Supportless in Seattle - Why Kevin Durant is Underrated
Posted on: March 9, 2008
What is everyone’s problem with Kevin Durant?
I lobbied hard for him to be the number one pick in the 2007 draft. I talked at length about it all through the college season and all through the summer until, finally, Portland went with Greg Oden. You can’t blame them because Oden is a safe and likable pick, a player sure to be good-to-great for many years in the NBA. My logic was both that Durant had a higher upside and the Blazers needed a swingman more than a big man (at the time, they had Zach Randolph, but this still holds true to a degree with their current roster). So when Oden went down in the offseason and it was announced that he would miss all of 2007-08, I was heartbroken. For me, I had lost the chance to prove to people that Durant was the smarter choice, at least for one year.
It has been Oden’s injury that has sullied Durant’s incredible rookie season. Despite putting up excellent numbers for a rookie, the lack of a rival in the Rookie of the Year race has turned people against Durant, calling him a default winner and even suggesting that he could lose the award to a player he scores 10 more points per night than - Al Horford.
By all accounts, statistical and visual, Durant has had an incredible rookie season, well deserving of the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award, and is well on his way to becoming a superstar in the NBA. But there has been limited chatter about him since Oden’s injury and most has been negative or, at best, apathetic. Durant’s reputation has become the victim of a weak group of peers and a lack of a comparable reference point (for proof that this matters, consider that this was a hotly contested issue in the offseason, when we had Oden to compare him to).
The knocks against Durant are fair, sure. He shoots just 40.5%, his three-point shooting is a weak 28.5%, he turns the ball over three times per game and his team is 16-46, jockeying for a lottery pick to accompany him.
Those are all fair criticisms…
But only of a polished NBA superstar.
Durant, though, is still just 19-years old and playing in a far from ideal situation. The second best player on his team is Chris Wilcox, the lottery pick they drafted with him has been somewhat disappointing, the team has no point guard and his debut season has been marred with the drama of the Sonics’ potential move to Oklahoma City.
When you consider all of that, a line of 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists nightly seems pretty surreal. Those are incredible numbers for a teenager to post at the highest level of competition in the world. For comparison’s sake, and please bare with me because I’m not suggesting Durant is going to be on par with him, but LeBron James posted a rookie line of 20.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 5.9 apg, while shooting 41.7% overall and just 29% from downtown.
Yes, James’ numbers, especially assists, are better, but his first year was considered by many, one of the best rookie seasons of the modern era. James also had a much better supporting cast – Carlos Boozer and Zydraunas Ilgauskas cleared a lot of room for him and finished most of his passes with baskets. On a team where only one other player scores in double figures (Wilcox) and only two players shoot above 45% (Wilcox and Nick Collison), an assist, or help in general, is hard to come by.
You can force the argument here that Durant’s numbers are inflated because of this, but that only extends as far as points per game and Durant’s usage rate is not extraordinarily high for a top player at 28.9% (it is in the league’s top 10, but again, look to his supporting cast). His player efficiency rating is also right at the league average of 14.9, a number miles above anyone else on the team except for Wilcox and Collison, so the evidence shows that Durant is the best suited on this team to use the lion’s share of the possessions.
My point here is that Durant has been severely underrated this season. Instead of talking about his rookie performance as one of the best in recent times, which it is, people are instead suggesting Al Horford could take the Rookie of the Year crown. Hey, I like Horford, but his only edge is on the glass since Durant has posted an equal number of steals and blocks.
Please, people, stop suggesting Durant isn’t good enough to be built around because it’s clear he’s the top rookie in the NBA this season.
Blake Murphy also runs and writes for The On Deck Circle.
Kevin Durant Photo Credit: ICON SMI
This article was written by:
Blake Murphy - who has written 26 posts on Hoops Addict.
Blake Murphy is a Queen's University Business graduate and broadcast journalism hopeful. He uses his business background often to analyze basketball from a management perspective more so than a fan perspective. As he pursues further education, Blake hopes to shape his love for sports into a career.
March 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
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March 10th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Durant is talented, there is no question about that. I think what people have a problem with is his shot selection and lack of rebounding. shooting 40% isn’t terrible for a rookie, but a lot of time Durant just jacks up tough shots when there are better options available. Plus his rebounding rate is positively Bargnani-like.
Oh, i almost forgot, he defense needs a lot of work.
Horford may not score at the same rate, but he is doing a lot more of the other things that help his team win. This is why some people are talking about him as the possible ROY.
March 10th, 2008 at 7:08 am
If Durant had a point guard who could get him the ball in his sweet spot, he would much a better player. But that is me nitpicking..the kid is young, and his game will mature.
March 10th, 2008 at 10:33 am
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March 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Horford for ROY. Durant takes too many shots and has the green light every time down the floor. This is something that a rookie should not have as they will not develop into a top NBA player. Durant needs a lot of work and shows that he is a 1 Dimensional player with a sub par shot.
All in all, Durant will be nothing more then a taller Allan Houston.
March 10th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
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March 11th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Wow, this article got a few links today but NO LOVE, apparently mine is a unique perspective on this. I still contend Durant will be a top-10 player in the league and the best from that draft class.
March 11th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I think another factor that leads to the talk of Kevin Durant being viewed as a disappointment is the success of the Texas basketball team. The team of “scrubs” that KD carried to the 2nd round of last year’s NCAA tourney is going to be a 2nd seed this year (or first if they upset Kansas). Also, I think that any stats put up on a team like the Sonics have to be taken with a grain of salt. If he was on a better team he’d be scoring less (but with better percentages) and rebounding less, and his defense may lead to him sitting on the bench more often for a team trying to compete for the playoffs. Another reason he’s been viewed as overrated were the sky high expectations that were unrealistic for any rookie.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I think there’s an important distinction to be made here. I agree with you that Durant is doing a great job this year. He is the most valuable rookie in the big picture. But Horford is ROY because his contributions are going farther towards winning this year. He helps his team defensively and on the boards while playing within himself on offense. Durant’s contributions are going toward showcasing his own abilities and allowing him to grow into the role of a superstar scorer. This is what he should be doing and what is best for the Sonics as a rebuilding team. But right now his inefficiency on offense and deficiency everywhere else are hurting his team’s ability to win games. He is struggling in his role, while Horford is excelling in his. It’s true that Durant is trying to fill a bigger role, but right now he is not ready to be productive in a limited or starring role. So to me, this means that Horford should be rookie of the year. But that means nothing to the Sonics who are in a better position long-term. So would I rather have Horford than Durant on my team? Of course not. Durant will be the better player when his game gets to be more polished and well-rounded.
March 11th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I’ll add that Durant is playing out of position and defending shooting guards, something he’s never had to do. His PER is about average, and that’s actually phenomenal for a 19 year old. Kobe and McGrady had more efficient rookie seasons, but they weren’t the 1-3 options for their teams. We’ve seen glimpses of what he’s capable of this season, but he needs to work on his shot selection. Once he gets that figured out and reduces his turnovers, which is another area where most rookies have troubles, he should be an All-Star caliber player for a long time, at the very least. People throwing him under the bus are judging way too early.
March 12th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Im sorry but Kobe did not have an efficient rookie season, either did McGrady if you go look at their stats. Durant will have a better rookie season them both of them combined.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
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January 28th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
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