The Kevin Durant Thread (2016 - 17 Pt. 1)

[StepBackCrack]

His all-time ISO scoring ability will be needed in the playoffs when the game slows down, play gets more physical and when the shooting is off. Gives the team hell of an offensive option.

[lorak]

"Selfish" Durant is actually averaging less FGA than Klay and Steph this season.

11,5% of all Durant's possessions are isolations. Curry 7,4%, Klay 4,2%

[PCProductions]

Definition of pure basketball beauty. Can't get enough of this. It's insane a 7-footer pulls this off with such ease.

This play is perfect example of how selfish Durant is. In this set he was supposed to pass to Green, but - as many times this season - he though he is still in Oklahoma. When Warriors will face stronger opponent this style of play will cost them title.

He generated a better look than Green would have had. Also, Draymond requires way too much time to wind up a good enough shot for himself since the defender was well within closing distance. KD got great separation for a money shot that went in. Not seeing the selfishness here at all, really.

[Dr Spaceman]

Definition of pure basketball beauty. Can't get enough of this. It's insane a 7-footer pulls this off with such ease.

This play is perfect example of how selfish Durant is. In this set he was supposed to pass to Green, but - as many times this season - he though he is still in Oklahoma. When Warriors will face stronger opponent this style of play will cost them title.

No, in this set he's supposed to do exactly what he did because there was no rim protection and he's a top 3 scorer in the world.

This seems like reaching.

[Scizzup]

"Selfish" Durant is actually averaging less FGA than Klay and Steph this season.

11,5% of all Durant's possessions are isolations. Curry 7,4%, Klay 4,2%

are u serious with this? this is like saying Curry/Lillard shoot more 3's. kd has been in the 85-90% percentile on isolation scoring the past 5 years on volume.

[Quotatious]

Durant isn't selfish, he's just a scorer by nature, and honestly, with his amazing ability to get any shot he wants against any defender, it would often be a waste of his talent to force himself to become more of a passer.

[Dr Spaceman]

Durant isn't selfish, he's just a scorer by nature, and honestly, with his amazing ability to get any shot he wants against any defender, it would often be a waste of his talent to force himself to become more of a passer.

Yeah we've gone too far with the "ISO bad, ball movement best, ZOMG Spurs" thing. There wasn't even anyone reasonable to pass to there, but when there's no one in position to help on a drive, you reject the screen and take your guy to the basket. Especially when you're freaking KD. Every point guard who is older than 10 has had this instinct drilled into their head. Just a weird criticism.

Ball movement isn't a magic potion that creates open looks every time, otherwise there'd be no such thing as good and bad offenses, just every team scoring on every possession. Ball movement works when teams are scared of giving up certain things to certain players, and the only way to make defenses scared is to, well, score. Sometimes that means settling for a pull up, or pausing and sizing up your guy, but it's better than throwing the ball in a circle and getting a shot clock violation.

[lorak]

You all are forgetting that it's the same style of play which cost Thunder several series, including last year when iso Durant couldn't do a thing, because that's bad basketball. All those years most people blamed Westbrook, but more and more it's obvious that Kevin was even to bigger extend responsible for bad things.

[The-Power]

"Selfish" Durant is actually averaging less FGA than Klay and Steph this season.

11,5% of all Durant's possessions are isolations. Curry 7,4%, Klay 4,2%

Isolation doesn't equal selfishness. There are match-ups he should exploit and situations he should play in isolation, nothing wrong with that. He just has to move around well off the ball the rest of the time.

edit: And 11.5% isn't that much when you look at Westbrook (19%), Lebron (20.3%), Harden (23.7%) and lots of other players like George, DeRozan, Cousins, Wall etc. pp. And none of them is as efficient as Durant in those situations. He still has some bad habits but he's neither playing selfishly nor should he stop isolating every once in a while.

[Soca]

You all are forgetting that it's the same style of play which cost Thunder several series, including last year when iso Durant couldn't do a thing, because that's bad basketball. All those years most people blamed Westbrook, but more and more it's obvious that Kevin was even to bigger extend responsible for bad things.

Far more reasons for that beyond Durant. Besides this Warriors roster has way more playmakers than any roster Durant had during in his 8 years in OKC. They're the best passing team in the NBA by far.

[lorak]

Isolation doesn't equal selfishness. There are match-ups he should exploit and situations he should play in isolation, nothing wrong with that. He just has to move around well off the ball the rest of the time.

Thank you captain obvious... The point I'm trying to make is, that Durant plays too many isolations, that he breaks plays too often (hated exchanges with Green a couple of times this season didn't happen by coincidence) and that shows at least two tings:

- in Oklahoma Westbrook wasn't the biggest (or the only) problem (like most people at the time claimed) and fans should stop looiking at Kevin as golden kid

- Warriors will struggle badly vs Spurs if Durant continues to play this way

[therealbig3]

Isolation doesn't equal selfishness. There are match-ups he should exploit and situations he should play in isolation, nothing wrong with that. He just has to move around well off the ball the rest of the time.

