5 reasons that solidify Kevin Durant's status as a modern great regardless of his presence on super teams
Kevin Durant is deservedly recognized as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and his most recent performance against the Milwaukee Bucks simply shows that he can also be dominant playing all-around basketball.
Some might not hesitate to call Kevin Durant the best basketball player in the NBA today. But there is a lot of noise surrounding him and his legacy, mostly from criticism aimed at his inability to win championships without a superteam.
Kevin Durant has not won an NBA title without being a member of the Golden State Warriors superteam that had already won the 2015 NBA championship and played in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Durant's greatness would've certainly given him the chance to win at least one NBA championship without a superteam around him. But his current Brooklyn Nets are another version of a superteam when all players are healthy.
5 reasons why Kevin Durant is a modern great
The criticism aimed towards Durant will not go away unless he wins an NBA championship with a modest roster around him. Though that has been an unlikely situation throughout NBA history and is probably an unfair task for any player.
In this article, we will give you five reasons which solidify Kevin Durant's status as a modern great in the NBA.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 - Clutch gene
Kevin Durant might be the target of heavy criticism regarding his mental toughness and ability to block outside noise. His 'burner' accounts on Twitter have caused him turmoil, but still, he is a tough player who has shown up in big, clutch moments for his team.
During the Golden State Warriors' championship-winning years in 2017 and 2018, Durant earned the Finals MVP award twice, and in both Finals, he came up big in the clutch in Game 3 of the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals. Those two games were key in deciding the outcome of the series, though the Warriors were heavy favorites regardless.
In the 2020-21 NBA regular season, Durant ranked 14th in points scored in the clutch and made 48.5% of his field goals in those situations. Moreover, he is third in points in the clutch among active players in the 2021 NBA Playoffs and has made 50% of his field goals, 50% of his three-pointers, and 75% of his free throws.
#4 - Kevin Durant's versatility and ability to adapt to different circumstances
Kevin Durant has been great at adapting to what is around him. He excelled at scoring and other areas of the game, regardless of whether he had Russell Westbrook, Reggie Jackson or Stephen Curry as the primary ball-handler on his teams.
Moreover, as he showed in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, he can be the primary ball-handler on the team and score and assist his teammates on almost every possession.
Durant averaged 27.4 points with the OKC Thunder on 48/38/88 shooting splits. Although his average dropped to 25.8 with the Golden State Warriors, he was more efficient (52/38/88) in Steve Kerr's flowing offense and played stunning basketball.
During the regular season with the Brooklyn Nets, it did not matter to Durant if he had both James Harden and Kyrie Irving, one of the two or neither around him. He scored at the same rate and adapted his game to what the team needed.