The closest thing to Kevin Durant

[SUPERVILLAIN]

Is it simply T-Mac?

[durantbird]

Brandon Ingram?

[Dr Positivity]

George, Middleton, Ingram. Maybe McAdoo for older players. Tmac's guard skills are at a different level.

[HeartBreakKid]

Gervin or McAdoo?

[70sFan]

Durant is a mix between George Gervin and Bob McAdoo. He doesn't play exactly the same as either of them, but he has a lot of common with both:

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[SHAQ32]

Jamal Crawford

[Im Your Father]

Paul George?

[TroubleS0me]

Paul George?

nah their playstyles are different

[TroubleS0me]

Ingram, TMAC

[SUPERVILLAIN]

Watch on YouTube

[bizil]

ONCE KD's floor game (passing, boards, dimes) went to the next level, it makes it hard to say. Now in addition to the 27-30 PPG, you are getting 8 boards and 5 dimes on top of it. Plus he's a 50-40-90 marksman on top of it. So he's ARGUABLY the best shooter the SF spot has ever seen. Right there with Bird.

But KD is SUCH A HARD COMP because nobody his height DOES WHAT HE DOES! That blend of handles, athletic ability, efficiency, and overall scoring skillset at 6'11 has never been seen before. Dirk and McAdoo at that size were the forerunners for sure. BUT they weren't playing the SF spot. And they didn't have KD's handles or passing ability. And his handles and overall scoring skillset is similar to a 6'11 version of T Mac. BUT T Mac was more athletic and SG-SF-PG type of guy. More along the lines of a MJ-Kobe type just was 6'8. And T Mac was never ULTRA efficient like KD.

And u gotta include the Iceman in the mix as well. Ultra efficient like KD, had the total package scoring skillset, and was smooth af doing it. Plus at 6'8, Gervin was WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME playing the SG at that size. And u can't forget Bird as well due to KD's 50-40-90 shooting and being a 6'10 SF-PF type like Bird was. So players of the past, I think all these legends contributed to KD's DNA. KD is SO UNIQUE that u can't really compare him to one or two guys.

In today's game, the guys like PG13, Ingram, and MJP will pop up. PG13 I see a bit. BUT once again, PG13 is more a swingman type. Kinda like a T Mac. And isn't ultra efficient like KD. And he's not 6'10-6'11. But AT LEAST PG13 could end up in the HOF one day. And has been a perennial top 5 SF or SG (whatever position he lines up at) for several years now. Ingram has shades to as well. But he's now listed at 6'8. MJP hasn't been on the court enough OR has the floor game of a KD or PG13. Or even an Ingram for that matter. BUT he has the 6'10 size and scoring skillset. IF Porter can stay healthy and shore up his floor game, that would be the BEST COMP for today's young batch of players.

[bizil]

George, Middleton, Ingram. Maybe McAdoo for older players. Tmac's guard skills are at a different level.

I agree! Peak T Mac was like a mix of Penny Hardaway and George Gervin! Had the great handles and damn near passing ability of Penny. And while Penny was a freak athlete himself, T Mac was even more freakish. And he had the scoring skillset and dominant scoring ability of the Iceman. All three are in that 6'8 range size wise. So T Mac is more of true perimeter player. Known to play SG, SF, and PG. KD is an SF who has ALSO PLAYED plenty of PF in his career. So for an APT COMPARISON, i think the player has to be more of true frontcourt player. And as KD's game as evolved, he's become a POSITIONLESS type of player in a sense. Not like a Bron or Giannis. BUT still at 6'11 has those unicorn qualities.

That's why I THINK the MOST underrated comparison to KD is ACTUALLY Larry Legend himself. 6'10 SF's who play plenty of PF. 50-40-90 marksmen. They are the two best shooting SF's in my opinion. And Bird had POSITIONLESS qualities in his game that were never really examined by the Celtics. I always considered Magic the GODFATHER of positionless basketball. Because he LEGIT PLAYED all five positions in his career. BUT Bird had similar qualities as well. Don't know if Bird could run the PG FLAT OUT. Due to handles and pace with rock throughout a game.

BUT he could pass as good as any PG to ever play pretty much. And he could FOR SURE lineup at SG, SF, PF, and C if he had to. Like Magic, it's not ABOUT defending those positions. It's ABOUT being able to run those positions FLAT OUT on offense at an elite level. KD has FLAT OUT played as an SG, SF, PF, and C in the league at times. So for those reasons, I think KD FOR SURE has shades of Bird. Not the passer or rebounder of course. And Bird didn't have KD's athletic ability or handles.

[penbeast0]

OF course when you bring in Bird, you can bring in Rick Barry as well, similar players with similar strengths. Bird is the better comp as the more efficient player but his passing is on another level that Durant has not reached, I wouldn't put Durant even at the Barry level for passing though he's good. Not as impressed with Durant's handles as bizil relative to the league he plays in. The keys to Durant are his height and long distance efficiency which is pretty amazing.

[SinceGatlingWasARookie]

, not results, best compairison, poor man's Durant is Rashard Lewis.

Both men were tall and thin. Both could defend when they wanted to, Rashard was much more likely to not make the effort.
Both were thought of primarily as small forwards despite being almost 7 foot tall.
Both were great shooters. Both could drive past people.

Another guy might be young prime Tom Chambers, the White KD. But chambers was not so thin especially as he got older. Older Chambers began becoming more of an inside scorer who used power. Young Chambers using outside shooting and drives played more like KD. Young Chambers could really jump and dunk over people. I think it took Chambers a few years to get good.

Rashard Lewis fits better.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Danilo Gallinari

___
Sent from my Nokia 3210 using RealGM mobile app