The reason they would leave is b/c it's OKC. There aren't a ton of stars like Duncan that stay w/ small market teams. I'd love to see that team stick together. They are one or two parts away from being really good for a decade.

 

You just made my point for me. Duncan stayed with a small market team because they were a great organization and gave him a chance to win titles for most of his career. As long as OKC doesn't get cheap (I don't think they will), there is no reason for him to leave. No team is going to offer the chance to play with a great supporting cast like OKC, because the core of the team are around Durant's age and they can grow together and become annual contenders. He already teams with a star, they have cap room now and could possibly pull a nice player or two and they draft extremely well. LeBron didn't need a bigger market, he is just choosing to play in one because of his personality and maybe most importantly because Cleveland didn't put a long-term great supporting cast around him that was going to be a contender for years in the future. JMO, but I see no reason why Durant would be more likely to leave than stay, he doesn't have the kind of personality that would make him seem to crave being in NY or LA or somewhere similar, at least not yet.

Westbrook is an absolute stud.

 

Yeah he is. I know why they said for him to leave and play with Rondo, but that's just kind of disrespectful to Westbrook. Rondo is having a great year and looks like a top 5 PG, but its not like Durant doesn't already have a top rate young PG to play with. Westbrook seems to have a higher ceiling shooting wise and is bigger, so I would say he has longer staying power than Rondo, simply because so much of Rondo's game is athleticism. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Rondo fan, but Westbrook looks pretty good as well.

I think Cal returns to UK BUT if LeBron and Rose as teammates come calling, he would have to listen to them and would be very tempting.

 

My personal opinion would be that team would have the best point guard over the next 10 years and the best player in the NBA over the next 10-12 years.

 

Right on the money!

We'll see. I'll be surprised if he spends more than 6 or 7 years in OKC. We really don't know these guys like we act like we do. Just b/c he has a perception publically of not wanting a big market you have no idea what he wants. None of us do. Two years ago everyone thought LBJ was staying in Cleveland b/c he was the hometown kid.

Reports today are WWW is making a push for LeBron and Cal to be a package deal somewhere and have power over the organization.

Gettin' a little scary for us Cat fans...

Whatever happens happens... I don't think this would be a good move for basketball in general, however.

Very similar to when Pitino was at Kentucky. There were rumors every summer until he finally left. Cal's starting early. Who knows what it will eventually lead to, although it would be hard to fault him for making a move to the NBA.

But what will become of us???

Very similar to when Pitino was at Kentucky. There were rumors every summer until he finally left. Cal's starting early. Who knows what it will eventually lead to, although it would be hard to fault him for making a move to the NBA.

 

It's still like that every summer with Pitino, even at UofL. The big difference here is the whole WWW/LBJ conncection. If that is real, who could blame him for taking that gig???

Like I said in the pro sports thread, while I would hate to see him leave, it would be almost worth it to see the meltdown the Big Blue Nation would have. :lol: His family would literally have to fear for their safety.

Relax folks, Cal is not going anywhere. If he wouldn't leave Memphis for the NBA, why in the world would he leave Kentucky?

Relax folks, Cal is not going anywhere. If he wouldn't leave Memphis for the NBA, why in the world would he leave Kentucky?

 

Yeah, the whole aspect of coaching LeBron and DRose isn't enticing...:idunno:

Like I said in the pro sports thread, while I would hate to see him leave, it would be almost worth it to see the meltdown the Big Blue Nation would have. :lol: His family would literally have to fear for their safety.

 

I thought you were a UK fan, implied from UKMustangFan. Is that indicating a Mustang from the United Kingdom or what's the deal? :idunno:

Yeah, the whole aspect of coaching LeBron and DRose isn't enticing...:idunno:

 

It depends on what Cal's goals are and what is important. He has as close to lifetime security as it can get in coaching at UK. He has a great place to raise his family without threat of having to uproot them again. He knows there is no security in the NBA (how many coaches has LeBron had in 7 years?) and that the NBA is very much a crapshoot even with the best players. If Cal values his family and job security and the knowledge that he controls his destinty at UK much more so than the NBA, then why would he go? Money is not an issue because he is set for life. I think there are many more positives in staying than in going.