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Kevin Durant
Lost among the chaos that resulted from Metta World Peace's violent elbow of James Harden was the fact Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are neck-and-neck for the scoring title -- they're within four hundredths of a point of one another with only three games left between the two of them. To put it lightly, this is pretty important to (at the very least) Kobe, and we can't imagine that he'll go at anything less than 100 percent in his last game against the Kings. That being said, Durant may be more concerned about Harden's availability, as he's day-to-day with a concussion from World Peace's strike.
Who ends up on top?
The difference between Bryant and Durant's scoring averages this season is so slim that it could come down to a thousandth of a point.
Last shot?
Bryant has been the go-to gunner at the end of games for a number of years, but the younger Durant could take that crown from him this year.
Championship threats?
The Lakers beat the Thunder in their latest matchup, but it's anyone's guess as to how a theoretical playoff series would play out.
The Heat and Thunder are set to square off in Miami on Wednesday, and it's tough to imagine a bigger marquee matchup in the NBA this season. Kevin Durant and LeBron James are 1 and 1-A in the MVP consideration (we're not saying which is which -- we'll leave that up to you), and the Heat and Thunder have been seen as favorites to meet up for the title since at least midseason. The Bulls could put a halt to those plans, but they're not playing the Thunder Wednesday, are they?
Championship preview?
It'll be awful tough to stop LeBron James or Kevin Durant if either really turns it on in the playoffs.
MVP race?
James' MVP qualifications diminished slightly when the Heat hit a rough patch recently, and Durant has been making his case much stronger in the interim.
Future champs?
Neither James nor Durant has won a championship yet, and it's a sure thing that they'll need to acquire a couple rings before being put in the greatest of all time discussion.
What if Oden gets healthy?
You have to feel for Greg Oden -- the guy just can't stay healthy. He hasn't played since 2009, and his latest surgery has turned into a third microfracture procedure that seems like it'll just delay his career further.
Turn back the clock?
The decision to take Greg Oden over Kevin Durant has turned into a big regreat for the Trail Blazers, given Oden's extensive injury history. He was a highly touted pick, however, and if he had never gotten injured, do you see him potentially having been better than Durant over the past five years?
If we're going to have an NBA lockout (and it's looking increasingly more likely that it's going to happen), we might as well have NBA players taking part in pickup games, streetball matches and exhibitions on a semi-regular basis. Then, we'll get things such as last night's matchup between Carmelo Anthony's all-stars, which included Chris Paul and LeBron James, and Kevin Durant's team. Durant dropped 59 points in a losing effort, while the other stars put on a less-prolific but still impressive show. Durant and LeBron went head-to-head for much of the night, and given that they have a good chance to be battling it out for the MVP award each year for a good long while, the matchup raised a bunch of interesting questions.
- "Durant is just more skillled and polished. he shoots it better, he scores it better, he handles it better. bron is stronger and more physical. he is the better passer, defender and he has a higher basketball IQ. espns love affair with lebron would promote him as the better player. i think otherwise. give me durant. " -- SN commenter twentyanite
- "Hmmm... so LeBron teams up with two other stars so they can carry him to victory. Big surprise." -- SN commenter chadridgeway
Better scorer?
Durant scored 59 points in his exhibition effort, despite being matched one-on-one with LeBron. Durant has averaged more points than LeBron over the past two seasons ...
Better team player?
... but LeBron has the edge in things like assists and rebounds. LeBron's teammates may be bigger names, but are his stats the result of a better sense of team play?
More championships?
Both players are at the top of their games and nearing the prime of their careers. They'll eventually be judged on their championship totals as well as their individual merits.
There might not be an NBA season this year, but if that means we get to see NBA players dropping in on streetball and pickup games and putting on a show, we won't be that upset. Imagine you're playing in a summer league, minding your own business, and then all of a sudden, Kobe Bryant shows up and drops 43 points on you. You think that might make your night? This doesn't happen nearly often enough in the other major sports, which is a big point in basketball's favor.
It's not Turkey or China, but Kevin Durant took his game outside the normal NBA sphere by literally taking it outside, scoring 66 points in the Entertainers Basketball Classic at Rucker Park earlier this week. Cynics will no doubt ask how many points the guy he was guarding scored, but it beats talking about labor negotiations, right?
