Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is currently representing Team USA in the Olympics, but that hasn't stopped him from staying active on social media. The former Golden State Warriors star recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to challenge a recent statement made by former Pro Bowl wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson involving Paul Pierce.
“If I put Paul Pierce on the Golden State Warriors with Klay Thompson and Draymond (Green) and Steph Curry, you don't think he could do the same s–t?” said Johnson in the most recent episode of Undisputed, while discussing Durant and LeBron James impact against the Serbian national team.
The Slim Reaper has faced considerable backlash for his decision to join a stacked Golden State Warriors team back in 2016.
Kevin Durant helped the team make it to the NBA Finals in each of his three seasons, securing two championships and earning the NBA Finals MVP title both times.
Kevin Durant's response to Keyshawn Johnson's hypothetical replacing him with Paul Pierce
Durant’s response took a jab at Johnson being the no. 1 overall pick in the 1996 NFL draft stating, “If the (Jets) would’ve took Jonathan Ogden, Marvin Harrison, (Ray Lewis) or Eddie George number one they would’ve been better off. … I hate hypotheticals.”
The Team USA mainstay was referring to the New York Jets choosing Johnson with the No. 1 pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, overlooking future Hall of Famers like Jonathan Ogden, Marvin Harrison, Ray Lewis, Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens, and Zach Thomas.
Johnson's argument that Pierce could match Durant's impact suggests that the Warriors would have been the same team with Pierce instead of Durant.
Prime Paul Pierce would have been a remarkable addition to the Warriors' roster. As a first-ballot Hall of Famer and a member of both the Top 50 and Top 75 teams, Pierce’s presence would have significantly boosted the Warriors’ already impressive dynasty.
Despite this, it remains perplexing that some people continue to diminish Kevin Durant’s achievements with the Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors will be a worse team with Pierce
While Pierce's scoring was his biggest strength, Durant is a more efficient and prolific shooter. Durant's 27.3 points per game significantly surpasses Pierce's 19.7. The Warriors would be a “worse” team with Pierce on it.
However, “worse” doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't have achieved the same results. Golden State might still have won the same number of championships with Pierce, but that's why it's a hypothetical— we'll never know for sure.
Johnson's argument fails to account for how essential KD was to the Warriors by the 2019 playoffs. The team struggled to get past the Clippers and Rockets in the early rounds, and without him, they quickly fell behind 3-1 in the Finals against the Kawhi Leonard-led Toronto Raptors.
Kevin Durant remains a top ten player in the NBA. He averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game last year, shooting 52.3% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range over 75 games.
In addition to the Suns and Warriors, Durant has also played for the Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder during his 16-season career.
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