Following a convincing 113-91 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown had some words of praise for his high-scoring forward, Kevin Durant.
“KD's so versatile. We probably could play him at center, but dog-on Bob Myers signed like 18 centers,” Brown said jokingly, according to Connor LeTourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Durant's length has been the X-factor for the Warriors at both ends of the floor — allowing for easy-swooping drives to the basket, plenty of mismatches in the post, and a clear intimidation in passing lanes and runs to the rim for the opposition.
While he's certainly giving up muscle at a soaking-wet 240 pounds, Durant's versatility could turn an ordinarily vast mismatch for a regular small forward into a much more difficult situation due to his long wingspan and new-found discipline on the defensive end.




If Golden State chooses to go smaller, there's no reason why the team couldn't end up with a Durant-Draymond Green combination at the four and five spots — leaving Green with the bulkier matchup and Durant with the taller opponent.
Versatility has been key in the Warriors' culture as almost every player on the roster is able to play more than one position, sometimes even more than two.
Durant brought his Swiss army knife tool box into the organization and was surprised to see his blades sharpened under the tutelage of assistant coach Ron Adams, who has been the mastermind behind the team's switch-happy defense.