Durant Can't Bench 185

[BigPapaVol]

His teams have been to the playoffs 8 times and the conference finals once. They underachieved in the playoffs.

I was looking at his playoff avg for the 18 boards.

Again for his career he averages 20/10/4.5 He came directly from HS so the numbers from his first year or two bring his averages down.

Karl Malone for his career 25/10/3.6

Tim Duncan 21/11.9/3.2 entered the league after 4 years of college

Are you going to tell me Duncan is good only because he is tall and Durant is more skilled?

Kevin Durant 25ppg 11.1 rebs and ONLY 1.3 assists

It would appear Garnett is a more SKILLED passer than Durant.

The silly stats are courtesy of NBA.com

they were from NBA.com and wrong.

 

[BigPapaVol]

His teams have been to the playoffs 8 times and the conference finals once. They underachieved in the playoffs.

I was looking at his playoff avg for the 18 boards.

Again for his career he averages 20/10/4.5 He came directly from HS so the numbers from his first year or two bring his averages down.

Karl Malone for his career 25/10/3.6

Tim Duncan 21/11.9/3.2 entered the league after 4 years of college

Are you going to tell me Duncan is good only because he is tall and Durant is more skilled?

Kevin Durant 25ppg 11.1 rebs and ONLY 1.3 assists

It would appear Garnett is a more SKILLED passer than Durant.

The silly stats are courtesy of NBA.com

Now to your points.

1. Yes, your stats were wrong. Those were playoff (very limited number of games for player of such stature)

2. Karl Malone was a great power forward, but doesn't possess Durant type offensive skills. Which skills of Malone were better than Durant's. I'll help, low block back to the basket type stuff.

3. Tell which skills of Duncan's are better than those of Durant. Again, low block, back to the basket.

4. I am telling you that Durant has more basketball skill. At 6'9", Duncan wouldn't be in the NBA.

5. Garnett is a good passing big man, no question about it, so was Sabonis, dittio many other big men who couldn't generate their own shot. Dominant PF don't get much airtime for their passing because it ain't what they're being paid for. Bet his team would prefer that he were a good shooting big man who would keep the ball at crunch time. One of those NW squads will very much like the ball in Durant's hands at the end because he has multiple options and they ain't gonna care if he has passing skills.

 

[JZVOL]

Now to your points

How good would Michael Jordan be if he was only 6'1? What if D-Wade was only 5'11? What if Barkley was only 6'0?
To shrink someone by five inches or so and try to compare is the dumbest thing I have ever seen.

To say Durant, who has never played 1 NBA game, is more offensively skilled than Karl Malone might me even more dumb than shrinking a player's height.

What will you say if Durant averages less than 25 ppg for his career?

Did you never see Malone face up and shoot jump shots? Have you seen Duncan make all those bank shots? They are all highly skilled.

To call a kid who has yet to step on the floor more skilled than MVPs is IGNORANT.

I have heard many people say Durant is weak on defense. So does that mean KG and Duncan are more skilled or do you not want to talk about defense?

The post is a very skilled position and no matter how Malone did it, he averaged 25ppg for a career and was one of the best scorers of all time.

 

[JZVOL]

BTW Malone was only 6'8 or 6'9. I wonder how he would have done if he was 6'4?....

Also Malone is second all time in points scored and one of the 50 greatest players of all time. To call a guy who has never played a game more skilled is absurd.

 

[BigPapaVol]

BTW Malone was only 6'8 or 6'9. I wonder how he would have done if he was 6'4?....

Also Malone is second all time in points scored and one of the 50 greatest players of all time. To call a guy who has never played a game more skilled is absurd.

Durant is the most skilled offensive player to enter the NBA in years. All that crap your spouting has nothing to do with skill. Duncan's bank shots or Malone's face up game. Are you kidding me. I'll guarantee you that those with basketball player evaluation roles will tell all of us that Durant is the most skilled of everyone we're discussing and they'd be absolutely right. Durant is what he is because of his skill, not his pathetic size. He has proven he's not overly athletic and he certainly doesn't overpower people. He's more like Bird, who was likely the most skilled big man of all time.

