[MTG Pod] Kevin Durant openly questions guards like FVV and Reed as starter material

Would LOVE to know what KD thinks of Reed Sheppard after Training Camp.

 

Let’s not forget a few things.

Amen Thompson was picked as a project at point guard, at minimum he will be a point forward.

Let’s also not forget that Reed Sheppard is more of a shooting guard than a point guard.

Durant is right that the day of tall point guards being an anomaly are a distant past. Nowadays there are plenty of 6’5” and above point guards that have elite handles and vision.

Though one more thing to remember is that Kevin Duran does not make for the best player GM. In OKC, he tried to play GM and he failed miserably. In Golden State, they didn’t let Durant take the steering wheel, and they won with him and even after he left. In New Jersey he was back at playing GM, and they imploded. In Phoenix he once again pulled out his GM skills and that team went nowhere.

I know Durant has an idea of what wins, but so do the Rockets. And if the Rockets listen to Durant, they will be trading quality depth for a priority for Durant; though the analytics may say something completely different.

 

Reed really does rebuild Homes for Charity from Tornado. He will be accepted anywhere.
People love that guy.

 

I mean... is that deep? don't you need to do that as an NBA starter no matter how tall you are?

 

Comedy.

Amen was picked as a freak athlete wing project. He was penciled in as a PG in the bush league he played in before he was drafted.... but that's a whole lot like being a little league pitcher.... at low levels, you just put your most competent players at that spot because no one else can do it.

On top of that, you take away what he's best at if you try to force him to play PG just to say you did... it simply doesn't make sense.

Also, as to Sheppard, he's not a SG at all, he's a classic pure PG, that's his exact skillset.... and he's the size of a PG.


I'm starting to think people don't even realize what a PG is anymore.

 

Yeah, it's like saying water has to be wet.

If he said that even if a short guy could play tough defense or elite on offense, he still could not be an effective starter, then it might be something that's worth some controversy. As it is, it's just give people excuses to accuse him of dissing his own teammates.

KD is extremely sensitive to people's criticism. But he doesn't seem to be sensitive at all what kind of feelings he can stir up by what he says.

 

Given how little we gave up for him, I think it's fair to say his pull within our org(or any org at this point) is significantly less than what it was when he was acquired as a franchise cornerstone. It was a different case when he was in his prime and literally could put an entire team on his back for an entire season. He can only do that in spurts now and likely that capability will continue to decrease like it has for Lebron. Lebron can still uncork a masterful game but it's much harder for him to string together 15 such games to take a team on a run....same for Durant.

 

I think wings and forwards have more leeway in who they defend even though the league is better than ever at hunting matchups. Big guards too. Small guards typically don't have that flexibility. The center position typically has the biggest defensive responsibility of guarding the rim so they have the least leeway, IMO.

You can have guys like Jerami Grant, Bojan Bogdanovic, or Tim Hardaway Jr. have some long careers and they're not particularly special on either end, maybe even a total liability on defense. How many guards 6'0" or shorter stay in the league past 30 years old? They make up 1% of players in the entire history of the league. It's not like the population is lacking in shorter athletes, so why is it harder for them to make the league? They're not inherently less skilled, they're just at a disadvantage.

 

FVV says you whiny crybabies need to fall back.

 

Sure, but the thing is that's still not deep. Being short just makes being effective more difficult for obvious reasons in basketball. This isn't anything new, as KD is implying. You have to be good at basketball to be an NBA starter, and being short makes it harder to be good at basketball, so shorter guards' tolerances for weaknesses is lower.

 

think he basicly saying probably not ideal to wait for clock to go down to look for your 3&D guy to bail you out when the clock is about to expire.

 

His statement is extreme but somewhat true and not earth shattering. A guard under 6'3 with skinny physic that isn't instant offense or can't shoot threes around 40% don't have a place in NBA long term. I can't think of an example of a solid guy maybe just some decent backups like TJ. Chris Paul is thick and solid defender, Brunson is instant offense, steph shoots lights out. Only one is maybe Trae Young but to me he is instant offense. There has definitely been some early pick flame outs that fit the profile like sebatian Telfare, Brandon Jenkins, Mudiay. I am guessing Fears is next

 

He's literally dont nothing. 3 inches taller or not. Hopefully that changes.

 

Van Vleet can easily be elite under the right circumstances. Stop complaining and be grateful.