Larry Bird vs Kevin Durant

Run DLC · Post #1 » by **Run DLC** » Mon May 18, 2020 8:45 pm

Who’s the better all-around player? Who would you want to lead your team?

D.Brasco · Post #2 » by **D.Brasco** » Mon May 18, 2020 9:43 pm

Run DLC wrote:Who’s the better all-around player? Who would you want to lead your team?

I can see the arguments for Durant in a head to head comparison but taking your question at its face, Better all-round player? Bird, Who would I want to lead my team? Bird.

HeadtopChunes · Post #3 » by **HeadtopChunes** » Mon May 18, 2020 9:49 pm

Looking at peaks, Durant is really only a better scorer, but I don’t think its enough of a margin to surpass Bird. Especially with Bird’s passing making up and probably exceeding the scoring gap in terms of offensive value. Would give Bird the edge everywhere else except maybe rim protection.

Hard to see the argument for Durant here tbh

70sFan · Post #4 » by **70sFan** » Mon May 18, 2020 10:14 pm

Bird was much more versatile player and he could bring so much more outside of boxscore production compared to KD. I don't see it as even close to be honest.

No-more-rings · Post #5 » by **No-more-rings** » Mon May 18, 2020 10:20 pm

Clearly Bird. Bird’s prime is comfortably higher, and KD doesn’t have a longevity edge to erase the gap.

Run DLC · Post #6 » by **Run DLC** » Tue May 19, 2020 12:03 am

This is the most one sided poll that I've ever seen on here. What's going on?

Kobe187 · Post #7 » by **Kobe187** » Tue May 19, 2020 7:36 am

Larry Bird and it’s not even close.

Jaivl · Post #8 » by **Jaivl** » Tue May 19, 2020 8:10 am

Plainly better player, with no longevity disadvantage... yeah.

AdagioPace · Post #9 » by **AdagioPace** » Tue May 19, 2020 8:24 am

whassup with all these Bird vs "increasingly worse player" comparisons lately?

the Bird vs Magic/Duncan is legitimate;
I could grasp the sense of a Bird vs Kobe;
Bird vs Durant isn't fun

limbo · Post #10 » by **limbo** » Tue May 19, 2020 1:20 pm

I would pick Bird, he could and did impact the game in more ways. Durant kind of struggled to do that when he wasn't scoring efficiently.

That said, some people acting like Durant is a bum compared to Larry is hilarious. Durant's track record as a scorer is one of the most impressive ones in league history. It's not spotless due to a struggling at times during the Playoffs and then joining the GOAT offensive cast to inflate his numbers... but it's still very impressive nonetheless, arguably more resilient than Bird who was quite notorious for some dud scoring series in his career...

HeartBreakKid · Post #11 » by **HeartBreakKid** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:02 pm

limbo wrote:I would pick Bird, he could and did impact the game in more ways. Durant kind of struggled to do that when he wasn't scoring efficiently.

That said, some people acting like Durant is a bum compared to Larry is hilarious. Durant's track record as a scorer is one of the most impressive ones in league history. It's not spotless due to a struggling at times during the Playoffs and then joining the GOAT offensive cast to inflate his numbers... but it's still very impressive nonetheless, arguably more resilient than Bird who was quite notorious for some dud scoring series in his career...

The thread isn't asking who the better scorer is.

70sFan · Post #12 » by **70sFan** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:07 pm

limbo wrote:I would pick Bird, he could and did impact the game in more ways. Durant kind of struggled to do that when he wasn't scoring efficiently.

That said, some people acting like Durant is a bum compared to Larry is hilarious. Durant's track record as a scorer is one of the most impressive ones in league history. It's not spotless due to a struggling at times during the Playoffs and then joining the GOAT offensive cast to inflate his numbers... but it's still very impressive nonetheless, arguably more resilient than Bird who was quite notorious for some dud scoring series in his career...

Well, I don't think that KD is a bum compared to anybody. He's all time great player after all.

