Kevin Durant is one of my favorite young players in the NBA and I’ve got to give him the Czar Star salute going into the All-Star break. The first half of the season that the third-year pro has put together is nothing short of remarkable. His scoring has improved each month. His 29.69 ppg average nearly ties that of the league’s leading scorer Carmelo Anthony. He’s had four 40+ point sprees and twenty-eight 30+ efforts so far this season. And he’s only 21 years old.
Points come easily to Durant – they come in the flow of the game. He doesn’t throw his team out of balance to get his numbers. In fact among recent big-number guys he’s one of the most efficient scorers I’ve seen at this stage in his career. He went for 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Golden State on Sunday. In that game he shot 76.2% from the floor and 100% from the line – incredible.
When you compare Durant’s numbers to those of Jordan, Kobe and LeBron at the same juctures, he’s right there. Jordan averaged 37.1 points in his third year. LeBron averaged 31.4 points for the Cavs and Kobe, albeit under different team circumstances, didn’t get to 30 until his seventh year with the Lakers. Durant is actually out in front of the pack in field goal, three-point and free throw percentages. And the Thunder’s leading rebounder is beating them on the boards too with an average of 7.3 rebounds per game. What we’re seeing here is the development of a once-in-a-generation player – a superstar.
Perhaps more impressive than his productivity, Durant is actually leading his team to wins. He’s displaying a strong desire to win on the court and he’s an inspiring teammate. I’ve had the opportunity to see the Thunder a few times this year and they’re a tight-knit team that enjoys playing together. They’re having fun on the court and are developing a chemistry that is a key to winning. Led by their superstar, in just one season they’ve gone from having one of the poorest records in the league to being a legitimate playoff contender in the tough Western Conference. And they’ll grow into a perennial power in the league. Fans in OKC have a lot to be excited about.
couldn’t agree more. he’s the most modest superstar there is, but is just as good as those who get all the attention. just watch though, the thunder are on the rise and he is gonna start beating the cavs, lakers and celtics eventually… theyre just too fast and aggressive on both ends and just need a solid big man to contend… that is what has killed them. give them another year or two and it will get real…
I agree with the praise given to kevin durant by mike. He is playing better than kobe and every other player in the nba except lebron. He is a superstar whoever disagrees is seriously blindsight by the fact that he is only on a good team not a great team. He will become one of the greats of the game due to his size and quickness he is a very tough matchup. The one thing that makes him special is his attitude towards training which is similiar to Jordan. He will be the MVP of the 10-11 season.