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

[HeartBreakKid]

Man, does this guy have the greatest portability of all-time?

I mean he joined a team that has 3 stars with highly portable skillsets.


Why is there so much surprise that Durant is having a career season? Kinda comes with the territory of joining a star studded team.

[clyde21]

Man, does this guy have the greatest portability of all-time?

I mean he joined a team that has 3 stars with highly portable skillsets.


Why is there so much surprise that Durant is having a career season? Kinda comes with the territory of joining a star studded team.

Durant isn't the first player to be on the same team as multiple all-stars.

[KD35Brah]

Doesn't mean much but he leads the nba in Winshares and TS%, 2nd in ESPN's RPM so far.

[HeartBreakKid]

Man, does this guy have the greatest portability of all-time?

I mean he joined a team that has 3 stars with highly portable skillsets.


Why is there so much surprise that Durant is having a career season? Kinda comes with the territory of joining a star studded team.

Durant isn't the first player to be on the same team as multiple all-stars.

Uh..ok?

[clyde21]

I mean he joined a team that has 3 stars with highly portable skillsets.


Why is there so much surprise that Durant is having a career season? Kinda comes with the territory of joining a star studded team.

Durant isn't the first player to be on the same team as multiple all-stars.

Uh..ok?

You're downplaying his portability because he's playing with other stars. All of the great players played with other stars...

[HeartBreakKid]

Durant isn't the first player to be on the same team as multiple all-stars.

Uh..ok?

You're downplaying his portability because he's playing with other stars. All of the great players played with other stars...

I'm downplaying his portability because someone claimed he's the most portable star of all time. I'm assuming people are saying that because he's doing good on a brand new team...a team that has the most portable roster of all time. No offense, but if someone thought Durant wouldn't have a career year in TS playing along side Curry, Klay and Green then I don't know what to tell them.

Durant is portable, but I don't even get what makes him more portable than Curry or Green...or a bunch of other all time greats - because he's doing great in a new jersey? What makes him more portable than Larry Bird or Hakeem Olajuwon?

[clyde21]

Uh..ok?

You're downplaying his portability because he's playing with other stars. All of the great players played with other stars...

I'm downplaying his portability because someone claimed he's the most portable star of all time. I'm assuming people are saying that because he's doing good on a brand new team...a team that has the most portable roster of all time. No offense, but if someone thought Durant wouldn't have a career year in TS playing along side Curry, Klay and Green then I don't know what to tell them.

Durant is portable, but I don't even get what makes him more portable than Curry or Green...or a bunch of other all time greats - because he's doing great in a new jersey? What makes him more portable than Larry Bird or Hakeem Olajuwon?

They're not saying that because he's playing for a new team. They're saying that because he's taken on a new role (especially defensively) and is reaching new heights as a player.

[ronnymac2]

Durant is super-portable now that he can play legit defense as a PF. He's one of the three best in the game at being the most coveted archetype in the modern NBA: SF/PF hybrid who provides elite defense (including defensive rebounding) and 3-point shooting. Durant also happens to be an historically efficient scorer. Kawai and LeBron are the other two.

I've gone on record saying I have no problem with KD's decision. I still don't. I think people owe it to themselves to put themselves in different situations and evolve. I believe in freedom of choice. KD didn't hurt anybody in his decision. He did things legally. And it's not the easy way out...no "super team" in NBA history has ever worked out exactly as planned or exactly how all the doomsday critics said it would. It's going to be challenging for GSW to win even one title.

That said...when I watched GSW vs. OKC earlier this season, I couldn't help but root for the Thunder. Watching Durant and the Warriors obliterate OKC was like if somehow, Brock Lesnar demanded a fight with some random female MMA fighter and somehow it was granted. It's like yeah dude, everybody in the arena knows you're going to win. You've got crazy physical advantages over your opponent. What does any of this prove? It felt like a bully beating some kid up for no reason.

I know it's unreasonable for me to feel that way, because the GSW have to play the Thunder as mandated by the NBA. It's a regular, normal thing that happens in a standard NBA season. I'm not blaming Durant or GSW or anything. But it made me SMH. C'mon man...