That said, scoring is basically the only thing he has over Bird. It's a strong weapon, but is it enough? Let me put it this way - George Gervin was undoubtfully better scorer than Bird and his scoring was far more resiliant for postseason struggles. Yet nobody even question Bird>Gervin and most people would call me insane if I ever make this comparison. What makes Durant that much better than Gervin, outside of playing on far better teams?

limbo · Post #13 » by **limbo** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:12 pm

HeartBreakKid wrote:The thread isn't asking who the better scorer is.

Did i say it was?

I said i would pick Bird, but i got the feeling people are underrating peak Durant here. Like the 'not even close' takes are pushing it, makes it seem like they're multiple tiers apart...

limbo · Post #14 » by **limbo** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:40 pm

70sFan wrote:What makes Durant that much better than Gervin, outside of playing on far better teams?

Everything?

Better scorer, passer, rebounder, defender and more versatile in terms of roles/positions he can play and be more effective at it than Gervin was. For example, Gervin doesn't have the size/length to effectively play the PF position, but Durant can and he can also be e the lead ball-handler on a team, or play off-ball (though he does have stubborn isolation/ego tendencies)...

What makes you think Gervin was ever near Durant as a player? The gap between Bird and Durant is definitely smaller than the gap between Durant and Gervin, imo.

Post #15 » by **Clyde Frazier** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:41 pm

Talk about a nailbiter.

[I don't think any reasonable person would dispute Durant being an MVP level player at his peak.]

Jaivl · Post #16 » by **Jaivl** » Tue May 19, 2020 2:51 pm

70sFan wrote:
limbo wrote:I would pick Bird, he could and did impact the game in more ways. Durant kind of struggled to do that when he wasn't scoring efficiently.

That said, some people acting like Durant is a bum compared to Larry is hilarious. Durant's track record as a scorer is one of the most impressive ones in league history. It's not spotless due to a struggling at times during the Playoffs and then joining the GOAT offensive cast to inflate his numbers... but it's still very impressive nonetheless, arguably more resilient than Bird who was quite notorious for some dud scoring series in his career...

Well, I don't think that KD is a bum compared to anybody. He's all time great player after all.

That said, scoring is basically the only thing he has over Bird. It's a strong weapon, but is it enough? Let me put it this way - George Gervin was undoubtfully better scorer than Bird and his scoring was far more resiliant for postseason struggles. Yet nobody even question Bird>Gervin and most people would call me insane if I ever make this comparison. What makes Durant that much better than Gervin, outside of playing on far better teams?

Their scoring profile is similar after the usual adjustments, but the main advantage is being... well, bigger. It allows him to be a better finisher (which ultimately leads to being a stronger creator) and a better defender. WOWY footprints also seem to favor Durant by a decent margin. Longer prime, too - Gervin declined surprisingly soon. I'm not sure what the advantages are for Gervin.

Galloisdaman · Post #17 » by **Galloisdaman** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:10 pm

Bird>Durant=Lebron

TheSheriff · Post #18 » by **TheSheriff** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:12 pm

Run DLC wrote:This is the most one sided poll that I've ever seen on here. What's going on?

Well a poll was created comparing Larry Bird to an obviously inferior player. I’m sure you’d see similar results if you asked people to compare Magic Johnson to Chris Paul.

Peregrine01 · Post #19 » by **Peregrine01** » Tue May 19, 2020 3:43 pm

Bird. Better passer and playmaker. Better at meshing with other great players and elevating overall team success.

No-more-rings · Post #20 » by **No-more-rings** » Tue May 19, 2020 4:12 pm

TheSheriff wrote:
Run DLC wrote:This is the most one sided poll that I've ever seen on here. What's going on?

Well a poll was created comparing Larry Bird to an obviously inferior player. I’m sure you’d see similar results if you asked people to compare Magic Johnson to Chris Paul.

I do think a few of Paul’s staunch supporters and/or stat guys might make a case for Paul. I think Iggymcfrack actually ranks Paul ahead. But yeah he’d definitely get blown out in a poll...as he should.

Who’s greater?