Is Kevin Durant A Disappointment?

Is Kevin Durant A Disappointment?

Kevin Durant was drafted second by the Seattle Supersonics in the NBA Draft in which he was chosen, just one spot after the Portland Trailblazers selected center Greg Oden. Oden never saw much time on the floor due to injury, so Durant was always going to have a better career, but recent issues with his current team combined with his failure to succeed on the game’s grandest stage have made whether or not Kevin Durant has been a disappointment a legitimate question.

Kevin Durant’s Scoring Skills

Now, it must be said that when discussing whether or not Kevin Durant has been a disappointment in his career, that his scoring ability is not what is being questioned. Durant has proven year in and year out that he is one of the best in the NBA at scoring, and has put himself at or near the top of the league’s scoring charts for just about every year in his career in which he was healthy. While Durant’s legacy is in question, his ability to score is not.

The ability of Kevin Durant to score points in large quantities isn’t in question because of just how many different ways he can beat you offensively. He is a great three point shooter, can pull up for mid-range two point shots, and is tall enough to evade defenders while driving to the basket in just a couple of steps. His offensive arsenal is truly impressive, but it’s the rest of his game and the things around it that raise questions.

Kevin Durant’s Lackluster Postseasons

Most players don’t have the expectations that Kevin Durant has when it comes to performing in the playoffs, but not many players are as good as Kevin Durant is either. With that said, Durant just hasn’t been able to perform at a high enough level to get over the hump and bring his Oklahoma City Thunder a championship. While plenty of great players have failed to win titles, Durant has had plenty of help on his teams, making it a bit curious.

Durant’s first and only NBA Finals appearance saw the Thunder put a team on the floor featuring three other excellent starters in Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. And while all three of those players are extremely talented, but Durant was the focal point of the team on both ends of the floor. He was the player who had the ball in his hands with the game on the line, and was responsible for guarding LeBron James, which made him ultimately responsible when the Miami Heat made quick work of the Thunder in that series.

Since then, Oklahoma City hasn’t been all that close to making the NBA Finals again. There are rumors swirling that Kevin Durant will leave the team via free agency at the end of this season, and one has to wonder if a fresh start will be enough to help him rehabilitate a legacy that currently shows him as a great scorer, but not much else.

By: Jason M. Sanin