Well the problem here is there are several ways to dominate a game: *by being the go-to scorer *by being the all-around player on the court MJ glorified the "go-to scorer" role but the fact of the matter is the all-around player is just as important if not more important. Teams with all-around players like DH, LBJ and KG have achieved significant post-season success. However guys like Kobe, Dwade, Durant can't win playoff series by themselves. Most of the time they can't even reach the playoffs, and in the best case scenario they flame out in the 2nd round (Kobe with Odom, Dwade by himself, Pierce, Allen and Rondo). Look, being the guy who can make the shot at end of games is important, but IMHO its not that important from the dude who'll grab 8 rebs, get 15 assists and score 23 pts on 48% FG. If you poll people on the Celts 90% of them will say KG is their best player, even if Pierce and Allen are the clutch go-to guys.
Kevin Durant Playoffs 2010 25.0 Points 7.7 Rebounts 2.2 Assits 0.350 FG% 0.286 3p% 0.5 Steals 1.1 Blocks 2.7 TO Reg Season 30.1 Points 7.6 Rebounts 2.8 Assits 0.476 FG% 0.286 3p% 0.5 Steals 1.3 Blocks 3.3 TO Lebron Playoffs 29.1 Points 9.2 Rebounds 8.2 Assits 0.502 FG% 0.400 3p% 1.7 Steals 1.8 Blocks 3.8 TO's Reg Season 29.7 Points 7.3 Rebounds 8.6 Assits 0.503 FG% 0.329 3p% 1.6 Steal 1.0 Blocks 3.4 TO's I think that says it all really. Anyone who watches the NBA knows Lebron is a better scorer, defender and playmaker then Durant, simple as that. Just look how Lebron stoped Peirce in the finals, and see how much trouble the Lakers had against Perice, to release how good of a defensive player he is.
I think this question comes down to who would I rather build my team around, KD or LBJ. The answer for me really isn't much of a question. Playoffs are all about mismatches. The Lakers winning the last 2 championships have demonstrated this. Even though having arguably the best player in the game on the team, the strength that really gave the lakers the edge was Pau Gasol playing the 4. two 7' players on the court can really be tough to adjust to, and having 6'10 lamar odom come off the bench can really confuse things, given that he is more of a 3 than a 4 on most teams. Having Kevin Durant on my team is a dream because of how many other types of players I could put around him. Building a team with LBJ to win a championship, you must have a very specific type of role player to make a contending team. for instance, you can't have a slow post player, you can't have a big man that can't shoot from the outside. Having a point guard the couldn't shoot would hurt the team (Rondo, Westbrook, Rose). Kevin Durant is a multi-dimensional player, and depending on the team that was build around him, I think he could be a much better player then Lebron ever could be, simply because of the way KD could play off the ball much better, and has a better jump shot that is nearly impossible to block. Once Kevin Durant and LBJ age, KD will still be near his peak and LBJ will have long since declined. The list of reasons could go on and on, that being said, I have to pick KD.
I will take lbj over any player in the league right now and probably in the next 5 years too. He ominates the court with his floor game and durant dominates the game with his scoring. The difference is when lbj wants to dominate scoring wise, he can do that too. Durant is kinda like carmello in a sense that he's a natural scorer. What i really like about his setup is brooks kinda uses him like reggie miller. He gets to score effeciently and they don't just give him the ball and get out the way. Thats what i think has been the problem of mike brown when he coached james. His talent was so great, he thought the best idea was to just give him the ball and move. Thats why kobe has been so good for so long. He hasn't had to wear himself out during the entire game because the triangle helps the other players get shots.
I will take Durant, while Lebron uses his physicality to dominate games, he can be controlled by closing off the paint, and forcing him to take jumpers. Which is why his teams continually fell short. Durant can score from anywhere, and is good everywhere else. Not to mention Durant doesn't seem to worry about his image as much as Lebron and Maverick do, give me a guy who lives and breathes basketball over one who lives and breathes celebrity every day of the week. DD
I would start my franchise with LBJ. How many games did the cavs win last year? Plus, Lebron has already carried a mediocre team to the finals.
Yes period. His assist and rebounds number will go up, belive me and he is much better shooter than LeBron is. Right now LeBron is a better defender but I'd still give Durant an edge.
LeBron James is a better player than Durant and I think he will be in the future too. It's mind boggling that people actually think Durant is the better player right now. I like Durant and he is a great player but goodness people are starting to overrate him a tad bit if they think he is better than LeBron right now. If LeBron was more humble I guarantee the poll would be much different.