- "Let me get this straight -- he scored 66 points at a community park outside in Harlem where he shot jumpers and this is news? Hmmmmmmm, ok. Can someone PLEASE tell me how New York is the epicenter of basketball when it was invented in Mass. and the Knicks last won a championship 40 years ago?" -- SN commenter AZdude274
- "'What's the big deal?' Hmm, let's see, the NBA is locked out, basketball news is definitely slow right now, and this was a pretty classy gesture by Durant (as usual) to go out and interact with the basketball community." -- Lakers 1-2-3-Ring
What if they just showed up?
Durant's appearance didn't come in a pure pickup game, but would seeing him walk into an open gym for a game trump Sidney Crosby interrupting your game of shinny on the pond?
Who makes the best points?
LeBron James topped Durant when ESPN.com's 5-on-5 series debated the best small forwards, but what about the role of scorer? If we're talking points on the board, is Durant No. 1?
Don't quit your day job?
Rucker Park in Harlem is one of the more famous runs in basketball. Assuming Durant and his NBA peers weren't around, could you hold your own?
Better than Durant's 66 points?
A day after Rucker, John Lucas III scored 60 points in a 146-143 loss against Durant's team, prompting Durant to say, "The way he played was unbelievable." Lucas played just two games for the Bulls last season, but does this performance boost his stock?
- Vote: Is Kevin Durant a better teammate than LeBron James?
- Rank 'Em: Kobe, LeBron, Durant or someone else? Who are the NBA's best players?
- Rank 'Em: Did Russell Westbrook help his PG stock? | Which players for London?
LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. Kevin Durant took his to Turkey. Advantage, Durant?
Both guys may be chasing Kobe Bryant until they pick up a few rings of their own, but in the aftermath of Durant's virtuoso performance for Team USA and James' tumultuous offseason, is it possible the upper reaches of the NBA pecking order needs some updating? Durant led the league in scoring last season and picked up popularity points with how he handled his contract extension over the summer. And while James had a lot of help when he won a gold medal in the Olympics, Durant had, well, Andre Iguodala and Kevin Love.
Then again, strange as it sounds for a guy just 25 years old, James does have more of an NBA body of work to rely on in the debate.
So did Durant come back from Turkey with a gold medal and the unofficial title of best player without a ring?
“Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA.
” -- Guessworks0492
“Please don't compare KD to Sidekick. KD wants the challenge of leading OKC. He didn't sign a 3 year deal like his BFF's did so they could all join up wieh they failed again. He signed a long term deal so other free agents no he is going to be in OKC, unlike Sidekick.
” -- ACandOJ
“Here We go again ... who cares. think what you think ... lebron has the best numbers, numbers don't and can't lie
” -- rambomoore9
- Rank 'Em: Who are the best players and weakest links for Team USA?
- Vote: Will Team USA win gold in the FIBA World Championship?
- Quiz: How quickly can you name all 12 players on the roster?
It wasn't so long ago that Rajon Rondo was on top of the world. Now he's missing the worlds. His Celtics came up just short against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, but Rondo's overall playoff excellence helped land him at No. 4 when more than 10,000 SportsNation judges ranked the NBA's best point guards in July. And considering the three guys ahead of him -- Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Steve Nash -- either elected not to play for Team USA this summer or weren't eligible by virtue of their general "Canadian-ness", he seemed like a lock to be one of the stars of the show.
The catch, of course, is that as the United States beat Greece on Wednesday in its final exhibition, Rondo wasn't even there. Rondo withdrew from the team Tuesday, shortly after he himself admitted he was on the bubble to make the final cut. So did Rondo realize his game wasn't the best fit for the international game and graciously save Team USA the trouble of cutting a player? Or did he quit to save himself the embarrassment of being cut?
“There was no need for him, everything he can do Rose can do as well, plus Rose even hit the clutch free throws (last weekend against Spain). Sure Rondo is a better defender, but he is a gambler defensively and we don't have the bigs like KG and Perkins to cover for his mistakes when his steal attempts fail. Rondo is always timid at crunch time b/c he is afraid of shooting clutch free throws.
