Durant: 0-10 FG in the 2nd Half

[An Unbiased Fan]

Glad to see there's no recency bias in the making of this thread! KD's an all time great. Where you have him on your pantheon is debatable.

The current team he's playing with is garbage. KD can't do everything! Celtics are the #1 defense in the league, no wonder they are focusing all their attention on Durant, given who's on the rest of the team....

His teammates are either way past their primes getting wayyyyy too many minutes (Mills, Dragic, Drummond) or incredibly young and still learning (Edwards, Claxton). Bruce Brown is arguably the 3rd most important player on their team, and though I love his energy, he's not anywhere near good enough to be the 3rd best player on a contender. Seth Curry is a nice 5th starter or 1st man off the bench, so I guess that's ok.

Also, what KD is doing, at 33, coming off a major injury, is heroic! Though I'm a Celtics fan and rooting for the Nets to bow out in 4, next year with a healthy Simmons, and maybe 1 other solid offseason acquisition, I think the Nets will be strong contenders. As currently constructed, it's sad.

KD has always had stacked rosters where he can go 1 on 1. His ring came after bolting to the 73-win team after blowing a 3-1 lead. I don't want to hear him whine about double teams every other star has gotten.

[Pachinko_]

Tonight was the first night I’ve watched KD and didn’t expect the shots to go in (well that choke job in his last OKC game too). I’ve just become so accustomed to this guy being automatic with his shot that it’s still surreal to me when the shots don’t go in. This is the most “human” I’ve ever seen him before…

He looked like he did in O/T game 7 against the Bucks last year. Gassed and no lift, except the Celtics made him look like that from early in the 2nd.

Basically he looked like a 33 year old with injury history, so maybe it shouldn't surprise anybody.

[noreaster23]

Glad to see there's no recency bias in the making of this thread! KD's an all time great. Where you have him on your pantheon is debatable.

The current team he's playing with is garbage. KD can't do everything! Celtics are the #1 defense in the league, no wonder they are focusing all their attention on Durant, given who's on the rest of the team....

His teammates are either way past their primes getting wayyyyy too many minutes (Mills, Dragic, Drummond) or incredibly young and still learning (Edwards, Claxton). Bruce Brown is arguably the 3rd most important player on their team, and though I love his energy, he's not anywhere near good enough to be the 3rd best player on a contender. Seth Curry is a nice 5th starter or 1st man off the bench, so I guess that's ok.

Also, what KD is doing, at 33, coming off a major injury, is heroic! Though I'm a Celtics fan and rooting for the Nets to bow out in 4, next year with a healthy Simmons, and maybe 1 other solid offseason acquisition, I think the Nets will be strong contenders. As currently constructed, it's sad.

Garbage? Nope? Him and Kyrie (the second best player) I was told are they most skilled duo ever. I was told KD is the best player. They have alot of fire power.

You're not really addressing the point I'm making. The team around KD and Kyrie stink. I think as a duo KD and Kyrie are quite formidable. And, I'm just not surprised they are losing to this deeper, better Celtics team, and neither should anyone else.

[Hero]

Look at what LeBron and MJ were doing at 33. All time greats.

[Sam Hinkie]

Objectively, Durant is better post Achilles than Kobe.

But Durant's had an up and down career with the injuries in his prime, which Kobe didn't have, missing '19 and '15. And '16 he played poorly when it mattered.

No one thinks he's as good as LeBron or Kobe though, but in his prime, he was a top 2 player in the league for a couple of years.

What he's doing at 33 post Achilles is impressive though, and to knock him for 1 bad game given that is silly.

Durant had a much higher peak than Kobe and will end up having a better career.

[BoatsNZones]

Been saying for 7 years he's less valuable than Curry and never been the best in the game. Welcome to the club?

[DroseReturnChi]

Glad to see there's no recency bias in the making of this thread! KD's an all time great. Where you have him on your pantheon is debatable.

The current team he's playing with is garbage. KD can't do everything! Celtics are the #1 defense in the league, no wonder they are focusing all their attention on Durant, given who's on the rest of the team....

His teammates are either way past their primes getting wayyyyy too many minutes (Mills, Dragic, Drummond) or incredibly young and still learning (Edwards, Claxton). Bruce Brown is arguably the 3rd most important player on their team, and though I love his energy, he's not anywhere near good enough to be the 3rd best player on a contender. Seth Curry is a nice 5th starter or 1st man off the bench, so I guess that's ok.

Also, what KD is doing, at 33, coming off a major injury, is heroic! Though I'm a Celtics fan and rooting for the Nets to bow out in 4, next year with a healthy Simmons, and maybe 1 other solid offseason acquisition, I think the Nets will be strong contenders. As currently constructed, it's sad.

wow dude i never thought 33 was retirement age. care to look up what lebron and mj did at 33?
33 is actually some of the peaks if your an all time great. if your already falling off in early 30s ur cooked and done.
KD only shoots he doesnt have insane usage like doncic nor does he defends like MJ. his lazy ass work ethic met his demise after relying on shooting.

[JN61]

He scored more than 8 points in a finals game so, he has room for error I'd think.

Stans sure didn't like your post.

[yannisk]

Read on Twitter

Can we stop comparing him to Lebron or Kobe. He is not on their level. He's not better than Curry. I've never seen a player get so many free passes for underperforming in the playoffs. If LeBron ever went even 2-10 FG in the 2nd half, RealGM and ESPN would blow up. KD shoots 0-10 and everyone will forget about it tomorrow.

