Scottie Pippen: Kevin Durant should leave the Warriors
Thursday night’s electrifying, nationally televised clash between the Warriors and the Toronto Raptors had sports radio and television buzzing about a possible NBA Finals matchup. But it also provoked Sutter High’s defense, including Trey Slade, right, tackle West Valley’s Bailey Sulzer during a game on Nov. 18, 2016 at Wayne Gadberry Field in Sutter.
they can handle it,” said Reynolds.
Looking at the other sideline, Sutter will have to keep an eye on West Valley running back Bailey Sulzer. The senior back has rushed for 1,790 yards this season and 29 touchdowns. If the Sutter defense wants to more ominous talk of Kevin Durant possibly leaving Golden State after the season.
At least one all-time great, Scottie Pippen, believes Durant should be ready to pack his bags.
Appearing on ESPN’S “The
come out victorious they will have to find a way to shut him down.
Travis Tedder, Jeff Fitzgerald and Max Gipson will all be looking to do just that. Tedder has been putting up great numbers
Jump,” the former Chicago Bulls star was asked what advice he would give to Durant regarding his future free agency. “I would tell him to go off and do it on his own,” he replied.
That has to be music to the ears of Knicks fans everywhere.
“What else is left for him? (He needs) to go lead his own team – to be pushed, to be the player he probably has dreamt he could always be,” Pippen continued. “He could probably be a player that could score 40 points a game.”
Pippen’s comments came a few hours after Durant put on a spectacular offensive show in Toronto, scoring 51 points in the Warriors’ overtime loss to the Raptors. It included a jaw-dropping corner 3-pointer in the waning seconds of regulation to tie the game and set the stage for OT.
With Stephen Curry out for the Warriors, Durant averaged 48 points on 52 per cent shooting over the past three games. It was the first time in his career that he scored 40-plus points in three straight games.
According to Pippen, who called Durant “one of the most unstoppable guys in the NBA,” it’s a brilliant display of what the slithery forward can accomplish when he doesn’t have to rein himself in around Curry and Golden State’s other all-stars.
“The past few years he has been kind of sheltered. He came into a situation where he didn’t want to step Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant makes a basket in the first period of their basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Nov. 2.
on any toes,” Pippen said. “Now, he can either push forward, or continue to kind of hold back. … Does he really want to be that guy that’s pulling back? Or does he want to be that guy that’s coming out every night and you gotta deal with him? A guy who can give you 60 points a night?”
Pippen, of course, played along Michael Jordan, a guy who didn’t exactly hold back over his illustrious
career. And together, they won six NBA titles. Left unsaid during the conversation on “The Jump” was whether Pippen – a great player in his own right – ever felt the need to break away from Jordan and run his own team, rather than continue collecting rings.
Then again, maybe Pippen simply wants Durant to leave so the Warriors won’t threaten the legacy of his Bulls teams.