Kevin Durant holds his new Golden State Warriors jersey during his introductory press conference (Photo : Getty Images / Thearon W. Henderson)
The reactions about Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors have come out, even that of the Commissioner.
Adam Silver is powerless to stop the move, as compared to the Chris Paul trade of 2011 which could have sent him to the Lakers. First, it's a free agency move and that involves an individual decision. Second, the NBA collectively owned the New Orleans Hornets at that time, making it a team decision with David Stern acting as de facto GM.
But the desire to meddle was probably there for Silver, as shown in his statements on Durant joining the Warriors and its implication for the league next season (h/t Sports Illustrated).
"I've read several stories suggesting that that's something that the league wants, this notion of two super teams, that it's a huge television attraction," Silver said. "I don't think it's good for the league, just to be really clear.
"There's no question, when you aggregate a group of great players, they have a better chance of winning than many other teams. On the other hand, there are lots of things that have to happen. We'll see what happens in Golden State. You had a great, great chemistry among a group of players and you're adding another superstar to the mix, so it'll be interesting to see what happens. But just to be absolutely clear, I do not think that's ideal from a league standpoint."
The issue that that Silver has with the superteam is competitive balance. The Warriors became overwhelming favorites to win the title next season, separating themselves from the rest of the league. The Western Conference seems like a foregone conclusion as Durant's departure automatically eliminated the OKC Thunder as contenders.
Silver even admonished the owners and even the union to act in the upcoming negotiations in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to solve what he perceives is a problem for the league.
However, one player had the audacity and the insight to dispute Silver's claim. That was JJ Redick of the LA Clippers. While his team is one of the Warriors' bitterest rivals (and their odds to win the title plummeted when Durant made his decision), this has become an issue of a player's individual freedom.
Since Miami formed their "superteam" in '10 there have been 5 different champs in 6 seasons. All this complaining about comp balance is
