Durant, who is contractually committed to play just one season with the Warriors, said he’s committed to the team.
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Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams is considered a defensive guru in the National Basketball Association, and was a former assistant coach at Oklahoma City from 2008-10 while Durant was there.
Even before Durant came aboard, Golden State had a trio of stars in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Small contracts for some good veteran names will seal the deal for the Warriors on the chances of getting a title again.
But to fit Durant under the salary cap, the team has lost several players, such as Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut. You can’t find a better embodiment of that than the guy sitting next to me.
“Yeah, we sat down and we went through the pros and cons of every team, every situation. But (I’m) just disappointed with the fact that he weakened another team and he’s gonna kind of gravy train on a terrific Warriors team”, Barkley said.
Durant said that the decision to come to Golden State felt natural-that he felt comfortable with the players and management. “That’s always going to be a part of who I am”.
To make room for Durant, the Warriors will have to make some moves.
On those who vilify his decision to join the Warriors… Durant once called Oklahoma City was the ideal place for him.
People change, I get that. Adding Durant is a no-brainer.
“I understand the fans in Oklahoma City and basketball fans around the world are upset”. “I can’t control that”. Sorry you feel that way, but I’m going to continue to live my life. I will forever cherish the relationships within the organization – the friends and teammates that I went to war with on the court for nine years, and all the fans and people of the community.
When asked about Russell Westbrook, Durant said that he “had a lot of great memories” with Westbrook. I love that. So many guys get criticized for making the decision that’s best for them, instead of what’s best for everybody else. Admittedly, the odds of any of these teams actually defeating the Warriors are highly unlikely, but wouldn’t it be epic to see it happen?
Durant’s arrival immediately made Golden State the favourites to not only take the National Basketball Association crown for 2017, but also beat their all-time regular season wins record of 73.
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However, they fell short of a second-straight championship, losing to Cleveland for the title.
