Beenie wrote:Kobewade11 wrote:Beenie wrote:
How bout just admitting that there is indeed a contradiction and a double standard.
Wasnt willing to pay their best player because of age, unavailability and yet would hypothetically be willing to pay Durant even though he's even older and less available on average over the last 5 seasons.
It's believed the team was open to discussing an extension with Jimmy pending his availability for the 24-25 season, there's nothing unreasonable about that. For context, this is coming off two seasons where he was available for 64 and 60 games. KD has played 75 and 62 games the last two years, didn't quit on his team no matter how bad they were, is nowhere near the headache to deal with for team personnel, and is a far superior offensive player. It isn't a contradiction, its apples and oranges.
For context, sample size I provided dates back to when Jimmy joined the organization and within that period of time, he's been more available on average than Durant has.
The quitting on team point happened after it was already understood that Jimmy wasnt gonna be getting a max extension this season so its a moot point.
The far superior offensive player point is valid, certainly in the regular season, but, in the playoffs, when it matters most, the gap closed significantly in some of the years that Jimmy has been with this team.
Do we think that if Jimmy averaged 2 or 3 more points in the playoffs the FO would of then agreed to the max extension?
Also provided dates that included the season Durant was coming back from an achilles tear and missed half of the 2021 season as a result. Past 4 seasons: Durant averages 60 games per season. Jimmy averages 59 games per season.
Let me pull up a prior post with regards to this false equivalency--including with playoff performances (take note of the bold/underlined):
KD has the 4th highest playoff ppg in NBA history, and he's still putting up playoff stats commensurate with those averages.
Durant's career playoff stats are 29.3 ppg (48% fg, 36% 3pt), 4 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2.2 stocks.
KD made it to the conference finals 4 out of his 6 seasons with OKC, including the finals once (the only times OKC has been to either).
KD then went full front runner and joined GS. Lame move. I agree. But, he went on to win 2 straight championships where he was finals MVP for both. They went to a 3rd championship and lost to the GOAT after KD tore his achilles. Seemed he was kinda important to their success huh?
For those keeping track, that's 3 more conference finals appearances and 3 more finals appearances for KD. Now up to 7 conference finals through 9 seasons and 4 finals appearances through 9 seasons in the NBA.
KD then signed with Brooklyn. In season 1, they lost in round 2 to the eventual champions--Milwaukee Bucks. As many may recall, Brooklyn was a KD toe away from knocking out MIL in round 2 and likely proceeding to win it all. This is the same MIL team that swept Miami in round 1.
Jimmy's stats vs the 2021 Bucks in playoffs (4 games): 14.5 ppg (29.7% FG , 27% 3p%), 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 1.6 stocks
Durant's stats vs the 2021 Bucks in playoffs (7 games): 35.4 ppg (49.7% FG, 35 % 3p%), 5 assists, 10. rebounds, 2.7 stocks
The following season, KD's Nets flopped as drama mounted and Harden forced a trade to Philly mid-season. Nets got Ben Simmons in return who did not play a game for them that season.
KD demanded a trade in 2023 and spent the back half of his season on the Suns. Suns lost to the eventual champs in the Denver Nuggets in 6 games in round 2 of the playoffs. Phoenix was the only team to take that Nuggets squad past 5 games in a playoff series. As you all recall, Miami lost to Denver in 5 games in the finals.
Jimmy's stats vs the 2023 Nuggets in playoffs (5 games): 21.6 ppg (41.3% fg, 36.8% 3 pt), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1.6 stocks
Durant's stats vs the 2023 Nuggets in playoffs (6 games): 29.5 ppg (45.3% fg, 22.2% 3pt), 5 assists, 10 rebounds, 2.4 stocks
That brings us to last season, where a poorly built Phoenix squad lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in round 1 of the playoffs in 4 games. In that series Durant averaged 27 ppg (55% FG, 42% 3pt), 3 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 stocks. Phoenix's frontcourt got decimated by Minnesota's size as no one on PHX did anything aside from Durant and Booker.
Durant has made it to the playoffs 13 of his 16 active seasons in the NBA. Has made it past the first round 10 out of the 13 times he's been in the playoffs. Has made it to the conference finals 7 out of his 13 times in the playoffs (54% of the time), has made it to the finals 4 out of his 13 times in the playoffs (31% of the time), and has won 2 championships.
Durant's career playoff stats are 29.3 ppg (48% fg, 36% 3pt), 4 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2.2 stocks. And he's put up numbers as good or better than his career averages in each of the 4 playoff appearances he's had since leaving GS (including the last 2 seasons). KD has the 4th highest playoff ppg in NBA history, and he's still putting up playoff stats commensurate with those averages.
Let's stop with the false equivalency of comparing Kevin Durant and Jimmy as equal pieces to work with this Miami core.
Yes, I'm concerned about any aging superstar and durability. But, Kevin Durant is the exact archetype of the exception to concerns about age. Jimmy is not.