” -- doomgunner
“I think Rondo just didn't like being benched. I mean, he has been a starter for years now. Some guys cannot handle going from playing all the time to not even logging in 1 minute, I think it's a shame. I still don't think he should have quit though.
” -- Vampire_Face
“Rondo knew he wasn't the best fit for international play and has a few other things to do, so he bowed out and spared the coach the heat of making the cut. This is a team of hungry players, and he's not one of the hungriest. Billups is already there to provide the wily veteran presence. It was just a rational decision. I guess being rational is too weird to understand anymore.
” -- The Pragmaticist
“Coach K is overrated. and Colangelo can't be trusted. Both are snakes, Rajon gave them a way out. I hope they appreciated it. A DNP? You've got to be kidding me.
” -- zeppyled
- Vote: Which players should make the final cut for Team USA?
- Vote: How would the Lakers fare against Europe's best team?
It seems unlikely the newest incarnation of Team USA will produce any NBA free-agent madness on par with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh hatching plans for a takeover. That is, unless you get worked up about the idea of Tyson Chandler and Eric Gordon joining forces with Danny Granger.
It's not quite the 1998 team of CBA rejects and European-based nobodies that somehow won bronze in place of NBA players otherwise occupied with a labor dispute, but the American side Mike Krzyzewski will lead in the FIBA World Championship doesn't look like dream material. We've got Kevin Durant, which might be enough all on its own, but Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade are among the high-profile players sitting out this round of international play.
With O.J. Mayo, Tyreke Evans, Gerald Wallace and JaVale McGee out of the picture, what would your final 12 look like out of the 15 remaining candidates?
- Guards: Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, Eric Gordon, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook
- Wingmen: Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, Andre Iguodala
- Big men: Tyson Chandler, Jeff Green, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom
“Wow, this is the first time I have seen the full roster and I have to say it is very lackluster. Who came up with this list of players? I wont be surprised if this team fails to capture anything.
” -- atlbravefalconsince1986
“Everybody please relax. Coach K knows what he is doing. It is unfortunate that we do not have anyone better at Center than Brook Lopez and Tyson Chandler. Why isn't D. Howard playing? If I were Coach K I would cut Granger, Westbrook, and Green. I would cut Chandler too if I had my druthers, but we can't enter play with only one center.
” -- KinKeezie
- Vote: Is Kevin Durant a better clutch shooter than LeBron James?
- Rank 'Em: Do you rank LeBron James ahead of Kevin Durant in NBA pecking order?
For a guy with more than 200,000 Twitter followers, Kevin Durant seems decidedly old school.
Rather than make his own free-agent splash next summer, Durant quietly announced (via Twitter, of course) he had signed an extension with the small-market Oklahoma City Thunder -- and then seemed surprised people praised him for not making it into a spectacle. And as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh baffled old-school icons like Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley by working out a way to play together instead of beat each other, the 21-year-old Durant echoed the previous generation's sentiments when he wondered (via Twitter, of course) what happened to wanting to beat the best?
We've already seen that Durant has higher favorability ratings among fans than LeBron, Dwyane Wade or Dwight Howard, so is it possible that all this offseason has really done is cement Durant's place as the future face of the NBA?
“Durant > LeBron. MJ passed the torch to Kobe, and Kobe will pass it to Durant, skipping LePippen and rightfully so.
” -- xrobologyx
“I love Kevin Durant, but, really, the Oklahoma City Thunder are almost neck-to-neck with the San Antonio Spurs in terms of best-run organizations in the league. It's easy for him to say, "I want to be in OKC my entire career." Would LeBron be fleeing if Jim Paxson and Danny Ferry were as visionary as Sam Presti?
” -- thechendaddy
“durant is a top 5 player, and he'll probably be the best in a year or 2 with wade being 30+, kobe being 32+ and he is definitely better than LBJ.i hope durant wins many nba titles not only because he is a great athlete but he is also very humble and down to earth. i hope to see him in the finals ina year or 2, as Drose vs Durant will be epic
” -- gocubsbears
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