mindset to the game, and that would be Avery Bradley, who I guess you can argue that they should have taken in 2010 as opposed to Bledsoe, and it's not just because of his defense. Bradley doesn't need the ball to be effective, and his movement without it would, imo, anyway, be the perfect compliment to Westbrook and Durant on both ends. Teams wouldn't be able to ignore him and his shooting like they blatantly disregard Andre Roberson, which would only make them in deadlier. So why not give them Bradley for a first rounder next year, and maybe their second, as well? He'd be perfect there and the guy deserves to be on a contender.
They could also possibly benefit from signing Evan Turner and have him run the show off the bench, but what would really make them an actual team, imo, is if they put Dakari Johnson in the starting lineup. Steven Adams is nothing more than Greg Kite, but Dakari can actually score with his back to the basket (he's a very talented post player), and is a relentless offensive rebounder who keeps the ball high (don't underrate that), an excellent passer (really, you should watch his d-league highlights), and, despite outward appearances, can change ends really well, which Adams cannot. Johnson is also developing a face-up/midrange game. Yes, his free throw shooting will need to improve, but he's a hard worker with a great motor who plays his best in big games going back to his days at Kentucky, and with him in the lineup, the Thunder wouldn't be playing 3/4 on 5. They should also get rid of Collison, who sucks, and give Mitch McGary a prominent role off the bench. When he got a chance 2 years ago he was great for them. He's got a nice outside shot, can post up, and is, like Dakari, relentless on the boards and a great passer, even more so than Johnson, which is saying a lot. McGary's intensity and skill, combined with his speed, would make their offense hum, especially if you paired him with Dakari.
So, to sum up, Durant, who isn't coming here (sorry, man
), would greatly benefit from the additions of Bradley and Turner as well as the promotions of Dakari and McGary. This starting lineup could be deadly -
Dakari Johnson, Serge Ibaka, Kevin Durant, Avery Bradley, Russell Westbrook
backed up by Cameron Payne, Morrow, Turner, McGary, and probably Adams, plus another veteran free agent at the 2/3 and 4/5. Oh, and I almost forgot - get rid of Kyle Singler. How is that guy even in the league, lol? Kanter could probably stand to go, as well, especially if the 4/5 free agent can actually score inside AND defend. What do you think?
I've never thought much of Tyson Chandler, btw.