[Shams] Durant has an Achilles injury

“Player empowerment” has become so dumb. Like...this is jumping the shark.

 

What player has been just as good after an achilles injury ?

 

I haven’t seen too many folks calling Durant weak since Monday. With his level of sensitivity and burner account activity, it makes me wonder if he didn’t mind taking the risk to get a “Warrior” label.

 

The Warriors organization should be dragged for this.

They knew that he was playing on an injury so from there they had to decide if...playing on the injury could make it worse or if...it was just a pain tolerance thing.

The fact is, I think they knew he risked a more serious injury. Otherwise, if it was just the latter, a pain tolerance thing then he would have been back earlier like Looney...but they got desperate and likely talked him into returning.

Either way, it's not a good look that they did not know this could happen. Did Durant go into the game knowing he could F up his leg? It now makes a ton of sense why Kawhi did what he did to the Spurs. Team doctors can't be trusted.

He's now basically out the entire year. He'll opt in I guess or sign a one year deal just to rehab and hit FA again as a huge question mark. He'll still be a great player no doubt, but an elite top 5 player? Without his explosiveness...we'll see.

 

So did the spurs do the same with Kawhi last year?

Maybe these players are more right after all?

 

Hypothetically, in alternate universe, a cold-blooded GM would trade Durant (if he opts-in) to the desperate Lakers for everything they have: Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, 4th overall pick, etc.

That's how a dynasty remains a dynasty. Bill Belichick would absolutely do this in a heartbeat!

As for the Lakers, LeGM would make this deal too.

LeBron knows he can hold the fort during the regular season and wait for Durant to comeback healthy post All-Star break to carry the load and lead the Lakers into the Playoffs. Both players would make an absolute monsterous 1-2 punch terrifying the West in the postseason for years to come. Plus, age-wise they both fit the same timeline and can retire into the sunset together.

Meanwhile, the Warriors -- a team stuck in luxury tax hell for the foreseeable future -- can restock with talented players on rookie scale contracts.

If the Warriors are to lose Durant for nothing anyway, then there is no better option than to make a trade and get some assets in return while they can.

Obviously, Lonzo doesn't fit and would have to be moved in separate deal for a pick. Perhaps to the Suns for the 6th pick? However, Ingram and Kuzma make excellent young replacements for aging role-players such as Iguodala and Livingston.

This trade also replenishes the bench and future potential with the possibility of drafting ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Draymond-clone De'Andre Hunter, and then adding another great shooter and a mini-Damian-Lillard in Darius Garland with 4th and 6th overall picks respectively.

Curry
Thompson
Ingram
Kuzma
Green

Iguodala
Cousins (if he decides to return for another year after his injury)
Livingston
Looney
Bell
*Hunter
*Garland

That would be an excellent reload mid-dynasty with so many shooters and versatility at every position.

Again, like I said, only a cold-blooded GM like Bill Belichick would have brains and the balls to pull of a move like this. By the looks of his crocodile tears, Bob Myers is definitely not the man for this kind of task.

 

Can't really think of one...

Edit: Dominique Wilkins had a great comeback season after his Achilles injury. He averaged 29.9 ppg 47/38/83 splits that year.

 

IMO, KD’s defense will drastically decline, but I think he can still average 22-24 ppg on 57-58 TS% just because he’s such an elite shooter at his height and is pretty skilled

 

KD isn't coming back next year. He just tore his Achilles. Even if he is back for the playoffs he is not going to truly back in shape until 20-21 season. LeGM wants Davis not Durant.

 

Lakers won't do this. KD is out all year, so this assures wasting another season of LeBron's remaining good years. They're balking at trading less than that package for a 26 year old healthy star (Davis) so what makes you think they'd do it for a 30 yr old seriously injured one?

 

Ditto. Even if he KD loses some of his athletic ability and quickness, he can still be as good as Dirk in his prime..

 

Yeah, but the next year he was traded to the Clippers, and his career took a pretty steep nosedive from that point on.

 

Didn't he tear his acl his first full year with Clippers ?

 

Lol at KD and calling Warriors “brothers.” Didn’t he leave his original “little brother” to join the enemy, who now he calls brothers?

 

Shouldn't you be out of training by now?

 

Training for life.

 

Ibaka said before the finals he still has nightmares of their loss a couples years back. What’s amazing is how the best player on that team didn’t and went to join them mf’ers

 

That’s exactly why he did. It was all legacy