In hindsight KD making deep Western Conference runs with Yung Sabo is incredible

[Dwight Howard]

Steph and Klay's gravity really got yall thinking KD was untouchable.

Steph was the best player on that team in most of those playoff series. KD was just better in the finals. And I'd argue Curry didnt win in 2018 because of one bad game.

At no point was steph curry ever better than KD on that team.

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Gotdamn. Here we go with the Durant revisionist love affair again, yall strong in this thread lmao. nikkas really scrubbed everything questionable in his career from their minds, yall nikkas got hit with the MIB pen?





They went to four, and he didn't do it alone. This is where I think the Durant praise/Westbrook slander gets over the top. Getting to 4 WCF in 8 years together (Russ drafted in '08) is a real accomplishment and matters to me, but they did it together...

•lost '11 WCF while being outplayed by Dirk that series and melting down (along with Russ and the rest if the team) that 4thQ lead in the final moments of the elimination. Its funny how we clown Kobe and LeBron especially for getting sonned by Dallas and Dirk that year, but we skip right over Durant because he was "young"---->like the NBA never saw guys in Year 4 or younger win it all, get to a Finals, or play better and play dominantly in big playoff moments...

•'12 they advanced of course...

•'14 lost WCF to SA and Westbrook was the best Thunder player in that series. We can go to other games but the deciding G6 OKC with this "lethal assassin" Durant goes scoreless that last 2 and a half minutes of the game (OT) with Durant going 0-3. They didn't score a point. With this guy supposedly with ice in his veins who just takes over and destroys people at will...

•'16 WCF, we've already seen the remaking of that series in this very thread to benefit Durant lmao. I'll leave this one alone, it speaks for itself...

KD is certainly an All-Timer and if he stopped playing today he's Top 15. He knocking on Top 10, I think Top 5 is outta reach unless he goes on an unthinkable run to close his career, which isnt reality given his age and injury history. But he's knocking on the door of Top 10 and is already Top 15, Top 20 at the worst if you're really picky...

Dude was 1-3 in WCF before heading west, with a number of poor performances in those series. We gotta stop this shyt like dude has been this takeover assassin his whole career---->he became that with the battery in his back in GS, and kudos to him for stepping up because it coulda went another way. But we not about to sit here and pretend Durant been destroying people his whole career because it benefits an Anti-LeBron narrative. He had an entire damn near decade before GS that told us who he was before then, and he's been a better version of himself since then...



Gotdamn this is bad and some GOAT-level rewriting...

KD and Bron respect each other and have given each other issues for years. LeBron repeatedly had KD in the turnstile that G1 2018 and has done it to him for years, they give it to each other...

These guys careers have overlapped for 13 years, and up until 3 years there is no legitimate case of KD being over LeBron, stop it. Even three years ago, getting the battery in his back to win his first title over a guy who is constantly playing in that final round is pushing it, it didn't become more legitimate until 2 years ago...

For the duration of the time their careers have overlapped, one of these guys has played bigger in big postseason moments on a more consistent basis. One of these guys has taken his teams further more consistently. One of these guys has never lost a Rd1, one of these guys beat the other as an underdog and has won multiple series as an underdog, one of these guys never lost a 3-1 lead, and has upset the same team that the other guy had on the ropes by playing resoundingly better against that team...

That guy isn't Kevin Durant. We can give Durant his flowers and respect his work, he has a ton of shyt to praise but just stop with the he been better than LeBron. False and completely contradictory to what he's actually put on the board...

Last time we saw him play, he was a better player than LeBron. Last two times they matched up, he outplayed LeBron. Thats about as far as it goes...

On played in the east and one played in the west. He's been right there or better than LeBron that whole time. Bron just had the better team . Then KD made his move and then he had the better team.

 

[I AM WARHOL]

Even though I dislike Westbrook his prime cannot be underrated. Most explosive player in the league, energizer bunny, who was a good slasher. 2016 Westbrook is a top 10 player easily Add Serge, Adams, and Kanter off the bench and that is a squad (which KD always had in OKC). Only thing KD never did was put Westbrook in his place.​

What is the most important skill in this modern era of basketball?

 

[DetroitEWarren]

Has KD been cleared for full 5 on 5 yet?

 

[murksiderock]

On played in the east and one played in the west. He's been right there or better than LeBron that whole time. Bron just had the better team . Then KD made his move and then he had the better team.

I don't recall people using this "one played in the East, one in the West" argument to diminish Magic and Kareem's run in the 80s...

Regardless, its not even debatable, LeBron has played better in the postseason on a more consistent basis. Durant wasn't even in the conversation with LeBron until winning '14 MVP, that's 7 years into their overlap, and he has no legitimate claim as better than LeBron until '17 at the earliest. Your legend is made in the postseason. KD's biggest legacy points are, as a heavy favorite, outplaying the guy who beat him as an underdog 5 years earlier, beating the guy who is habitually in that round, his strongest legacy arguments to this point are all LeBron-centric. The reverse isn't true...

And the man himself has publicly and willfully acknowledged he has for years tried to measure up to the standards LeBron has set. The reverse isn't true...

I can go on but its clear who, on a legacy and career scale, the better player is and has been. Again I like KD but every push to prop him is a thinly-disguised effort to diminish LeBron, his overall work on the board doesn't validate him as greater or a historical equal to LeBron by any stretch----->though again, last we saw him, and potentially going back a max of up to 3 years, he was a better player than LeBron...

 

[I AM WARHOL]

The real revisionist history is acting like KD wasnt universally top 2 before his injury and before the went to the warriors.

The real revisionist history is pretending that the level of difficulty in the east is equal to the west.

The real revisionist history is forgetting who squaded up in the weaker east.

