KD was a much better player this year than his rookie season -- it's like day and night. I expect to see similiar improvements from Derrick Rose next season. It's unfair to compare these two at this point. A few years down the road we'll get a better picture. Both of these guys will be top 10 players in the league down the road. I would take either as my franchise player.
Kevan Durant, absolutely no doubt. He's long (I see a future Tayshaun Prince type defender. He's tall. Its hard for any individual defender to guard him. He can shoot the lights out. No one can block his shot and hell even Battier would have problems getting a hand in his face. As he gets stronger and adds weight to his frame, he and Lebron will be battling for scoring titles and if Westbrook, Green, and future draft picks develop, championships for years to come.
Great post! I wonder how many people here that were calling KD a "joke" last season would say that now.
Well he said freak of nature for a PG. So please find 10 PG more physically gifted than Rose. Hell find me 1 PG more physically gifted than Rose.
The only guy in his class is Westbrook, but his skill level is so far below Rose's that it isn't worth discussing. If Westbrook can break his mold and properly learn the PG position, he could be an All-Star.
I said players. Obviously there aren't 10 PG more physically gifted than Rose. My point is that Rose is not that physically gifted. He may turn out out to be a top 3 point guard, but Durant can turn into one of the top three offensive players period regardless of position. Here are my players that are as or more physically gifted than Rose. I'm only counting players that are the primary ball handlers for their team. Lebron James Dwyane Wade Kobe Bryant Deron Williams Chris Paul Joe Johnson Tmac (pre injury of course) Andre Iguodala
CP and D-Will aren't nearly as physical gifted as Rose. JJ is below him. Tracy McCripple is irrelevant. LeBron, Wade & Kobe are the only 3 that are clearly more gifted. AI is about equal. Try again. Saying Rose is not that physically gifted is crazy.
KD any day and let me tell you why....I'm not saying Rose isn't a great player but he plays worse defense then Steve Nash.
He's a rookie, is humble and is willing to work on his weaknesses. His defense will improve over time. Most rookie PGs are poor defenders and get schooled their first year.
I never said Rose wasn't physically gifted. I think he will be a perennial all-star. What I said was that he is not a freak of nature especially compared to Durant. Durant is a once in a generation physical specimen. He is like McGrady who is also freakish in his proportions except Durant is taller, has longer arms, and has a better shooting touch. Durant can get off his shot against anyone and will continue to do so even when he loses his athleticism. I think CP and Dwill are both as physically gifted as Rose because one is rediculously fast and the other is rediculously strong.
I guess you didn't post this in #71 above: I quoted it exactly as you said it here. D-Will is strong but to say he's "ridiculously" strong is a stretch. CP is crazy fast, but Rose is almost as fast, he much bigger hops and is much stronger than CP. Athletically, speed is the only thing that sets CP apart. Physically, Rose is in another class than either CP or D-Will.
You have to put this into context. We are comparing Rose to Durant. Durant is a freak of nature and is as unique physically as any player that has ever played in the NBA. Rose is athletic but is comparable to every other good wing in the league. I watched Rose a lot this season, and there was never a point where I thought to myself "Holy crap, how the heck did he do that?" We just have to disagree on Dwill. I think physically he is as tough of a matchup as Rose. The guy can post up almost anyone covering him.
You are probably in a class by yourself. I watched him a lot too. D-Will is a physical PG, which makes him a very tough matchup. Nobody would dispute that. But your statement he is "ridiculously" strong is a ridiculous exaggeration IMO. But it's all opinion. You might be right and I might be wrong or v.v.
Is Westbrook really that far from Rose? I always thought that he was a more confident (which could be a bad thing) Rose with better D. People saying Durant as their pick... anyone realize that there really hasn't been a scorer-only who led a team to the championships??
