Kevin Durant

[slick_watts]

Maybe he's just establishing an alpha dog mentality (which was in severe doubt during last season's playoff run; you can ask Westbrook about that), maybe he's just gotten more confident and more relaxed. Maybe he's showing his true self. Who knows?

Everyone including Westbrook knows Durant is the leader of the team. The only people saying otherwise are the ESPN talking heads who want to make a story.

[ClutchOver9000]

Maybe he's just establishing an alpha dog mentality (which was in severe doubt during last season's playoff run; you can ask Westbrook about that), maybe he's just gotten more confident and more relaxed. Maybe he's showing his true self. Who knows?

Everyone including Westbrook knows Durant is the leader of the team. The only people saying otherwise are the ESPN talking heads who want to make a story.

Ok, I'm not in the locker room, maybe you're right. But then again, you're not in the locker room either.

An undisputed leader doesn't go passive in the biggest series of his team's young careers and defer so much to the 2nd option (and if it was a case of Westbrook ballhogging, then real leaders don't allow it to happen).

Durant is a world-class talent, an elite scorer but his leadership skills don't project much to the casual observer. And tbh it shouldn't as long as his team knows it, but like I said, real leaders don't go passive and defer to the 2nd option as often as he did in the Mavs series.

If he is the alpha dog, Westbrook sure doesn't seem to either know or accept this truth.

[fallacy]

Durant's just setting us all up for a heel turn. He's going to get to the Finals one of these years, lose in an excruciating fashion, and come back with full sleeves and on a mission.

All joking aside I wouldn't be surprised if that happened. He seems a bit "edgier" (for lack of a better word) now than when he first came into the league.

Maybe he's just establishing an alpha dog mentality (which was in severe doubt during last season's playoff run; you can ask Westbrook about that), maybe he's just gotten more confident and more relaxed. Maybe he's showing his true self. Who knows?

However I also feel that KD's very small ego will soon develop considerably and he will tarnish his "can't-do-no-wrong" posterboy image.

Wade had a similar change. He was always a low-key douchebag (unlike Durant) but since his sidekick Lebron came to the team, he's publicly expressed his douchebaggery more often.

Really? This is still a thing?

I thought we had gotten past this fake story line now that the playoffs are over

[slick_watts]

An undisputed leader doesn't go passive in the biggest series of his team's young careers and defer so much to the 2nd option (and if it was a case of Westbrook ballhogging, then real leaders don't allow it to happen).

Stop it. Durant's the leader of the team. You can be a leader without being an arrogant, 'give me the ball', demanding, psychopath. Look at Tim Duncan. That's more along the lines of how Durant leads the Thunder. By example, and expecting others (Westbrook, included) to follow that example. The Thunder losing in the WCF to the eventual champs doesn't change any of that.

Durant is a world-class talent, an elite scorer but his leadership skills don't project much to the casual observer. And tbh it shouldn't as long as his team knows it, but like I said, real leaders don't go passive and defer to the 2nd option as often as he did in the Mavs series.

That's just not true. You go with what works no matter what it is. Durant was often doubled off the ball by Dallas. They tried other things. He's just not a selfish, 'me first' teammate. He's a great teammate. That's how he leads. And, it worked because his team made it to the WCF, not a small feat.

If he is the alpha dog, Westbrook sure doesn't seem to either know or accept this truth.

He does know, and he's acknowledged it before. Westbrook has been following Durant's example since he entered the league. Watch how he talks to the media even when they're trying to make all of this B.S. a story. Just like Durant does. And it's Durant backing him up, like a leader should. Teams go through tribulations and don't always have success handed to them. Durant's a great teammate, he leads by example, lays it all out on the court, and expects everyone on the team to work as hard as he does toward getting better. Everyone in the Thunder organization (again, including Westbrook) knows whose team it is. The only ones who don't are the ones who look too deep into the emotions of playoff basketball, and try to find a story to talk about.

[ClutchOver9000]

An undisputed leader doesn't go passive in the biggest series of his team's young careers and defer so much to the 2nd option (and if it was a case of Westbrook ballhogging, then real leaders don't allow it to happen).

Stop it. Durant's the leader of the team. You can be a leader without being an arrogant, 'give me the ball', demanding, psychopath. Look at Tim Duncan. That's more along the lines of how Durant leads the Thunder. By example, and expecting others (Westbrook, included) to follow that example. The Thunder losing in the WCF to the eventual champs doesn't change any of that.

I didn't say he had to be arrogant or a psychopath. I just said that in crucial moments like the Mavs series, being by far the best player on your team, you demand the ball when the game is tight and your 2nd option is chucking up brick after brick.

I watched the WCF man, Durant did not demand the ball enough in the waning moments of the 4 games they lost, and when he did get the ball, he settled for 30 fters more often that not. How are you honestly defending that?

I say it was due to him lacking experience, and lacking that killer instinct to take the situation into your hands and win the game. Westbrook's scoring skill isn't remotely close to Durant (their dynamic is not a LBJ/Wade situation), so don't give me that "Durant has the confidence in his teammate" excuse as to why he failed to grab the bull by the horns.

Durant is a world-class talent, an elite scorer but his leadership skills don't project much to the casual observer. And tbh it shouldn't as long as his team knows it, but like I said, real leaders don't go passive and defer to the 2nd option as often as he did in the Mavs series.

That's just not true. You go with what works no matter what it is. Durant was often doubled off the ball by Dallas. They tried other things. He's just not a selfish, 'me first' teammate. He's a great teammate. That's how he leads. And, it worked because his team made it to the WCF, not a small feat.

