Kevin Durant had the greatest freshman season in the history of NCAA basketball at the University of Texas during the 2006-2007 season. He was unquestionably the best player in the country and teamed with future first round picks Damion James and D.J. Augustin, as well as A.J. Abrams, to form a powerful Texas team. Durant followed a strong regular season by winning the MVP award for the Big 12 tournament but Texas blew a 22 point lead in an overtime loss to Kansas in the Big 12 championship game. Durant posted okay numbers in Texas’ subsequent NCAA tournament appearance but was noticeably out of sync and described as “jumpy” in a narrow first-round win over #13 seed New Mexico State. Texas then fell to USC by nineteen points in the second round. Texas had the best player in the nation and a reasonably strong supporting cast but there was a reason they were easily dispatched in the second round (and it was not just because Rick Barnes is a mediocre basketball coach). Kevin Durant was only an eighteen year old kid. He was not ready…yet.
Fast forward to the 2010 NBA playoffs. Durant had just wrapped up a regular season in which he became the youngest NBA scoring champion in history. He finished second in the NBA MVP voting and led the Thunder to 52 wins and a playoff berth in a strong Western Conference. Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum were nursing various injuries and the Thunder looked like a team that might be able to upset the defending champion Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Despite a strong performance from Russell Westbrook and inspired defense, the Thunder lost in six games and the Lakers went on to win a second consecutive championship. There was a reason the Thunder lost (and it was not just because Jeff Green was not aware there was a playoff series occurring). Kevin Durant failed to take over a single game, played well in only two of the six match-ups and shot 35% for the series when faced with the task of navigating Ron Artest’s belligerent defense. Kevin Durant was only twenty-one years old. He was not ready…yet.
Fast forward to yesterday’s exhibition game between the United States and Spain. Kevin Durant entered the contest against Spain having gone a combined 14-38 in Team USA’s first three exhibitions against far inferior opposition. Coach Krzyzewski had already implored Durant to be more aggressive within the American offense but Durant was struggling to find a rhythm and looked uncomfortable at times. Kevin Durant was not yet up to the task of assuming his designated role as the face of USA basketball. In order to beat a strong Spanish squad, both in this exhibition and later at the FIBA World Championships, Durant would need to perform better. Much better. Yesterday, he scored 25 points and snared 10 rebounds in an 86-85 American victory. The game was merely an exhibition, of no consequence to the upcoming tournament. The U.S.A. had not even installed their entire offense and Spain did not play a single second of zone defense. The coaches experimented with unusual player rotations. The game’s only value seemingly lay with gamblers, all of whom should be rushing toward their nearest bookie to place a bet on Spain winning Worlds at the generous odds of 3-1. This game shouldn’t have mattered at all but it may be one of the most important games of the 2010-2011 NBA season. This is the game where Kevin Durant began to figure it out.
“I know kung fu.” –Neo from The Matrix
He was playing in a hostile arena against the defending world champions. He was still playing out of position as America’s power forward. He was a different player than the one forcing shots against the Lakers and looking uncomfortable against less talented teams during Team USA’s preseason. He scored early and established a rhythm. He hit three crucial jumpers in the second half to silence the crowd and stop potential Spanish runs. Derrick Rose may have registered the important points down the stretch but Durant blocked both of Spain’s attempted shots on the last possession. He led the Americans in scoring and rebounding and came up with the most important defensive play of the game. Kevin Durant is still only 21 years old. Is he ready?
Regardless of how the world championships play out, Kevin Durant is the smart pick for the 2011 NBA MVP award. Five players (or six with a healthy Chris Paul) make up the current echelon of elite NBA players and are MVP frontrunners. Fairly or unfairly, LeBron James’ two consecutive MVP awards, the inevitable drop of his per game statistics with Miami and the media backlash from “The Decision” will greatly hinder his chances at a historic three-peat. Dwyane Wade will see his numbers (and perhaps popularity) affected in a similar manner. Dwight Howard needs to develop a more refined offensive game to challenge his perimeter-oriented rivals and a session with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason is only the first step of many on the (never-ending?) staircase toward a more fluid drop-step and left-handed jump hook. Durant has already proven that he is more likely to register better regular season numbers than Kobe Bryant due to his better chance at sustained good health and the Lakers’ more prolific supporting cast. In the eyes of many, Durant has already drawn level with the Kobe/LeBron/Wade triumvirate atop the league. But Kevin Durant, the new golden child of the NBA, had never truly excelled in an important game until last night. And although any game when the jersey reads “USA” should be considered important, last night was still an exhibition. Durant is still growing, a work in progress. He should not be considered in the discussion of “Best Player Alive” until he is a known commodity. Shaquille O’Neal once compared himself to toilet paper and Pampers in that he was “definitely proven to be effective.” Last night in Madrid, Durant took his first positive step toward having the “stretchiest sides around and a trim fit.”
Kobe Bryant called the 2010 championship the sweetest because of the difficulty involved in capturing the Larry O’Brien trophy. If he wants to win a sixth title he will have to make room atop his rankings because the Western Conference playoffs are going to be much tougher next year. By May 2011, Kevin Durant will be ready.
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