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Can Kevin Durant Surpass Lebron?

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by rocketblaze, Apr 23, 2010.

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Do you agree with Kenny Smith?

  1. Agree

    86 vote(s)
    39.3%
  2. Disagree

    133 vote(s)
    60.7%
  1. VBG

    VBG Member

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    What? Tracy McGrady and LeBron James were/are still capable of scoring just as much as KD while assuming playmaking responsibilities as well.

    How can you hold their play making still against them?

    KD has to match Lebron's play making because his scoring is not that much higher than Lebrons
     
  2. fallenphoenix

    fallenphoenix Member

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    KD is nowhere near the defensive player Lebron is either.
     
  3. Tiger23

    Tiger23 Member

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    i think Durant can be a more clutch player.. but overall im not so sure

    lebron wishes he was the type of effortless scorer the way Durant is tho

    I value clutch (Durant) FAR more than I do a flashy hot-dog front-runner who chokes and cant hit a free throw or a jumper in the last minute of the game (Lebrick oops imean Lebron)
     
  4. Tiger23

    Tiger23 Member

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    not yet but he has the capability.. u have to understand that Lebron was known to not have good defense when he was 21 also

    KD showed that potential the other nite when he shut down Kobe in the fourth while scoring like 12 pts or more at the same time carrying his team to victory

    hes only 21 yrs old hes and hes almost reached his prime on offense, give him a couple more yrs and he'll be scary good on defense
     
  5. Steve_Francis_rules

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    Is the question 'will Kevin Durant ever be better than Lebron'? Or is it 'will Kevin Durant at his peak be better than Lebron at his peak'?

    I think these are two very different questions. The answer to the first question is yes, I think. Kevin Durant is younger, so he will still be close to his prime when Lebron starts to decline. But the second question is much harder to answer, although I lean towards saying no because Lebron's passing ability makes him a more complete player.
     
  6. bullardfan

    bullardfan なんでやねん

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    i disagree. court vision can be learned. being 6'9 n jumping outta the building however... that is a gift.

    playmaking comes with learning ur teammates n knowing where certain types of players tend to be. nobody has eyes on the back of their heads. u get quicker at scanning and remembering where ppl r. this can b learned in about 3 years. so i think kd can overtake lbj's position.

    it isnt based so much on his raw ability but more on his work ethic. the guy is fanatical about basketball n improving. much like kobe. he has the ability to become a 6'10 or 6'11 kobe with wat.. a 7'5 wingspan? i think lbj will prolly win 3 championships in his career and injuries will have a huge effect on his game. durant doesnt rely on his athleticism so much. it looks weird that a guy so tall doesnt dunk as much but it will keep the tread on his tires longer.
    and anyone who says lbj will b trying to avg triple doubles... well, who's to say kd won't? it all depends ultimately on who their teammates and coach and front offices are though. lebron would have a ring by now if he wasnt playing under crappy mike brown.
     
  7. HOUSTONROCKETS5

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    When I look at Durant I see him as the ultimate offensive and defensive player... I could totally see him get the Scoring title and the Defensive Player of the Year in the same year.

    First start of on defense, the other night against the Kobe was the first time I've ever seen Durant use his freakish length, to play defense. He was not only able to stay in front of Kobe given his lateral quickness, but was able to contest every shot and even block one of Kobe's shots! "If" Kevin can put on more strength without losing quickness ala KG, he will literally be able to defend every position on the court!!

    Switching over to the offensive end this guy can be truly be something special, this guy won the scoring title without even having his offensive game fully developed. Durant is currently mostly a shooter, but standing at 6'10 and with freakish 7'5 wingspan, this guys can have a legitimate post game, where he can even post up 7'footers and have success. While at the same time refining his offensive perimeter game to attack the basket more. if I had to put a percentage on his development, I would say 45% of his offensive game has been developed so far, which is scary thing to think about!

    Durant Passing ability has been underrated given that he has a legitimate PG with passing ability in Westbrook, so he may never have the assist numbers of Lebron. However Durant's scoring, rebounding, and steals will surpass Lebron's IMO

    All in all I really do think In 3 yrs KD's amazing talent will surpass Lebron's diclining athleticism(at the time) and make him the best player in the NBA...
     
  8. Air Langhi

    Air Langhi Contributing Member

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    Lebron almost single handily took a team to the finals.
     