If the two swapped teams last year, I still don't see Durant having more than 4 apg and James would still have 7+. But that's my opinion of them. Folks are clamoring about Anthony being a ballhog, and his apg are right in line with Durant. Comparison numbers for Dream in his prime 4 year stretch had 3.5 apg as a center. Malone for his career had 3.5, and in his best years had over 4. Dirk Nowitzki is usually a 3 apg guy Granger is now a 2.8 apg guy I like Durant a lot, I'm not hating him or calling him selfish, anything like that. Clearly his assist numbers stand up againt others well. Just splitting hairs in a thread about splitting hairs. They're the two best in the game today, easily.
exactly, i don't see how people don't get this. when the playoffs roll around, controlling lebron becomes fairly easy. i mean two years ago, he was barely able to shatter the playoff PER record. and last year, 27/9/7 and shutting down paul pierce? get some diversity to your game lebron and stop being so easy to control!! again, no doubt about it. it was almost comical watching artest and the lakers try to guard durant last year. driving, low post, mid-range, 3 pointers, they couldn't stop him from anywhere. he flew past 33% shooting and just really gave the lakers no hope as his team did not fall short and eliminated the lakers from the playoffs. this is a key point as well, given the new "caring about image" deduction teams now take at the beginning of every game. miami is really going to be screwed by that rule change this year.
Durant has constructed his entire image on being the anti-LeBron this summer. Not saying it is fake or not but people pretending that they know him are just naive. Durant has not been better than LeBron statistically or in the w/l column to this point and there is no reason to think that will change because of a 1 hour special. I like Durant and can't wait to see him and Lebron in a playoff series but if he better get big because at this point LeBron is a better defender than Artestand you can't rest on defense against LeBron.
i don't think durant is fake (like kobe was before the rape incident and he changed his entire persona). but durant definitely is capitalizing on the lebron's bad PR this entire summer. he is considered the best player now despite having one of the worst playoff series for a "superstar" in recent memories. he literally got shut down by artest with relative ease.
This says nothing. First off, the cavs have had a good enough team to breeze through the vastly inferior Eastern Conference. Secondly, who has guarded Lebron in his easy playoff series'? Durant has only played 6 games, not a big enough sample size to prove anything. Also, he had Kobe and Artest gaurding him. No big deal, just a couple of all NBA 1st defensive teamers. not to mention a Defensive player of the year....Try to name me one player who has guarded Lebron in his playoff career that was even on an all defensive team??? You cant. Lebron is by far the most overated defensive player in the league. I live in ohio and all my roomates are cavs fans, so I have watched about 70 cavs games a year over the past 3 years. The fact that he has been on an all nba 1st defensive team is a travesty. All he does is gamble and get "highlight" defensive plays. If he is ever in a situation where he is spread out and forced to play one on one he cant do it. I have seen him been abused on the defensive end time and time again. But since he gets his "chase down" blocks, which 50% of the time are either fouls or goaltending, everyone thinks he's a defensive force. For every block he has, u can quadruple it and that would be the amount of times his man knocks down a wide open 3 bc he is going for a weak side block. He is a terrible team defender, slow rotator, and not to mention one of the worst people ive ever seen at taking a charge. Its unbelievable how anyone can think he's a better defender than Battier. Durant is a much better on ball defender. and i believe he will be the better defender overall when their careers are over with. Durant will also be a better rebounder. As far as overall player, i think that becasue of Lebrons natural playmaking ability he will have a better career, but not by much. Durant is a much better clutch performer. It took lebron his 3rd season to hit his first game winner people. IDK how everyone forgets that. He gets bailed out time and time again nowadays, when he drives, by the whistle. Durant can get any shot he wants. Durant is a much better comparison to kobe. Playing style wise, they are very similar.
Durant has the ability to effortlessly single-handedly take over games, even when his teammates aren't performing, that LeBron hasn't been able to follow up after that series against Detroit. That's why people are so high on Durant and not so high on LeBron. I think it's a legitimate question. Durant, with his freakish length, hunger and knack for scoring, can pretty much go to any spot on the floor, pull up and knock down 4-5 jumpers in succession without wasting much energy. The playmaking aspect of his game hasn't really taken off, but he has so much individual ability to score that I doubt coaches are looking for ways to get the ball out of his hands. Scoring wise, Durant is like TMac in his prime with additional length and has all the behavioral signs of developing the Kobe killer instinct. And few people would argue there was a "purer" scorer than TMac in his prime, and a more lethal finisher than Kobe. It's amazing to think of what he'll be like at LeBron's current age (25), when he's filled out his frame. I vote Durant.
To be fair, LeBron took 2.3 more shots per game than Durant in their first 3 seasons. Yet, Durant shot higher percentages from 2, 3, and FTs. He is without a doubt, a more efficient scorer than LeBron.
in that playoff series, he was inconseqential---being covered by Artest like a blanket----in all the games, except one.
