Kevin Durant Birthdate: 9/30/88 NBA Position: Small Forward College: Texas Class: HS Senior Ht: 6-10 Wt: 190 Hometown: Suitland, MD High School: Montrose Christian 2005 Stats NBA Comparison: Tracy McGrady Strengths: His upside is out of this world ... This kid is not even begining to scratch the surface of his potential ... Looking at him you see his frame is going to fill out in 3-4 years ... Very fluid athlete with explosiveness ... He plays hard and is still learning the game ... Provided he works hard, Durant is going to be a special player in the league who will be able to do many different things on the court ... Not aggressive enough to be like KG, but skilled enough down the road to contribute like a AK47 or a Grant Hill... Developing inside outside game ... Can shoot the 3 and flush in transition ... It is scary to think of what he could be like if he puts on 15 lbs of muscle and developed a handle, a 2010 version of KG! Weaknesses: His (lack of) stength is his major weakness, and he really needs to put on weight or he wont be able to do much in the NBA except shoot deep 3s or score in transition like Darius Miles of 4 years ago ... Needs to become more aggresive, develop more nastiness ... Still developing a game off the dribble ... Defensively he needs to move his feet better and keep his hands active on the ball ... Oak Hill is giving him the work ethic he will need in the long run, since he most likely wont be going to college ... -Aran Smith 12/27/04 NBADraft.net has him projected to be the #2 overall pick in the 2007 draft, being taken right after Oden. Has anybody here actually seen this kid play? I don't remember him from the McDonald's All-American game so i'm a bit curious as to what everyone thinks. My first reaction was, "WTF a 6'10" 190 pound forward?" I realize he's extremely young and his body will likely fill out more and that this scouting report is from December of 2004, so i'm interested in hearing more.
??? Did you watch the game? He was co-MVP in the McDonald's game, scoring 25 points. Durant is going to be an absolute monster. That review is from his junior year. He has a very impressive handle for a guy 6-10; he's not McGrady, but I'd say it's very comparable to Garnett, maybe even a tad better. I think he's up to 205 or so right now. I think the Darius Miles comparison is an interesting. Body wise, he's very similar, and he's a pretty special athlete (I'd say Miles is a bit better). But, their games diverge big time when it comes to shooting. Durant is just a flat out sweet shooter with a ton of range. After seeing him in the McD's game, highlight clips, and the Montrose Christian-Oak Hill game, I see him as something of a cross between Rashard Lewis and Darius Miles, which certainly is a good thing.
I only watched about the first ten minutes or so of the game. Basically up until the point Oden hurt his wrist and for whatever reason didn't really notice Durant. I appreciate the input though.
Good post by Nikestrad. I'm really excited about Durant. A 6-10 player that has the handles of a PG and can shoot from anywhere on the court. He runs the floor extremely well and can finish strong. With his length, I don't see a lot of college players that can run around with him and contest his shot a lot. He obviously needs to add some muscle but the kid is only 17!! His defense was mediocre at best in the McD's game, his man got past him pretty easily. As far as the TMac comparison, I'm not sure about that. I would say he is closer to Odom that can shoot like Peja.
Actually, Oden had already sprained his wrist; in-game it was a "tweak." Like gucci and Nike have said, sweet shooter. I don't like the KG comparison at all because he is athletic, but doesn't seem to have the defensive intensity KG has. I'd probably say he's Rashard Lewis right now; add a little muscle, he could probably become a better shooting Lamar. But he is a stud right now without a doubt.
He turns 19 in 2007 (which would be his draft year if he declared), so he doesn't have to stay for two years.
it's not an either/or for american players, it's both 19 and one year removed from high school ... it's why OJ Mayo still has to go to college (or prep school) even though he'll be 20 when his freshman season (2007) starts ... yeah Mayo is a year older than Durant. and if you're not 19 on draft day you have to turn 19 sometime that year.
