Durant's Decision to form a superteam

So the term "Super Team" has been the topic of the NBA for the better part of a month. Or since Kevin Durant decided to take his talents to Golden State Warriors... NBA fans (Myself included) fumbled with the question of "why". "Why would you leave your current team for the team who knocked you out of the playoffs?" "Why if you did choose to leave, Go specifically to that team?" So many "why's" and not enough "because's", right. Well to sports fans that's what it as seemed like.

Now that K.D. has joined the Warriors what does this mean for the rest of the league? Well, let's just say for now, only a blockade around the three point line could stop this soon to be juggernaut.

Kevin Durant is now part of that juggernaut... and well best of luck to the rest of the league. But why did he choose the Warriors? That team? That specific group of guys? The answer he chose to give "it felt like a family?" But didn't last season he say Russell is "like his little brother?" Raises some major questions. "Felt like a family" seems to me that the Thunder organization as a whole made Kevin Durant fell uneasy, the only person he confided in was Russell Westbrook. If that is to be true. Makes sense why he left. But still why the Warriors? The same team that came back from down 3-1 in the Western Conference finals against you?

 Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a strong relationship far before midnight struck on July 1st. So now the puzzle is coming together. In addition, to Draymond strong ties with the 2014 league MVP, Andre Igoudala text'd with Durant every day of the 2015-2016 season. So when meetings began July 1st, it came as no surprise, Durant knew if he were to leave the place which made him... he knew exactly where he was headed.

Now that we know how this barrage of talent came to be on one team, if you're one of the other 29 teams in the league how do you come out with a win against them.  Let's just get one point perfectly clear, "you will not beat this team trying to outscore them". It just won't happen. Let me also add, defending them doesn't seem like an option either because their offense is just to good. So what can you do. You can pray to the lord in the might heavens above "Lord, please let this be an off night for the Warriors just please, Lord". Also praying that you have the game of your life will also help your campaign to a win.

Kevin Durant will go down as one of the best scorers of all time. The best at his position and the best for a player over 6'8. What people aren't talking about is what was manifesting within the OKC organization. By Kevin Durant making the comment "It felt like a family" it made me wonder "was OKC not a family was it just two brothers stranded on an island alone?" By him making that statement in addition to none of the OKC players vouching for their organization at the team meetings it surely, had me thinking. Whatever his real feelings were toward the Thunder's front office and other teammates it seemed like it was a dissolving marriage far before NBA free agency began.

Is Steph really that relatable ...

Arguing Steph is more relatable than LeBron because of his height and size is a valid argument. Steph's physical stature is far more relatable to the average Joe then a 6'9 260 pound, LeBron James. Especially in a league where there are few guys under 200 pounds. But what about Steph as a person. We've deemed Steph as the face of how a basketball player, husband, and father should be but how did he learn how to be THAT guy. Not looking too far... possibly Dell Curry. Steph on more occasions than not equated his life success to his upbringing in the things he saw in his home. Whether it was daily meditations with his family before school or weekly family time. For the average child in America I'm not sure that's as relatable to the average Joe as LeBron's upbringing. Surely not the average Black child. Inner city, single parent home, and just the American dream lived and acted upon every day by James. This is not a knock to Steph but his mother is a principal and his father is a former 3 point shooter of the NBA... How many children can say that. Both parents married and raising them in the household ? ... and still married to this day setting an excellent example for love beyond raising their children...Yep that sounds very relatable...when the average marriage in America lasts just under eight years.

The final debate that I bring to the table is the notion that Steph has been told since he was in high school he was to small to play in the NBA . Look at your self in the mirror ... how many times have people told you, you weren't going to do something? I can speak from personal experience... Every day. When parents instill confidence into their child at a young age outsiders opinions weigh light. As long as mommy and daddy tell me I can do it, I can do it. It also works the other way. If nobody is telling me I can over come my situation its hard to have dreams. If everyone in your community isn't aspiring to do great things in life it's hard for you as a young kid to see beyond your current situation. In Steph's case while he was told he couldn't make it to the league... he saw success in his home with his mother and father and encouragement along the way. LeBron on the other hand didn't.

This is no slight to Steph but before we deem Steph as more relatable to me, you, or any child in the U.S. it's important to lay out all of the cards other than the blatantly obvious. Sure Steph is what a lot of men should aspire to be but do they have the examples and ability to see what a family man is supposed to look like. To be honest given LeBron's upbringing and where he is in his life today, husband, basketball player, and man of God his story is far more compelling and relatable to me than Steph's. Especially given the epidemic of black male fathers, husbands, and men in the church. Sure, he's 6'9 250 but you have to look at the individual and far more individuals can relate to that upbringing then Steph. So before we label Steph as the Golden child when it comes to a man beyond basketball we need to take a hard look at what has made him the model for a men in America.

He isn't making excuses so... "Just Stop it already"

 This whole notion that Steph Curry is injured after the Warriors went down 3-1 to the OKC Thunder in Tuesday nights pivotal game 4 of the Western Conference finals speaks to how there is a double standard in the NBA. Several members of the media have gone as far to say "Steph can't be healthy, he just can't be". "How can he shoot 2-9 from the field?" How about ... maybe he is a human being and they are emotional and psychological components to having a bad game.

