Is Kevin Durant Overrated?

I (SOM) have been writing this blog for just over two years.  This week, however, I am adding a different spin to it.  In the spirit of good-hearted debate, my boy from law school (CO) and I are going to engage in a debate regarding oft-discussed barbershop topics.  This week the topic is whether Kevin Durant is overrated.  He will be arguing that Durant is not overrated and of course, I will be taking the opposite position.

SOM: Kevin Durant is overrated. Durant has failed miserably at leading a team deep into the NBA Playoffs sans an all-star supporting cast.  Think about the all-time great players who have been able to accomplish this feat.  Lebron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals against the Spurs.  That team did not feature another all-star caliber player.  Allen Iverson carried his Philadelphia 76ers team to the NBA Finals without another star player.  Should we not hold Kevin Durant to this standard?  During the 2012-13 NBA Playoffs, Kevin Durant was afforded an opportunity to carry his team deep into the Playoffs after Russell Westbrook went down with an injury.  He was unable to do so, and honestly, his team barely defeated an average Houston Rockets team.

The Thunder advanced to the second round and faced the Memphis Grizzlies.  During that series, Durant struggled to make the other players around him better.  Sure, if you look at his statistics only, you might believe he had a solid series.  The truth is he was relegated to playing hero-ball.  He became a volume-shooter and a low percentage scorer.  He needed to elevate his game such that K. Martin and S. Ibaka could get easy shots.  He failed, and as a result, his team lost.  As the second best player in the World, basketball enthusiasts expect more from him.

CO: Kevin Durant is the second best player in the NBA. Yet, he remains an underrated basketball player because of numerous factors that mask his dominance. For instance, Durant was not drafted as the number one overall pick when he came out of Texas in 2007; that distinction belonged to Greg Oden. Thus, his shadow began to grow.

That is not to say that KD is not recognized as a top player in the league; it would be blasphemous to write an article or have a conversation about Kevin Wayne Durant without acknowledging that the general consensus knows Durant is a great player; a perennial All-Star that deserves to be mentioned in the upper echelon of players in the NBA. Durant has become a 4x NBA All Star, an All Star Game MVP and a 3x NBA Scoring Champion. He has accomplished a lot in his career thus far and (barring injury) is on pace to be in the Hall of Fame, should he continue at/near his current pace.

And yet, basketball enthusiasts do not anoint Kevin Durant as the present and future of the NBA. Durant is not considered as transcendent because he plays in a smaller market and he is the second best SF/wing player in the game. He does not dominate the ball and has not had a signature "superstar" playoff moment; even if the numbers say he is on pace for a HOF career that may place him in the top 20 players of all time.

Durant’s shot is his greatest weapon. Durant has been at or near the elusive “50-40-90" club of shooters (50% from the field, 40% from three point territory and 90% from the FT line) while simultaneously leading the NBA in scoring. As mark of his usage and efficiency, Durant has never averaged less than 20 points per game during his career. Durant is arguably the best shooter in today's game by any measure. Last season (2012-13), Durant became the first player in NBA history to record 20-plus made free throws in back-to-back games. He has been a relentlessly efficient scorer since his rookie year.

SOM: Russell Westbrook may be the driving force for OKC’s success.  Is there any doubt which player is the driving force for the Miami Heat?  The Miami Heat has sustained an impressive winning percentage without D. Wade in the lineup.  During those games, Lebron James elevated his game and the team experienced great success.  This year, when Westbrook was out of the Thunder’s lineup, Durant still scored, but his efficiency was not at the same level.  Is there a sports analyst in America that believed the Thunder would make any serious noise in the Playoffs without Westbrook?  What if D. Wade could not play for the Heat?  This has been the case for many games and I believe many analysts would give them a fighting chance for success because of one man—Lebron James.  Why can’t the same thing be said for Durant?

The best player on the team should be the driving force of that team and should make everyone else’s job easier.  Kevin Durant is the most talented player on his team, but the fact that he may not be the most important is a big knock against him.  Did anyone question which player was the driving force behind the Chicago Bulls’ championship runs in the 1990s?  Was there any doubt who was the most integral player during the 2000s when the Lakers won three NBA Championships in a row?  Until Durant establishes himself as the undisputed most important player on his team, he should not be compared to players like Jordan, Shaq and yes—L. James. 

CO: There is no denying Durant's scoring and shooting prowess. At 25, he already averages nearly 27 career points per game, has won NBA Rookie of the Year and has played in an NBA Finals. In spite of his wiry frame, he has led the NBA in free throws made (2009-10 to present) and has finished in the top five in NBA MVP voting and shares for five consecutive years.

However, these feats can go unnoticed playing in Oklahoma City. And while his market is a factor in diminishing his public adoration, LeBron James is the biggest factor in diminishing Durant's greatness. LeBron James is the best player in the NBA and has arguably been the best player in the NBA since the 2008-09 season, when James was already an MVP caliber player and championship contender for the Cleveland Cavaliers (sorry Kobe fans).

