rcent of their field goal attempts and drew 20 assists on 31 field go

Lets start by eliminating the notion that Kevin Durant is taking the easy way out by joining the Golden State Warriors.Theres nothing easy about becoming one of the greatest basketball players in the world.And theres nothing easy about winning an NBA championship. Nothing. No matter how much talent is on the roster.When the Boston Celtics assembled their Big Three in 2007, they were pushed to two Game 7s and lost a total of 10 playoff games on their path to a championship that season. When Shaquille ONeal was at his peak in 2000 and Kobe Bryant emerged as a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player, the Lakers still faced elimination twice before they reached the NBA Finals.And, of course, ask LeBron James how easy things went that first year in Miami, when the chorus of outraged fans took so much pleasure in his shortcomings in the NBA Finals.LeBron, of course, is the template for modern-day superstar free agency, a player fully aware of his ability to shift the landscape and willing to prioritize his individual desires. Maybe Durant would be less inclined to take this bold step if LeBrons move to Miami had not worked out so well.Still, Durant is a pioneer in that weve never seen an MVP-caliber player join a team that just knocked him out of the playoffs in a hard-fought series. LeBron never faced the Heat in the postseason, Shaq hadnt played the Lakers before he joined them in 1996. LaMarcus Aldridge did join the Spurs a year after losing to them in the playoffs but (A) that series ended in five games, hardly enough time to build up any animosity and (B) theres no such thing as a contentious series with the Spurs anyway.?(Seriously, when was the last time there was bad blood between the teams after a Spurs series?)The risk for Durant is that there will be little credit for victory and a torrent of Crying Jordans the likes of which the world has never seen should the Warriors lose. But what characterizes every great player is they are unafraid of failure.The odds are stacked in favor of the Warriors as long as they avoid injuries and Draymond Green suspensions. Dont worry about them finding enough touches for everyone. Durant already did just fine playing with the NBA leader in usage rate, Russell Westbrook. The Thunder were last in the NBA in passes, while the Warriors were sixth, with Golden State moving the ball 57 more times per game. And if the ball didnt end up in the hands of the best shooter in the game it often went to the second-best shooter, so its no surprise the Warriors led the league in assists. Theyre democratic enough to have had four different leading scorers in the last two games of the Western Conference finals and first two games of the NBA Finals. Now theres Durant, there to take all the shots that opponents were previously willing to concede to Harrison Barnes.If anyones legacy could take a hit its that of Stephen Curry, who could possibly win multiple NBA championships without winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP award. That Curry not only signed off on the recruitment of Durant but helped with the pitch shows he isnt placing his individual place in NBA history above the possibilities of this team. Hes always shown a willingness to let Klay Thompson or whoever else has it going have their shine.Coincidentally, Currys last glorious moment of the 2016 playoffs came at Durants expense, when Curry scored 36 points to finish off the Thunder in Game 7. Then LeBron lorded over Curry in the Finals, his new signature shoes were ridiculed on the internet and the latest social media sport became pointing out how Currys $12 million salary in 2016-17 will pale in comparison to everyone from Timofey Mozgov to, yes, Barnes.The contract talk overlooked the circumstances of the past, when the Warriors gambled on Curry coming off an injury-plagued 2011-12 season in which he played 26 games and Curry sought financial security. And it ignored the impact of this contract on the future: The best way to make up for the money he lost on this contract is to sign a five-year, maximum contract with the Warriors under terms he could not get anywhere else. Theres much more certainty that Curry will be with the Warriors long term than Westbrook will be with the Thunder, which could be a factor in Durants decision to head to the Bay Area.Were still waiting for Durant to expound on the reasons behind his choice. He spent most of his post on The Players Tribune expressing his affinity and appreciation for Oklahoma City.We do know what the Warriors sold him on: a chance at greatness, the possibility of a dynasty. They didnt promise him it would be easy.Kevin Trapp Jersey . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Marco Reus Germany Jersey . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. http://www.germanysoccerpro.com/Kevin-Trapp-Germany-Jersey/ . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Jerome Boateng Jersey . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Niklas Sule Jersey . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision.When Cincinnati visits No. 19 Iowa State on Thursday night, it will be Round 2 in the matchup of former Murray State coaches who used the perennial Ohio Valleyrcent of their field goal attempts and drew 20 assists on 31 field go Conference power as a stepping stone to bigger things.The Bearcats Mick Cronin, who was 69-24 from 2003-06 with the Racers, matches wits with the Cyclones Steve Prohm, who parlayed a 104-29 mark from 2011-15 at the small western Kentucky university into a Big 12 gig.Both teams bring 5-1 records into the game with losses to Top 25 teams. Cincinnatis occurred at Rhode Islands hands, while Iowa States happened Sunday against No. 8 Gonzaga 73-71 in the AdvoCare Invitational championship game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.Trailing 49-34 at the half, the Cyclones stormed back behind an outstanding defensive effort that limited the Bulldogs to 29 percent shooting in the second half.The biggest thing we did in the second half was we competed at a whole different level, Prohm said. Im sure that Gonzaga missed some open shots, but we contested and competed. We have to do that every possession and every game.Iowa State also got a monster game from 6-5 senior guard Deonte Burton, whose 29 points and 12 rebounds against the huge Bulldogs might have been the best game of his career. Burton also tossed in 21 points during a 73-56 semifinal win over Miami, marking the first time in his career hed scored 20 points in consecutive games.But the Cyclones main man remains senior point guard Monte Morris, a preseason All-America pick who is leading the team in scoring at 166 points per game and is connecting on 52.dddddddddddd6 percent of his shots. Morris is also averaging 5.6 assists for every turnover.Iowa State, which averages 88.8 points, should have to work for its points against the Bearcats, who appear to be a typical Cronin team that defends fiercely. Cincinnati is yielding only 59.2 points per game and limiting opponents to 38.1 percent field goal shooting, putting it on track to rank in the top 20 nationally in both categories for a fourth straight season.Cronin was pleased with his teams offense Saturday in a 91-68 thumping of Lipscomb. Four players reached double figures for the Bearcats, which canned 52.5 percent of their field goal attempts and drew 20 assists on 31 field goals.Five players registered multiple assists, with point guard Troy Caupain and reserve Tre Scott notching five apiece.In the second half, our motion offense was the best its been all year, Cronin said. I think a lot of that has to do with Tre Scotts willingness to be a soldier for our team and get other people open. The more it worked, the more it became contagious with guys trying to move the ball and get each other open.Sophomore swingman Jacob Evans leads Cincinnatis offense at 17.8 points, while 6-9 junior forward Kyle Washington is averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. The 6-4 Caupain needs three points to become the schools 50th 1,000-point scorer. ' ' '