If you watched five minutes of OKC's victory over Golden State you would have seen Steph wasn't him self and it had nothing to do with his physical health. He ran up the court perfectly fine. His invincible release was there. There was nothing wrong with him physically. What was apparent was his energy and his attitude of "I'm just out of it. I'm over this thing already."

Typically Draymond Green is the teams emotional leader, and he like Steph were absent for games three and four of this series. What is to make of this ? A lot. The entire team is shook. We've never seen this before from Draymond, Steph or any other player on their squad. Once again the argument, Steph isn't physically healthy doesn't stand.

So lets rewind. Let's go back. Where did this hunch concerning Steph's physical health begin, because last night Steph answer to that question was "I'm fine". Curry does have an extensive injury past with him missing bulks of the regular season during his first four years in the league. Steph knows his body better then any reporter, family member, spouse etc. If he says he's fine then he is fine. If this were LeBron who sprained his knee nearly a month before the Eastern Conference finals he still wouldn't hear the end of it from the media. Steph is no different.

He's emotion isn't there and from the looks of things nor are his teammates emotionally invested in this series, which for some fans is concerning. My only concern is what's getting lost in this entire thing is how much reporters and members of the media neglect the other components of sports outside of the physical play. Sure... he hasn't made shots but like Steve Kerr said following their game four loss "It happens, even to the best players in the world". Does everyone remember Steph's game 2 third quarter explosion for 21 points. Nobody was talking about his health then. You can have a bad night or two and it have nothing to do with your physical health.

Why the "Steph Curry Phenom" doesn't exist

Three years ago you were either for LeBron or Kobe. It was one or the other. If you weren't for LeBron or Kobe, then you typically would just root against LeBron... but then last season came.

Steph Curry did something NBA fans never witnessed. Not even Jordan could touch Steph's ability to launch it from the half court logo. Steph has the wettest shooting stroke in NBA history, but it wasn't just his ability to shoot the three ball that mesmerized fans. It was his ability to shoot effortlessly from beyond 30 ft. Yes, his 3 point makes were equivalent to a LeBron dunk, "that's just too easy, but it was more to the phenom then the way the baby faced assassin heaved it from beyond the arch that intrigued basketball fans. His normalcy  in the media with his family despite winning the leagues most prestigious award resonated with fans.

But the notion that he has taken over the NBA and is the world's best player doesn't sit well with a lot of NBA fans. Five years ago if you weren't a LeBron supporter you were a Kobe lover and vice versa but now that Kobe has retired the assumption is, Kobe fans will gravitate to Steph supporters .... Ant ant... not happening. Kobe Fans like many LeBron fans are not buying Chef Curry's acrobatic and effortless offensive game.

The way Steph Curry's greatness and consistency just appeared out of practically no where doesn't sit well with a lot of NBA fans, my self included. Just like it was Magic vs Larry, Isiah vs Jordan, and A.I. vs Kobe, we were lacing it up for LeBron vs Durant for the next five plus years. Nowhere in that statement did I mention Curry. I'm still waiting on my 2012 Finals rematch of OKC vs LeBron. It's like giving me a taste of Dryer's Chocolate moose ice cream. After the taste, I want the entire gallon. We received a sample size of what the next rivalry in the NBA could look like, and we would like the finish it off.

Is today's NBA game really "watered down"... (Part 1)

Charles Barkley sits across from me leading up to game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Might remote in hand, like before every game, he is once again hammering in on the fact the Warriors can not compete with the Thunders front court which to him is an essential key to the game. Me being me, begins to hysterically laugh and it wasn't because of the comments he was making. Once again another NBA legend was throwing salt on a bad womb.

I find it interesting how the legends of the NBA in comparison to other professional sports league in the U.S. always disparage the skills of the current players. Charles Barkley is just one of the many former stars of the league who believes small ball exist simply because guys just "don't play defense". After Steven Adams comments about how difficult it is to guard the Warriors "front court players" Barkley might reconsider his initial comments.

"Man there just quick little monkeys", said Adams.

The Warriors love to run high ball screens for all of their players including their front court player, Draymond Green. For Adams coming out to the three point line just to chase Green back into the paint is similar to you trying to catch a mice underneath you cabinets in your kitchen. It's going to continue to run around whether you like it or not ... you're just along for the ride. You have to keep up other wise you'll lose him.

So again Sir Charles, is it really that easy to chase around "their bigs", more athlete and quicker as they come off of screens and shoot threes.

Are they really chasing 73?

Won't they get to 73 wins .. will they get there ...?

This question has been swirling around the Warriors organization and Sports media for the better half of 6 months...or since they started the season 24-0. Since the team started the season 24-0 something has changed.

Something is very apparent, the team just doesn't play as hard as they did under Coach Walton. It could be equated to a number of reasons, Steve Kerr's laid back style, the teams lack of focus, anticipation for the playoffs,... what ever the reason is this team is not the same mentally
Opening the season the Warriors had something to prove, their championship was not a fluke nor was it luck, "they were simply the best team". Feeding off the negative comments from the Clippers and other teams and players around the league the Warriors entered the season with a rage. The comments made by Hall of Fame Coach, Doc Rivers, ignited the frustration on the Warriors behalf. "You need luck in the West," was the center of it all.