I'm arguing that all of those people are what they are because of their size / athleticism combo, combined with some modicum of skill - malone and duncan included. If either of the two had Durant's skill level,there would be no debate about the greatest player of all time. Jordan was very athletic, but honed his skill over time to become great. Pippen could have been the same, but never had the skill level of Jordan. Barkley had great NBA body and deceptive athleticism, nobody was paying him for his shooting, ball handling or passing.

Finally, you've continued to forget to address the skill levels of Chamberlain and Shaq, both greatest 50 types.

 

[JZVOL]

So basically you think Durant is more skilled than any big man that has ever played the game? It appears at least that is what the basic arguement is.

Are you saying Durant is more skilled than MJ and will be better?

IMO maybe we are getting skill/potential mixed up.

Malone/Duncan/Barkley were/are highly skilled. Barkley was more like 6'4 because if you have seen him in pictures he is shorter than MJ. To say a guy who is 6'4 and was one of the best at his position wasn't skilled is crazy. Barkley could shoot, pass, dribble and rebound. Karl Malone didn't finish second on the all time scoring list because he was tall, he was very skilled. Watch their positioning, foot work and touch aroud the basket and tell me they aren't skilled. If Larry bird was skilled so are these guys.

Now does it appear Durant has the ability to be an all time great? Yes. I'm sure the Blazers thought that about Sam Bowie when they picked him ahead of MJ. I'm not going to call a guy who played 1 year of college ball more skilled than former MVPs and all time greats. Durant has great potential and he will have to work to improve the skills he already has to be an all time great.

As far as Wilt and Shaq go I'm not going to compare guys that are well over seven feet tall and 300 lbs. Those guys couldn't do what it appears Durant has the potential to do nor could he do what they did.

Just because Durant is a better shooter or has more range doesn't mean he is more skilled. Would you say Durant is more skilled than Hakeem? I would not.

 

[JZVOL]

Also if Durant is weak on defense but some of these guys were great defensive players wouldn't that mean they are more skilled overall than Durant?

Do you not consider defense a skill?

 

[BigPapaVol]

So basically you think Durant is more skilled than any big man that has ever played the game? It appears at least that is what the basic arguement is.

Are you saying Durant is more skilled than MJ and will be better?

IMO maybe we are getting skill/potential mixed up.

Malone/Duncan/Barkley were/are highly skilled. Barkley was more like 6'4 because if you have seen him in pictures he is shorter than MJ. To say a guy who is 6'4 and was one of the best at his position wasn't skilled is crazy. Barkley could shoot, pass, dribble and rebound. Karl Malone didn't finish second on the all time scoring list because he was tall, he was very skilled. Watch their positioning, foot work and touch aroud the basket and tell me they aren't skilled. If Larry bird was skilled so are these guys.

Now does it appear Durant has the ability to be an all time great? Yes. I'm sure the Blazers thought that about Sam Bowie when they picked him ahead of MJ. I'm not going to call a guy who played 1 year of college ball more skilled than former MVPs and all time greats. Durant has great potential and he will have to work to improve the skills he already has to be an all time great.

As far as Wilt and Shaq go I'm not going to compare guys that are well over seven feet tall and 300 lbs. Those guys couldn't do what it appears Durant has the potential to do nor could he do what they did.

Just because Durant is a better shooter or has more range doesn't mean he is more skilled. Would you say Durant is more skilled than Hakeem? I would not.

not more skilled than Hakeem, but he wasn't a part of the debate. I am saying he's more skilled than the rest of the crowd in the paragraph (save MJ and Bird). Durant is great because he has very polished offensive skills to go with a rangy frame. The other guys on the list were / are great because they are either tall, tall and large, or exceptional athletes.

No need to debate any more. I think Durant is an exceptionally polished offensive player and I don't believe the other crew possess his offensive skill level. That doesn't diminish anyone in the group's ability to play ball. IMO, they're great for other reasons. Garnett, IMO, should be much better than he is, given is talent.