U really cant start hating on Kevin Durant or Andre Iguodala or Danny Granger for not having a ring yet in my opinion for a couple reasons.
1. Kevin Durant is only 23 years old, he, in all honesty, is too young to win a ring, as well as the entire Thunder team, they are all young players. Durant and Westbrook I believe are both 23, I believe Harden is 22, Ibaka is around 20. The point is, the fact that the Thunder made the finals this year is amazing given their lack of experience, they'll get there. In like 4-5 years if Durant still doesn't have a ring, then we can start hatin, that's what we did with lebron.
2. Iguodala is not on an incredible team like the Heat, Thunder, or Cavs when Lebron was there. The reason I think people were so hard on Lebron for not having a ring is because he got to the playoffs, he got to the finals a couple times and failed to finish it off. Iguodala, if my memory is serving me correctly, has only made the playoffs once or twice, three times tops in his career. Also, let's face it, Iguodala isn't an elite enough player to be expected to get a ring anytime soon. And if he stays in Philly he might as well forget it.
3. Danny Granger isn't the exact centerpiece of the Pacers anymore, the point of putting so much pressure on players like Lebron, Kobe and Durant is that they are the faces of their franchise's past 10-15 years. Like, if i asked someone who comes to mind when they think of the Lakers, they say Kobe. But if I say the Pacers? People i think now a days will say Roy Hibbert more than they will Granger. Also, like I said for Durant, he is too young to be getting a ring.
As for Chris Paul, does he deserve grief? No, he is one of the best PGs in the league, but he will because he can't lead the Clippers to the finals. But think of this, the Clippers were one of the worst teams in the league before Chris Paul got their, they had the worst win % in the past 10 combined seasons. Then they get Paul and suddenly they are contenders for the title. So what if they didn't win it this year, I think this season just leading them to the playoffs from where they were the year before is a step in the right direction for Chris Paul's ring journey.
Carmelo, he is going to be getting the grief that Lebron got, but not as much. I think what the problem with Lebron for everyone was that he kept saying that he was going to get all these rings and never did. Carmelo is a great player, we all know that, he is going to be the new Lebron when it comes to critics. But i feel like that isn't fair because of all of the injuries he had to deal with. Not his own personal injuries but injuries to Jeremy Lin and Amar'e and Tyson Chandler in the middle of the season, his teammates weren't able to help him out. He can't do it alone.
Another player that I think will be getting grief soon is Dwight Howard. He is the best big man in the game, no doubt. Also, the Magic are a franchise that has made the playoffs a lot in the past 10 years. They have even been to the finals recently, so in my eyes, the pressure will lie on the shoulders of Jameer Nelson and Dwight, maybe Jason Richardson because he's another skilled vet, but the point is, the Magic are going to be subject to a lot of criticism this coming season. Especially with the drama with Stan Van Gundy, a lot of negative publicity is going to come from that. Do i think they can do it? Maybe, they are a good team, no getting around it, but there are so many other good teams in the league.
My top 5
5. Lakers: Bynum's game is coming along, Sessions is fitting in nicely, but Kobe and Pau's numbers are beginning to drop and will continue to do so. Also, losing Derek Fisher, their clear-cut leader, is a huge loss for them. It all comes down to, and i'm being serious, is Jordan Hill. He provided a huge spark in the Denver series this year and will need to play like that all year for the Lakers to have a chance.
4. Clippers: Chris Paul and Blake Griffin's connection is only going to get better, this was their first season together and it looked like they had been playing with each other forever. Deandre Jordan is going to play a huge role defensively, one of the league's leading shot blockers. But, the league is talking about giving technical fouls for flopping, if they do, the Clippers are screwed. Also, Randy Foye needs to be way more consistent this year.
3. Bulls: Biggest boom or bust team this year, we saw what happened in the playoffs, D-Rose gets injured, they get screwed. Rose needs to stay healthy if the Bulls are going to be contenders. With Rose, they are almost unstoppable.
2. Heat: D-Wade, Lebron and Bosh will keep doing they thing out there and lead them to the playoffs, no doubt, top 3 seed in the east, easy. But how far they go depends on the play of their role players. Chalmers, Battier and Norris Cole need to play the way they did in the finals all the way through the playoffs and the Heat will repeat. GUARANTEED.
1. Thunder: Durant, nuff said. He will be top 3 scorer again, for sure. The only thing is if he stays healthy, which im not too worried about. Westbrook is an amazing scorer, notice i said scorer, not PG. Because he plays for like a streaky 2 guard. He needs to assume for of a PG role and be a "ass first" PG rather than a "shoot first" PG> His scoring will be fine. Ibaka is playing extremely well and gels in well with the team, he needs to keep playing his game defensively and protect the basket, along with Perkins. And they always have someone to guard the Kobe Bryants and the Lebron James' in Sefolosha. If all these things happen, their growing experience will carry them to the finals.
MVP Candidates
5. Kobe: he's Kobe, no matter what he does his scoring puts him up here
4. Roy Hibbert: Sounds crazy, but I expect big things from him as his experience advances, both scoring and rebounding, and even shot-blocking.
3. Derrick Rose: Best PG in the league, if he stays healthy, he WILL put up incredible numbers.
2: Lebron: Expanding his game, he is now lethal from everywhere, possible scoring champ and also gets it done on defense.
1. Kevin Durant: Getting more experienced, better knowledge of the game. Best scorer in the league, par none (maybe lebron). Also, rebounding numbers climbing, if they stay up, he's in good shape.
The top 2, durant and lebron, it's whichever of their teams has the better reg. season record because they are both outstanding, but whoever's team does better will make the player look better.
Top rookies
5. Thomas Robinson
4. Jared Sullinger
3. Bradley Beal
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
1. Anthony Davis
Shouldn't have to explain anything there
I'm really looking forward to this year.
Any thoughts on anything I stated??