LeBron James has started at and has been called to defend all five positions (PG, SG, SF, PF and C) at various points in his career. His primary position is SF and his MVP reign began in 2008-09; one year before Kevin Durant became a dominant player and perennial All-Star we know today. This is unfortunate timing for Durant, who by many measures is the second best player in the NBA. For all of Durant’s scoring titles and efficiency, LeBron’s recent title accomplishments have dwafed Durant's and since LeBron's occurred in recent memory the media and fans take Durant’s accomplishments for granted.

For example, everyone knows Durant scores a lot of points; this is obvious to even causal basketball fans. From the start of his pro career, Kevin Durant was one of the most prolific scorers and has scored 8,128 points in his first four NBA seasons, which is a remarkable display of talent and consistency. However, he comes in second to LeBron James again. LeBron has scored more points through his first four NBA seasons than any other active NBA player today (8,439).

Most recently, Durant has come in second to LeBron James in MVP voting on three separate occasions. This is both an anomaly and a trend. As Durant begins to enter his prime, LeBron James stands in Durant’s path to the title and public acclaim. Unlike the LeBron vs. Kobe battles that consumed debate in the mid 2000s, Durant is only four years younger than LeBron and may endure the second place mantle for much longer before he can become both a champion and MVP.

SOM: Kevin Durant turns the ball over far too often.  Durant has averaged 3.2 turnovers per game during the course of his career.  That figure would not be as bad if he averaged more assists per game.  However, during his career, he has only averaged 3.2 assists per game.  Elite players typically have at least a 2 to 1 ratio with respect to assists to turnovers.  Durant’s ratio is not on par with other elite players and is indicative of his glaring inability to make other players around him better.  

Kevin Durant is a great scorer.  However, if he is the second best player in the World, he should perform at an elite level in more categories than just scoring.  Lebron James performs at an elite level in terms of scoring, defending and passing.  Also, he is a two time World Champion, which is further evidence of his ability to raise the level of players around him.  Michael Jordan was an elite defender and scorer.  He also possessed intangibles such as leadership, work ethic and competitive spirit that made him the best. Although not known for being a great passer, many of the biggest games of his career he made the pass to a player who hit the game winning or tying shot—he was a willing passer.  In all honesty, maybe Durant is not a first-tier all-time great type of talent.  Maybe he is a second tier guy along with guys like Tracey McGrady, Dominque Wilkins Carmelo Anthony and Reggie Miller.  Maybe he is a scoring specialist and is not worthy of being considered in the class with guys like Kobe, Jordan, Lebron and Magic.  Durant could be regarded as the best scorer the World has ever known and that is not a bad title.  Scoring comes naturally for Durant, so I am not nearly as impressed with his dominance in that area.  I would be impressed if Durant—like Lebron, Kobe and Jordan—could dominate multiple facets of the game.  Until Kevin Durant dominates a game with his passing, rebounding, or defense, he is only an elite scorer to me, and hence overrated.

CO: We, fans and critics, have now begun to take Durant’s greatness for granted. As a former UTexas star, we adulated his freshman accomplishments; Big 12 Player of the Year, Naismith and Wooden Award winner; Durant lived up to his McDonald’s All-American hype. Kevin Durant was the present and future back then. When he joined the Seattle Supersonics as a rookie, we continued to enjoy his ascent to the top ranks. Now things have begun to take a turn after LeBron finally won a title.

Since LeBron’s title shortcomings are no longer worth covering and Durant is fairly young to question his shortcomings, the trolling bandwagon of critics now seeks to insert other players in Durant’s rarified air: Paul George, Chris Paul and to a lesser degree, Derrick Rose. Critics have even sought to create drama by adding Durant’s current and former OKC teammates: Russell Westbrook and James Harden to the list of players who will make the “leap” to superstardom. Meanwhile, Durant remains the second best player in the NBA and MVP voting, and remains under the radar as the search for the next best player to LeBron becomes chic.

For now, I implore you to sit back and enjoy Durant’s greatness while we can. Let us not get caught star searching to the point we miss the ones in our midst. Kevin Durant is a rare player and we may not see another one like him again.

SOM: Basketball is a team sport.  Despite this irrefutable fact, sports fanatics love to focus on the individual components of the game.  Kevin Durant has been in the NBA for seven years, yet, he has not won an NBA title.  He has experienced great individual success along the way. All-time great players are judged—fairly or unfairly—on their ability to win titles, or at least one.  Maybe, it is not Durant’s fault that he does not have a ring, though.  He just happened to join the NBA during a time when an all-time great player was in his prime.  Does that set of facts sound familiar?  It should because Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing and John Stockton each ran into a juggernaut by the name of Michael Jordan.  Could that be the fate that awaits Kevin Durant?  It may be too early to definitively determine the answer to this question. Either way, championship rings are necessary for all-time great players nowadays. 

Durant is a great scorer, but otherwise he is overrated.

Peace