Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. He is practically seven feet tall with an even longer wingspan. He is a well above average ball handler and is one of the deadliest shooters the world has ever seen. That’s especially true considering his size. Until Dirk Nowitzki, the world had not really seen a seven-footer be able to consistently shoot from the outside. But Durant took that to a whole new level. Not only can he shoot from the outside, but he also has a mid-range game and can take you off the dribble and put you on a poster.
Durant is clearly as talented as almost anyone we have ever seen. I wanted that to be known that this article is in no way trying to say that he is not elite, a future Hall of Fame player, or an all-time great. He is. But there has been sentiment expressed by much of the sports media as well as the basketball world proclaiming him as a top-10 or top-15 player all time. I vehemently disagree with that sentiment.
Here are my three reasons why Kevin Durant is overrated historically.
3 Reasons Why Kevin Durant is Overrated Historically
1. Championships are Tainted
Like most sports, championships won is always a factor when people look at the all-time greats. Kevin Durant has won two NBA Championships. He was also named NBA Finals in both of those with the Golden State Warriors.
But many people felt as though Durant had surpassed his former teammate, Stephen Curry, all-time. Much of that argument was based on the fact that he won those two NBA Finals MVP’s. But let’s not forget, it's not like Curry did not also have great series and playoff runs with Kevin Durant on the team. During the 2017 NBA Finals, Curry averaged 26.8 points, 9.4 assists and 8 rebounds per game. Yeah, he almost averaged a triple double. Durant was the most dominant player in the series, and rightfully won MVP. But Curry was right there. The following year, Curry averaged 27.5 points per game in the Finals, this time in a four-game sweep of the Cavs.
Durant won his only two championships after joining one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Remember, the season before he joined, that Warriors team was an NBA record 73 games in the regular season, beating the unbreakable Bulls mark of 72-10.
Kevin Durant Playoff Exposed:
KD w/ Harden & Steph
TS%: .642, EFG: 57.9%KD w/o Harden & Steph
TS%: .549 , EFG: 46.7%KD is a weapon, a glorified scorer but nothing more. No playmaking, solid defense, no leadership.
He need a great Guard to facilitate his Greatness. #WakeUp👁
— The Woke Sports Fan 💯 (@TheMostEerned) July 3, 2022
Durant, one of the greatest players ever, joined one of the greatest teams ever. Of course Golden State won those two titles. But unlike Durant, Curry won a title before Durant was on the team. Now, he has won one after he left.
2. Defense Matters Historically
People like to talk about Kevin Durant’s length when talking about his defense. He is very long and agile. But there must be a reason that Durant has never been named to the All-NBA Defensive team. Not a single time has he earned first or second team honors. That’s even though the stats are there. Durant has averaged over a block and a steal per game for his career. He’s had numerous seasons when he almost averaged two blocks per game, or close to a steal and a half.
Well, that’s because his defense simply does not pass the eye test. His stats are somewhat empty stats defensively. As someone that is so tall, he tends to play in the paint defensively. Even with the game changing withs stretch four’s moving taking him further out, he can rest a bit defensively. That also allows him to use much of his energy on the offensive end of the floor. That, in turn, is in part why he is so good late in games. He has the legs for it. But also, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen opposing guards get past him in isolation situations.
Most of the other all-time greats played on both ends of the court. Some of them, even made their careers on that end, a la Bill Russell.
3. Thin Skin Leads to Abandonment
It is so rare to see someone as dominant at the game of basketball with such thin skin. Durant notoriously takes criticism personally. In a world of emerging social media, fans and pundits alike are able share their feelings for the world to see.
Kevin Durant can’t help himself but respond to criticism online. He engages like we have never really seen from a player of his stature. It is so interesting to see this dynamic play out season after season. That in turn has created even more pressure on Durant to produce.
This past season, the Brooklyn Nets, led by Durant and Kyrie Irving, did not win a single playoff game. That’s despite the fact they were among the favorites to win the NBA Finals.
After that failure, Durant is now once again looking for a new home. He is beginning to get the reputation for chasing super teams. He could not win a title with Oklahoma City, so he joined the super team in Golden State. After winning those two titles, he left for Brooklyn. Now that that blew up in his face, he’s looking to join the next super team. It’s been reported that his list of preferred destinations was the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat. Those two teams just happen to be the top seeds in each conference last season. It’s not a good look.
Like I said at the beginning, Kevin Durant is one of the most talented, greatest players to ever play basketball. But until he can change some of what I have written above, I cannot possibly entertain the idea of him being a top-10 player all-time.
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