Is Dirk a selfish me first player? Because if you haven't guessed it, Dirk took full advantage of his moments to shine. He made clutch after clutch shot. Whenever he was single-marked, he demanded the ball in crucial moments. Trust me bro, Durant was not doubled on every possession in the Mavs series. Far from it. As for the Finals, JET won game 5 for the Mavs but aside from that, Dirk proved HE was the man. No ands, ifs, or buts. ESPN doesn't make up stories if there isn't a situation which sparks a potential story. BTW I said nothing about Durant being a bad teammate, obviously he's an excellent teammate but that has nothing to do with this argument

If he is the alpha dog, Westbrook sure doesn't seem to either know or accept this truth.

He does know, and he's acknowledged it before. Westbrook has been following Durant's example since he entered the league. Watch how he talks to the media even when they're trying to make all of this B.S. a story. Just like Durant does. And it's Durant backing him up, like a leader should. Teams go through tribulations and don't always have success handed to them. Durant's a great teammate, he leads by example, lays it all out on the court, and expects everyone on the team to work as hard as he does toward getting better. Everyone in the Thunder organization (again, including Westbrook) knows whose team it is. The only ones who don't are the ones who look too deep into the emotions of playoff basketball, and try to find a story to talk about.

Sorry but that doesn't change the fact that although Durant is the best player on the team by far, he failed to act like that in the final 2 games of the Mavs series and allowed his 2nd option to chuck his way to a WCF exit instead of probably making a first NBA Finals appearance. Having confidence in your teammates is one thing. Allowing them to make the big shots, handle the rock, make the decisions in huuuge moments while you're relegated to spectator is another thing.

[ElodyTamTam]

Horrendousm. And coward. It's like dating a woman but feeling afraid of introducing her to your parents / friends. And on top of that, the contrast between chest and the rest of his body is beyond ugly. Swift's tattoos are ugly too, but at least he has the balls of being who he is. Also, ROTFL @ "tattoo fad" + needing to hide your tats: tattoos are a centuries old tradition and at least in Milan pulling a Chris Andersen (i.e. getting a full colored sleeve) has to be the second biggest body art trend of the past few years, right after the literally omnipresent pierced septum. Of all those people who just a few years ago had just a tiny tiny small hidden tat right under their toe nail, freaking everyone is doing it. You can see lots, and I mean LOTS of full colored sleeves popping up everywhere all around the city. Please guys, move somewhere relevant.

[big_ticket]

having tats are kinda cool to me,but my mom hate's it,stereotyping

[Elden Payton]

I don't get the tattoo fad at all, I think it's stupid.

Me either, they look stupid. It's something insecure people get to attract attention

So you speak for the whole world now??

I'm not insecure & I have tattoos, way to be an A-hole.

[jax98]

He does know, and he's acknowledged it before. Westbrook has been following Durant's example since he entered the league. Watch how he talks to the media even when they're trying to make all of this B.S. a story. Just like Durant does. And it's Durant backing him up, like a leader should. Teams go through tribulations and don't always have success handed to them. Durant's a great teammate, he leads by example, lays it all out on the court, and expects everyone on the team to work as hard as he does toward getting better. Everyone in the Thunder organization (again, including Westbrook) knows whose team it is. The only ones who don't are the ones who look too deep into the emotions of playoff basketball, and try to find a story to talk about.

While I don't doubt this, you have to admit something about Russ seemed off late in the playoffs. I agree the media spinned it way too much, and I agree it's more a non-story than it is this huge problem between the two.

But still. Russ did take shots I had never seen before, totally out of the offense. He also made weird decisions. The baseline curl Durant goes through where two screeners set back screens for him, was a featured Thunder play all season long, and Russ suddenly couldn't read it. I mean, it was downright weird. Was it the pressure? I'm seriously asking. Because I saw a tremendous amount of Thunder games this year and Russ looked like a different player in the post-season.

[slick_watts]

But still. Russ did take shots I had never seen before, totally out of the offense. He also made weird decisions. The baseline curl Durant goes through where two screeners set back screens for him, was a featured Thunder play all season long, and Russ suddenly couldn't read it. I mean, it was downright weird. Was it the pressure? I'm seriously asking. Because I saw a tremendous amount of Thunder games this year and Russ looked like a different player in the post-season.

Yes, it was weird. Maybe it was the pressure. Maybe it was the way teams were defending them. This change in Westbrook's play started after the Perkins trade, though. It wasn't exclusive to the postseason. It was definitely magnified in the postseason.

It's an issue and something to work on for the team but it's not a "Russell Westbrook wants to be the man" or "Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have a problem". It's more like "Russell Westbrook and the Thunder struggled to run the offense at times during the postseason". What I saw is the Thunder offense (especially starters) struggling as was normal after the Perkins trade, and Westbrook trying to do too much on his own to make something happen. His intentions were always good intentions, so I believe it's something he'll work through - provided the Thunder can fix the floor balance / offensive execution problems with the lineups Westbrook mostly sees the court with.

[7-Day Dray]

I don't get the tattoo fad at all, I think it's stupid.

Me either, they look stupid. It's something insecure people get to attract attention

So you speak for the whole world now??

I'm not insecure & I have tattoos, way to be an A-hole.

THIS

[wilhelmthe1st]

I don't get the tattoo fad at all, I think it's stupid.

Me either, they look stupid. It's something insecure people get to attract attention

So you speak for the whole world now??

I'm not insecure & I have tattoos, way to be an A-hole.

Of course you're not. LOL