Some of the misses were less than an inch sort/long or wide and I wonder if he would miss anyway if he was wearing a properly sized shoe

[JN61]

Read on Twitter

Can we stop comparing him to Lebron or Kobe. He is not on their level. He's not better than Curry. I've never seen a player get so many free passes for underperforming in the playoffs. If LeBron ever went even 2-10 FG in the 2nd half, RealGM and ESPN would blow up. KD shoots 0-10 and everyone will forget about it tomorrow.

Let’s take Lebrons 2011 playoffs for example.


NBA finals game 4 - 3-11 for 8 points for the game
Conference semi finals game 3 - 3-9 second half (15 total)
Conference finals game 1 - 2-9 second half (15 total)
First round game 1 - 0/4 second half



Kobe Bryant had plenty of bad shooting nights (worst each playoffs)
98 - 4/14
99 - 5/17
00 - 4/20
01 - 7/22
02 - 5/21
03 - 7/25
04 - 4/19

Etc etc

Lebron’s biggest blunders were actually in 2008 and 2010 against the Celtics.

2008 Game 1 vs Celtics

Lebron shot 2fgm/18fga (11%FG) with 10 Turnovers in game 1 and the Cavs only lost by 4.

2010 Game 5 vs Celtics

Lebron shot 3fgm/14fga (21%FG)

2010 Game 6 vs Celtics

Lebron shot 8fgm/21fga (38%FG) with 9 Turnovers.



Imo part of what also made the decision bad for Cleveland fans at the time was how he seemingly disappeared in the last 2 playoff games in 2010. Rumors was maybe Delonte West and Lebron’s mom. However Lebron looked really weird in an elimination game looking uncharacteristically passive. It looked like he quit on the team in a similar manner to Kobe in 2006 in game 7.

I think those 2 games made “The Decision” seem worse to Cleveland fans. With his own hometown fans calling him a quitter and publicly burning his jersey.

2011 against the Mavs more cemented what Cavs fans were feeling from 2010 against the Celtics

Rough numbers. The blind witnesses' have brushed these under the rug and scrubbed internet clean from them. Wouldn't be surprised if you had to visit NBA's vaults to get access to these stats.

Something something LeBron carrying bunch of d league players.

[lambchop]

Look at what LeBron and MJ were doing at 33. All time greats.

Those guys were still perfectly healthy at 33 AND had already adjusted their games after playoff failures. This is the same low efficiency shooting with no post game or ability to impact the game with his passing that was already evident in game 5 and 6 of the warriors thunder series in 2016 where KD shot 42% FG and 27% from 3 for the series. KD would have needed to expand his game that summer but took the easy route. LBJ had the same idea, but, of course, after that 2011 finals loss and Wade's knee issues, he had to improve to the point where he could put up performances like 2012 against the Celtics etc.

[Ill News]

The KD hate in this thread is unbelievable...calling him a consistent underperformer in the playoffs? What a load of horse crap.

I mean, just last season, he had two ungodly games in the Bucks series that almost willed his undermanned team to a series win. How quickly people forget.

[letskissbro]

Just lol @ "he isn't the same player anymore". He was doing this **** in his prime too. Not everybody forgets. Y'all just changed your tune because he went to a 73 win team and became a convient prop to use to diminish LeBron.

[TheLand13]

who would have thought there was a worse playoff choker than defrozen?? this guy is a fraud.

Please. Stop. Posting.

Jesus Christ.

[TheLand13]

Objectively, Durant is better post Achilles than Kobe.

But Durant's had an up and down career with the injuries in his prime, which Kobe didn't have, missing '19 and '15. And '16 he played poorly when it mattered.

No one thinks he's as good as LeBron or Kobe though, but in his prime, he was a top 2 player in the league for a couple of years.

What he's doing at 33 post Achilles is impressive though, and to knock him for 1 bad game given that is silly.

Durant had a much higher peak than Kobe and will end up having a better career.

No he didn’t and no he won’t.

[Pachinko_]

The KD hate in this thread is unbelievable...calling him a consistent underperformer in the playoffs? What a load of horse crap.

I mean, just last season, he had two ungodly games in the Bucks series that almost willed his undermanned team to a series win. How quickly people forget.

Yeah true but don't forget, different defensive strategy as well. Bucks let him play 1-1 all night against a guy who yes is a good defender, but he's also old and short, because the Bucks strategy was to shut down everybody else and make KD beat us. Which he almost did.

Celtics did the exact opposite, double and triple teamed him and left A LOT of guys open.
I mean if I told you in a team that has KI/KD on the floor that Curry, Brown and 35yo Dragic would take HALF the shots you'd call me crazy, and yet that's exactly what happened. Because they were open.

[CodeBreaker]

He hid behind the Warriors big 3 that is why people thought he was unstoppable.

Now that he's back to being the focal point of a team, he is again Mr. Unreliable

[Hoop Hunter]

I've had a thing against KD ever since he choked in the playoffs at OKC against Golden State. Then jumped to GS the next season instead of staying to run it back at them. Bitch move.

[Hoop Hunter]

Double post

[TheWhiteMamba]

He was garbage during those 2 games, but let's give the Celtics D credit, and let's not forget that KD was almost always a very good playoff performer. If he can't adjust and be effective again in this series, Celtics will sweep them, but I assume he'll find a way to lift up his production and the Nets steal at least a couple of games.