Via NBA Twitter
Adam Silver needs to unplug and replug the NBA, because the Warriors broke it. In just one season together, the Kevin Durant-led Warriors managed to cost David Griffin a job, put LaMarcus Aldridge on the trade block, and destroy the Clippers relevancy. The Warriors' dominance of the league shows no signs of letting up, and has the rest of the NBA desperate.
Before his series against the Warriors, Gregg Popovich, one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, admitted his only strategy for the Warriors was to "pray". Before his Final's rematch against the Warriors, LeBron James, one of the greatest players in NBA history, admitted the Warriors "cause a lot of stress" and "rank up there" with some of the greatest teams ever. This is the Warriors toughest competition verbally waiving the white flag, before the series even started. The Spurs and Cavs went on to combine for one win and contribute to the Warriors' lone postseason loss. A team whose oldest core player is 29 just went 16-1, in the playoffs. League-wide panic was bound to ensue.
Via SI.com
The Rockets shocked the NBA by pairing ball-dominant Chris Paul with ball-dominant James Harden to create a backcourt that combined averaged over 47 points and 20 assists per game, last season. The Timberwolves traded two young athletic guards and two first-round picks for the win-now option of Jimmy Butler. Paul George, Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin, and a number of other stars are likely to continue to shake the NBA up this offseason. By the end of free agency, a majority of playoff contenders will have two or more stars, but that's not always a good thing. Just ask last season's New York Knicks if star power equals success. On second thought, don't bother them they have enough on their mind.
Original quote: "Desperate people do crazy things."~someone
2017 NBA offseason version: "Desperate NBA teams, that clearly can't compete with the Warriors, make crazy offseason moves"~ Taj Mayfield
Only time will tell if a Chris Paul/James Harden pairing is worth the hype, but on quick examination the move doesn't make much sense. Both Harden and Paul work best with the ball in their hand, and are accustomed to two different paces. Harden's Rockets finished top-5 in possessions per game last season, while Paul's Clippers finished at an unimpressive 19th out of 30. Time will also tell if a wing combination of Andrew Wiggins and Jimmy Butler will work, but again on paper it doesn't make much sense. The NBA has become 3-point orientated, yet the Timberwolves created a starting five whose best 3-point shooter is a 36.7% Karl-Anthony Towns.
Here's a little rhyme to help you understand the next oddly-assembled "superteam", "The only explanation is desperation."