[Statlanta]

I've gone on record saying I have no problem with KD's decision. I still don't. I think people owe it to themselves to put themselves in different situations and evolve. I believe in freedom of choice. KD didn't hurt anybody in his decision. He did things legally. And it's not the easy way out...no "super team" in NBA history has ever worked out exactly as planned or exactly how all the doomsday critics said it would. It's going to be challenging for GSW to win even one title.

That said...when I watched GSW vs. OKC earlier this season, I couldn't help but root for the Thunder. Watching Durant and the Warriors obliterate OKC was like if somehow, Brock Lesnar demanded a fight with some random female MMA fighter and somehow it was granted. It's like yeah dude, everybody in the arena knows you're going to win. You've got crazy physical advantages over your opponent. What does any of this prove? It felt like a bully beating some kid up for no reason.

Agreed as much fun is it can be watching what looks like the GOAT offense it just feels unfair when you look at the body language of teams that face them.

[KD35Brah]

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[StepBackCrack]

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[StepBackCrack]

I've gone on record saying I have no problem with KD's decision. I still don't. I think people owe it to themselves to put themselves in different situations and evolve. I believe in freedom of choice. KD didn't hurt anybody in his decision. He did things legally. And it's not the easy way out...no "super team" in NBA history has ever worked out exactly as planned or exactly how all the doomsday critics said it would. It's going to be challenging for GSW to win even one title.

That said...when I watched GSW vs. OKC earlier this season, I couldn't help but root for the Thunder. Watching Durant and the Warriors obliterate OKC was like if somehow, Brock Lesnar demanded a fight with some random female MMA fighter and somehow it was granted. It's like yeah dude, everybody in the arena knows you're going to win. You've got crazy physical advantages over your opponent. What does any of this prove? It felt like a bully beating some kid up for no reason.

Agreed as much fun is it can be watching what looks like the GOAT offense it just feels unfair when you look at the body language of teams that face them.

This is understandable. I think it's normal to root against GSW/or KD even if one does not really hate them. They are too good and people naturally want the underdog to win.

[StepBackCrack]

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So lit.

[StepBackCrack]

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[ISB]

Huh? I have never thought of Lebron as being particularly portable (considering his skill level). Definitely not on the level of a Durant or MJ.

A guy that can play and guard 5 different positions isn't portable?

He can't play or guard all 5 positions, while his lack of shooting alongside his needing to have the ball in his hands to be most effective would detract from his portability.

Lebron is super portable in the sense that he is a ridiculously good player, and every team can use one of those. However, I would agree that his offensive game is not impressively portable for the reasons you mentioned. Defense is another story.

[tsherkin]

Heh. I have enjoyed the Warriors. I like a team with some swagger, and I enjoy watching them succeed just to crush the people who complain and moan about "mreeeeeeeh, but they have so much talent." I really do. They are, bar none, my favorite team to watch in the league right now. I love the brand of basketball they play and the style as well.

And Kevin Durant is slotting in beautifully. They're 16-2 and are again the best team in the league (at this particular stage of the season). That's awesome to watch. They're figuring each other out and are going to challenge for rings over an extended period of time, which is also awesome.

Dude's scoring 1 less PPG than last year. It's early still and he's been hilariously on fire, of course, so we'll see, but he is absolutely dicing people up with all that extra space and movement. I mean, he will calm down. I strongly doubt he'll keep shooting 64% from the corner 3 spots and it's very likely he won't shoot 62% below the arc all year (and he's shooting almost 58% from 16-23 feet at the moment), so there's some expected regression which ought to take him back towards the 24-26 ppg range, but even still, that's pretty remarkable stuff, and again, he fits in perfectly.

[KD35Brah]

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5/6 fg
5/5 ft

1st half.

[Wall34]

You can't tell me KD not making a impact out there.

[Wall34]

You can't tell me KD not making a impact out there.

[KD35Brah]

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