Today we see a team unbothered as the disrespect has slowed and the compliments continued to rain until last Friday. Last Friday the Warriors received their eighth loss of the season to the Boston Celtics. This was the Warriors first loss at home since the end of last season which raised a lot of eyebrows. Yes, no team is invincible but the way they loss was concerning. Their nonchalant body language following the loss was the most concerning.

Then came Tuesday. The Warriors during the fourth quarter against the Timberwolves defined "choke" in their way, in a way they only knew how. The team had a 17 point lead mid way through the 3 rd quarter but entered the fourth quarter with an emotional boost from their leader. Draymond Green screaming in the huttle to all of his teammates ,"Alright its time to put them away we have let them stick around ", but  this message has little to no impact. The Warriors were outscored by 8 in the fourth quarter which led to overtime... and we know the rest.

Typically when it's one week left in the regular season playoff teams begin to rest players. We've seen it with the Spurs, Cavs and all of the top contending teams in the playoffs. Who we haven't seen this from is the Warriors and it for obvious reasons regardless if they want to admit it or not. Chasing the Bulls 95-96 record and an opportunity to leave your mark in history is appealing to everyone...but... maybe Greg Popovich. Besides that, this team continues to express their desire for the post season which could mean multiple things. The first, they are tired of the regular season and are ready to get to more meaningful games. Or they are burning themselves out and they know they practically have another 1/4 of a season left if they were to advance all the way to the finals. In other words, their either excited or their thinking "when is it over, when can I get my second ring?"

The only point I'm making here is... This team has to get back to the team that had a bitter taste in their mouth following the disrespectful comments regarding their 2014-2015 championship run. That's the team who was focused and won 24 straight games and that's the team that can win another championship. The team that played Tuesday night will likely be ousted by the second round if something doesn't change. That might mean resting players the final four games of the regular season to mentally clear minds and body's and to get away from it all. Whatever it is it needs to be done quick fast and in a hurry because the playoffs begin next weekend.

Passion for one sport has withstood the test of time...

One month out of the year is dedicated to uniting the country and its due to one collegiate sport...basketball. Coach K reminded us to stay focus on the madness and the triumphs because it is simply "To damn good". The emotional highs from buzzer beaters and the collapses are all a part of the game. It brought the game full circle and showed the sports world, the Cleveland Cavaliers versus Golden State Warriors finals match-up can't touch the 30 second 12 point comebacks and the half court buzzer beaters.  

College basketball is about more then lay-ups and half court shots it requires a level head. Emotions run high on the part of the players as well as the spectators and fans...From personal experience, the city of Syracuse is brought together by the game of college basketball. The tears of sadness and the stunning buzzer beaters are the heartbeat of this city. Students and residents scampering into the streets to celebrate the Men's and Women's teams run to the Elite 8 have been the highlight of my weekend thus far. After all, despite the times and the losses of businesses to this city the passion and excitement for Syracuse basketball has not wavered. .. If it wasn't for 'Cuse basketball I'm not sure Syracuse would still be a city in Central New York.

 While the fans are emotionally invested in the sport, the players understandably are also battling their own personal victories and slumps over the course of the ball game...

Emotions run high on the part of the fans as well as the players, after all the players live and breathe the emotional roller coaster throughout the course of the game. Just imagine the mindset of the UNI players as they watched their 12 point lead dwindle to zero over the final 38 seconds against the Aggies. The UNI players couldn't comprehend what they were watching. The last time they saw a team making a miraculous comeback they were on the receiving end. Then imagine after a gruesome loss having to face your critics explaining arguably one of the worst collapses in sports history. The heavy flow of tears down your face as you try to hold it together knowing you could have done more to prevent this outcome, but you were just living in the moment.

While UNI players rattled with their emotions after a heartbreaking loss, the Miami Hurricanes were ousted out of the tournament in a different type of heartbreaking way.

It wasn't a buzzer-beater or a 12 point comeback in the final 30 seconds of regulation it was a cold hearted beat down to put it lightly. The first weekend intelligibly was filled with blowouts but by the round of 16 you expect your sanity to return. Villanova had other plans. The Hurricane's did not score the first 3 1/2 minutes of their sweet 16 match-up against Villanova. The tone for this game was set from the opening tip which was won by Villanova. Kris Jenkins toyed with the Hurricane defense from three and his shot making ability just trickled down to his teammates. And well... the Hurricanes didn't have an answer.


College basketball has connected teams, families and even cities. It's amazing how one game can draw so many emotions negative and positive. This year's tournament has been a little different than in years past. Not because of its lack of connectivity but because there isn't an overarching dominant team. You could make the case for Oklahoma, Kansas and even Virginia but the problem is we truly don't know. The dominant programs like Kentucky , Duke and to a certain degree Kansas haven't had a strong showing in the tournament.

Well...I mind as well...  rock back and forth in my rocking chair and patiently wait for the final four teams to stamp their ticket to Houston.