Kevin Durant. For many, this name is synonymous with betrayal, cupcake, snake. With his departure to Golden State, his weird statements and his love for fake Twitter accounts, KD has shot up his popularity rating over the past two years. But at the same time, he also established himself as one of the best players in history by winning two bagouzes, with two Finals MVP titles as a bonus. Like it or not, Durant is one of the greats, especially when it comes to scorers.
“People don’t like him enough. He is the most talented scorer in history. Fingers in the nose. He can score 30 points while walking. He only needs 12 shots for that. It’s very, very hard to do. It is very effective. Most guys need to feel the ball in their hands to find their rhythm, he doesn’t even need that.
Here is what Andre Iguodala announcedin early August during an interview with Sports Illustrated. Often, this kind of statement is to be taken with a grain of salt, especially when it comes from a teammate. How many times have we heard guys come out with big sentences that had no real substance and lacked objectivity? It’s commonplace in the NBA. Except that in this case, there is still something to ask and think seriously about the comments that are made. For what ? Already because the friend Iggy is a sensible guy who is not the type to say anything and then quite simply because there is a legitimate debate on the place of Kevin Durant at the table of the high scorers of all the time. When we talk about offensive machine and ability to put the big orange ball in the opponent’s basket,KD unquestionably has a say in the face of legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Co. We can criticize Mr. Comfort Zone on many things, and we do not hesitate. Regularly, he gives us poles through his fake thug behavior and his cardboard statements, to believe that he likes it. But when it comes to planting points, the Warriors superstar is unanimous today.
What makes Kevin Durant exceptional is his unique profile. In the history of the league, we have never seen a basketball player like him. We are talking about a phenomenon who is around 213 centimeters tall and who is able to move like a fullback. Usually, guys this size possess limited mobility. It’s nature that wants it. We have to believe that KD does not come from the same planet as we saw how he moves on a parquet floor. To that, you add a real handle, touch, great dribbling skills and above all, above all, a formidable shoot. To be so big and skillful at the same time is almost unfair for a defense. Without a doubt, he is one of the best snipers in the current NBA, especially in the clutch moments when he is used to shining. Whether it’s mid-range or from the parking lot, Durant hurts a lot. And when he is served with his back to the basket, he often takes advantage of his size advantage to chain the baskets through his fadeaways and Dirk Nowitzki-style shots. In short, there is reason to be discouraged, right? So ask Gérard and his friends from Cleveland, who took a real broth during Game 3 of the last Finals. Thanks to this constant threat represented by his shot, KD can also punish through his penetrations as well as his ability to score with his eyes closed on the free throw line, where he is not far from 90% career success. who took a real broth during Game 3 of the last Finals. Thanks to this constant threat represented by his shot, KD can also punish through his penetrations as well as his ability to score with his eyes closed on the free throw line, where he is not far from 90% career success. who took a real broth during Game 3 of the last Finals. Thanks to this constant threat represented by his shot, KD can also punish through his penetrations as well as his ability to score with his eyes closed on the free throw line, where he is not far from 90% career success.Clearly, the guy is unstoppable, especially with today’s rules that limit the physical impact of defenders . Because if we can highlight a small weakness in Durant, it may be on this point. Tony Allen, the former Memphis Grizzlies guard dog, has shown in the past that it is possible to get in his way by creating contact, being aggressive and doing anything to get him out of his comfort zone. But pit bulls like Tony don’t run the streets.