  9. Jontro

    Jontro Member

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    LerBon will be 29 in 3 years and KD 24. Unfortunately for KD, LerBon won't start declining until he's 34-35. The guy is special freak.

    I think LerBon will improve so much so that when his athleticism starts to give out a bit, he'd have so many other weapons he can use to cover his deficiencies. I hope I'm wrong though, me no likey LerBon.
     
  10. Shaud

    Shaud Member

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    I didn't know LeBron James could get this underrated.
     
  11. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    CAN KD surpass LeBron in a few years? Yes

    WILL he surpass LeBron in a few years? Doubtful

    One of these days I might stop underestimating him, but KD's improvement since he joined the NBA is nothing short of phenomenal. From 20 to 25 to 30 pts/game his first 3 years. From being an undisciplined chucker as a rookie (because of no coaching) to becoming an MVP candidate his 3rd year. And he's still only 21 years-old. He is totally dedicated to basketball and improving himself and that is unlikely to change.

    How good will KD become? I don't know, but it will be fun watching.
     
  12. flamingdts

    flamingdts Member

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    Why do people think court vision can't be developed?

    McGrady was never known as a playmaker until his last few seasons in Houston, and he was considered one of the top passing swingman in the league.

    Durant, unlike Brooks, has the height advantage. He doesn't need the natural "know where your players are" ability which the likes of Nash and Paul posesses. His height will enable him to look over any defender.
     
  13. professorjay

    professorjay Member

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    I certainly get that. It's possible. I guess that's where I differ in opinion with others...I don't think there will be a big gap between KD and LBJ offensively in 3 years. So it's up to KD to match LBJ in all the other categories, play making being the biggest gap. It's no knock on him. He's a great player and will be one the biggest stars for years. Obviously it's all just my guess and only time will tell.

    LOL. People have been saying Lebron is overrated his whole career. Just look around the NBA Dish here, even this season. They said he didn't prove anything, hasn't accomplished everything at the same point where KD is now. And yet here we are and everyone is in a hurry to anoint KD the better player. Kind of ironic how they are judged.
     
  14. juicystream

    juicystream Member

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    He could, but I doubt it.
     
  15. leebigez

    leebigez Member

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    Durant is no different than carmello. Thats not a bad thing, but lebron is magic and jordan mixed. He dominates the game from all angles. He can score, get players involved, rebound,defend and everything you want. Put lebron in ok city and they win more games than they did. Put durant in cleveland and they barely win 50 games if that. Thats not a knock, but lebron in once in a lifetime and is going nowhere anytime soon.
     
  16. Tiger23

    Tiger23 Member

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    why the hell he has to win championships to be considered better than lebrick, imean lebron?

    how many championships does lebron have? o yea, ZERO

    u have no idea wat ur talking about
     
  17. Steve_Francis_rules

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    Why do you always refer to James as "LerBon"? Is that supposed to be some kind of insult, or do you think it's clever?

    Lebrick? What an appropriate name for one of the most efficient scorers in the entire league. :rolleyes:
    Lebron was 26th in the league in field goal percentage this year and only three of the other fifteen 20+ PPG scorers shot better than 50%.
     
  18. Shaud

    Shaud Member

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    I'm not so sure about that. It's not like Oklahoma City is some type of juggernaut outside of Durant.
     
  19. conundrum

    conundrum Rookie

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    durant won his 50 games in the west, what makes you think if you put him in the east against lesser competition he couldnt win 50 games

    anyways, durant can be a mix of offensively carmelo and dirk, and throw in the defense of someone like garnett and you have one hell of a player

    like someone said durant scores effortlessly, while lebron has to pound the rock through the paint to get a high percentage shot...

    dont know if durant can surpass lebron, but he has all the tools, no he does not have lebrons vision but that does not make u a supreme player. you can be better than someone in other facets of the game and be a better overall player.

    thats cute lebron said he could win the scoring title every year if he wanted, well what about winning the nba title every year? he cant do that...
     
  20. MrAwe

    MrAwe Member

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    Durant is an awesome player and arguably a top 5 in the league right now, but all the hype has made him overrated.

    He hits big shots at a tremendous percentage but offense is only half the game. Durant does not have the physique to be a top defensive player unless he puts on more muscle.

    Lebron on the other hand has the body to be a top defensive player and also a top offensive player.

    Sure Durant will probably be a better scorer than Lebron in 3 years but unless he improves his defense the same way he did to his offense, I don't see him being the best player in the league.
     

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