Thank you captain obvious... The point I'm trying to make is, that Durant plays too many isolations, that he breaks plays too often (hated exchanges with Green a couple of times this season didn't happen by coincidence) and that shows at least two tings:

- in Oklahoma Westbrook wasn't the biggest (or the only) problem (like most people at the time claimed) and fans should stop looiking at Kevin as golden kid

- Warriors will struggle badly vs Spurs if Durant continues to play this way

Your last point is a little odd, because Durant (and Westbrook) playing this way is what led the way for the Thunder beating the Spurs whenever they were healthy (2012, 2016).

As much as we praise the Spurs for how they play, their style of play didn't match up well to the ISO-heavy Thunder.

[SFrush]

Isolation doesn't equal selfishness. There are match-ups he should exploit and situations he should play in isolation, nothing wrong with that. He just has to move around well off the ball the rest of the time.

Thank you captain obvious... The point I'm trying to make is, that Durant plays too many isolations, that he breaks plays too often (hated exchanges with Green a couple of times this season didn't happen by coincidence) and that shows at least two tings:

- in Oklahoma Westbrook wasn't the biggest (or the only) problem (like most people at the time claimed) and fans should stop looiking at Kevin as golden kid

- Warriors will struggle badly vs Spurs if Durant continues to play this way

Your last point is a little odd, because Durant (and Westbrook) playing this way is what led the way for the Thunder beating the Spurs whenever they were healthy (2012, 2016).

As much as we praise the Spurs for how they play, their style of play didn't match up well to the ISO-heavy Thunder.

lol I can't wait to hear his response for this one.

[lorak]

Thank you captain obvious... The point I'm trying to make is, that Durant plays too many isolations, that he breaks plays too often (hated exchanges with Green a couple of times this season didn't happen by coincidence) and that shows at least two tings:

- in Oklahoma Westbrook wasn't the biggest (or the only) problem (like most people at the time claimed) and fans should stop looiking at Kevin as golden kid

- Warriors will struggle badly vs Spurs if Durant continues to play this way

Your last point is a little odd, because Durant (and Westbrook) playing this way is what led the way for the Thunder beating the Spurs whenever they were healthy (2012, 2016).

As much as we praise the Spurs for how they play, their style of play didn't match up well to the ISO-heavy Thunder.

lol I can't wait to hear his response for this one.

therealbig is right, Spurs weren't able to stop Thunder playing this way. But that doesn't change my point as Warriors aren't OKC - they don't have Westbrook and don't play this way. That's why one player making isos, breaking plays will hurt GSW more than OKC, where that was part of the plan - and still it worked just vs one team, which wasn't able to stop so athletic players, but Warriors, with proper personnel to defend, showed last playoffs how flawed style of play it is (the same was in 2012 with Miami).

[therealbig3]

Your last point is a little odd, because Durant (and Westbrook) playing this way is what led the way for the Thunder beating the Spurs whenever they were healthy (2012, 2016).

As much as we praise the Spurs for how they play, their style of play didn't match up well to the ISO-heavy Thunder.

lol I can't wait to hear his response for this one.

therealbig is right, Spurs weren't able to stop Thunder playing this way. But that doesn't change my point as Warriors aren't OKC - they don't have Westbrook and don't play this way. That's why one player making isos, breaking plays will hurt GSW more than OKC, where that was part of the plan - and still it worked just vs one team, which wasn't able to stop so athletic players, but Warriors, with proper personnel to defend, showed last playoffs how flawed style of play it is (the same was in 2012 with Miami).

Of course it's a flawed strategy, I was just confused why you specifically said the Spurs would give them problems with him playing this way, since that's literally the one team that HASN'T given his teams problems when he plays this way.

I think it would be a problem if they face the Cavs in the Finals, since that would prevent GS from exposing a weak Cleveland defense. But not against the Spurs.

[lorak]

lol I can't wait to hear his response for this one.

therealbig is right, Spurs weren't able to stop Thunder playing this way. But that doesn't change my point as Warriors aren't OKC - they don't have Westbrook and don't play this way. That's why one player making isos, breaking plays will hurt GSW more than OKC, where that was part of the plan - and still it worked just vs one team, which wasn't able to stop so athletic players, but Warriors, with proper personnel to defend, showed last playoffs how flawed style of play it is (the same was in 2012 with Miami).

Of course it's a flawed strategy, I was just confused why you specifically said the Spurs would give them problems with him playing this way, since that's literally the one team that HASN'T given his teams problems when he plays this way.

I think it would be a problem if they face the Cavs in the Finals, since that would prevent GS from exposing a weak Cleveland defense. But not against the Spurs.

I think Spurs this year are better at defending isolations (and Synergy confirms that as they were 4th in this RS and 14th in '16) and Warriors obviously don't have Westbrook, what changes things a lot too.

[SideshowBob]

Read on Twitter

[StepBackCrack]

The injury worries me. Hope he will be fine.

[StepBackCrack]

Watch on YouTube

Man this video still gets me. His passion about the sport is incredible and I know nothing sucks more for him than the feeling of not being able to play on court. My biggest fear is an injury preventing him for finally having the best of moments of his career. Hoping for the best.

[StepBackCrack]

Watch on YouTube

Loving this.