With four season-high scoring titles, nearly 21,000 points on the clock at just 30 years old, and a sumptuous career average of 27.12 points at 49% shooting, Kevin Durant also has the stats and record that speak for themselves . him. In history, only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have won more scoring titles (ten and seven respectively). It shows you a bit the level of the guy. Regarding the average points, they are only four ahead of KD, namely MJ (30.12), Wilt (30.07), Elgin Baylor (27.36) and LeBron James (27.15). So yes, Durant’s will most likely drop as his career progresses, especially if he continues to play for a team as cheated as Golden State. However, this stat remains superb and it must be emphasized. And then, we must not forget that Kevin is part of the very closed club of players who have completed a campaign with 50% success in shooting, including 40% from the parking lot and 90% from the free throw line. It was during the 2012-2013 season, when he was still playing for Oklahoma City. In total, they are only seven to appear in this VIP circle. Besides Durant, there’s Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Mark Price and teammate Stephen Curry. Hello snipers. It also shows the incredible efficiency with which Kevin Durant scores. Some of the greatest all-time forwards weren’t known for their success rate, like Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson for example. These guys have chained the boxes thanks to their legendary offensive aggressiveness, but they never had percentages of phew. KD is a little the opposite. He is not the type to force things, he lets the game come to him, which necessarily increases his efficiency. In eleven years of career, he attempted more than twenty shots per game only twice. Imagine the result with a Kevin in crunching mode… they are only seven to appear in this VIP circle. Besides Durant, there’s Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Mark Price and teammate Stephen Curry. Hello snipers. It also shows the incredible efficiency with which Kevin Durant scores. Some of the greatest all-time forwards weren’t known for their success rate, like Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson for example. These guys have chained the boxes thanks to their legendary offensive aggressiveness, but they never had percentages of phew. KD is a little the opposite. He is not the type to force things, he lets the game come to him, which necessarily increases his efficiency. In eleven years of career, he attempted more than twenty shots per game only twice. Imagine the result with a Kevin in crunching mode… they are only seven to appear in this VIP circle. Besides Durant, there’s Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Dirk Nowitzki, Reggie Miller, Mark Price and teammate Stephen Curry. Hello snipers. It also shows the incredible efficiency with which Kevin Durant scores. Some of the greatest all-time forwards weren’t known for their success rate, like Kobe Bryant or Allen Iverson for example. These guys have chained the boxes thanks to their legendary offensive aggressiveness, but they never had percentages of phew. KD is a little the opposite. He is not the type to force things, he lets the game come to him, which necessarily increases his efficiency. In eleven years of career, he attempted more than twenty shots per game only twice. Imagine the result with a Kevin in crunching mode…
For all of these reasons, Durant deserves to be in the discussion of the most indefensible players in the history of the game. He’s got it all, except maybe one trick. The greatest scorers who have passed through the league almost all had a go-to-move, that is to say a characteristic move that they mastered to perfection and which made things impossible for opposing defenders. When we think of Michael Jordan, we immediately think of his turnaround fadeaway. When you think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, it’s his skyhook that immediately comes to mind. Kobe Bryant? Look at his footwork and pull-up jumper. We can also cite Hakeem Olajuwon’s Dream Shake, Dirk Nowitzki’s one-leg fadeaway or Allen Iverson’s crossover. In the collective consciousness, it is important because it marks the spirits and thus gives a new dimension to the player. For KD, it’s difficult to highlight a specific move, it’s quite complicated to associate it with a single gesture, because he has so many possibilities to score. As said above, he can pull off fadeaways, shots from the parking lot on half court or in transition… he’s spoiled for choice, but he doesn’t really have a signature.In fact, what really characterizes him is this combination between his height, his mobility and his shoot . It’s not a go-to-move per se, but it’s what sets it apart from the rest. Andre Iguodala confirms.
“Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were those two guys with indefensible moves. Mike had the fadeaway and Kareem had the skyhook, but KD is a six-foot-plus guy who can plant a cushy pull-up from over fifteen yards. This is his indefensible move.”
Despite everything that can be said about him, Kevin Durant is one of those rare players who pushes the limits of our favorite sport. Through his unique profile, he represents an anomaly of the game. His place among the best scorers of all time is already established, and he has some solid arguments in this debate. It is not said that he is the most unstoppable striker in history but what is certain is that he has earned the right to look anyone in the eye.