All things equal, Bron and KD are right with each other. Only difference is Bron bring the chosen 1, east coast bias, and the east conference.

To me it's really about godly scoring versatility and godly shot creation vs God tier driving and elite passing. And I know personally, give me the walking bucket 10 out of 10 times

 

[I AM WARHOL]

I don't recall people using this "one played in the East, one in the West" argument to diminish Magic and Kareem's run in the 80s...

Regardless, its not even debatable, LeBron has played better in the postseason on a more consistent basis. Durant wasn't even in the conversation with LeBron until winning '14 MVP, that's 7 years into their overlap, and he has no legitimate claim as better than LeBron until '17 at the earliest. Your legend is made in the postseason. KD's biggest legacy points are, as a heavy favorite, outplaying the guy who beat him as an underdog 5 years earlier, beating the guy who is habitually in that round, his strongest legacy arguments to this point are all LeBron-centric. The reverse isn't true...

And the man himself has publicly and willfully acknowledged he has for years tried to measure up to the standards LeBron has set. The reverse isn't true...

I can go on but its clear who, on a legacy and career scale, the better player is and has been. Again I like KD but every push to prop him is a thinly-disguised effort to diminish LeBron, his overall work on the board doesn't validate him as greater or a historical equal to LeBron by any stretch----->though again, last we saw him, and potentially going back a max of up to 3 years, he was a better player than LeBron...

Let LeBron win 5 out of 9 then I we wont use it. It is valid when comparing a counterpart during the same time period. If you can sit here and say the east competiton has no factor in LeBrons post season success, then idk what to tell you . All I know is that KD was going at legit dynasties and unquestioned, top 20 alltimer to get out of the West. While Bron with Wade and Bosh was fighting tooth and nail to beat the mighty Indiana Pacers with young pandemic P, Mr. 0-0 Boy Hibbert, and Lance Stephenson . Doesnt seem too equal to me

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

I don't recall people using this "one played in the East, one in the West" argument to diminish Magic and Kareem's run in the 80s...

Regardless, its not even debatable, LeBron has played better in the postseason on a more consistent basis. Durant wasn't even in the conversation with LeBron until winning '14 MVP, that's 7 years into their overlap, and he has no legitimate claim as better than LeBron until '17 at the earliest. Your legend is made in the postseason. KD's biggest legacy points are, as a heavy favorite, outplaying the guy who beat him as an underdog 5 years earlier, beating the guy who is habitually in that round, his strongest legacy arguments to this point are all LeBron-centric. The reverse isn't true...

And the man himself has publicly and willfully acknowledged he has for years tried to measure up to the standards LeBron has set. The reverse isn't true...

I can go on but its clear who, on a legacy and career scale, the better player is and has been. Again I like KD but every push to prop him is a thinly-disguised effort to diminish LeBron, his overall work on the board doesn't validate him as greater or a historical equal to LeBron by any stretch----->though again, last we saw him, and potentially going back a max of up to 3 years, he was a better player than LeBron...

Different time period. “The East is weak” became a thing in the 2000s partly Cause it was true, and still is true.

3 of the 4 first round series in the East were sweeps and the other a 5 game series. 2 of the 4 out west are going 7. One went 6 and could have went 7 if KP doesn’t get kicked out of game 1/gets hurt. The other went 5

I expect Things to be a tad different with the Nets/Wizards healthy but the west has been the tougher of the conferences for 2 decades now. This post really isn’t In response to Lebron but he did benefit from being in that terrible conference. 2007 and 2018 cavs not making the finals in the west. Idk if they make the WCF. Those cavs in the late 2000s won 66 and 61 games. One of them were favorited to meet Kobe/Lakers in the finals. Imagine that same cavs team out west

not disagreeing with you on KD just addressing that part about the conferences

 

[Don Homer]

The real revisionist history is acting like KD wasnt universally top 2 before his injury and before the went to the warriors.

The real revisionist history is pretending that the level of difficulty in the east is equal to the west.

The real revisionist history is forgetting who squaded up in the weaker east.

All things equal, Bron and KD are right with each other. Only difference is Bron bring the chosen 1, east coast bias, and the east conference.

To me it's really about godly scoring versatility and godly shot creation vs God tier driving and elite passing. And I know personally, give me the walking bucket 10 out of 10 times

Underrated point

 

[Voice of Reason]

Westbrook is a a Hall of Fame talent and Ibaka was a very good all star level role player. Durant has always played around talent.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

Westbrook is a a Hall of Fame talent and Ibaka was a very good all star level role player. Durant has always played around talent.

That OKC team was the favorite in 2012. These nikkas love rewriting history.

Pre-Warriors KD, the distance between Bron and him was the distance between Duncan and KG.

Its like if KG joined the Lakers (ironically almost happened) and won 3 chips and people saying he was as good as Duncan all along.

Both GREAT...however, it was always clear who was better..

 

[CarltonJunior]

Westbrook played well that entire series IMO and I remember feeling like he really matured as a player. He just got outplayed by Curry is all.

 

[Voice of Reason]

That OKC team was the favorite in 2012. These nikkas love rewriting history.

Pre-Warriors KD, the distance between Bron and him was the distance between Duncan and KG.

Its like if KG joined the Lakers (ironically almost happened) and won 3 chips and people saying he was as good as Duncan all along.

Both GREAT...however, it was always clear who was better..

People don't want to accept that Lebron is a top 2 player even after all these years. It's weird.

 

[Dr. Narcisse]

At no point was steph curry ever better than KD on that team.

I'll correct myself. In 2018 KD was better in the playoffs although to be fair Curry was coming off of injury (missed the 1st round of 2018).

However, 2017?? Where is the lie?

1st round against the Trailblazers (2017)
KD -21/7/2 (16 PER)
Curry - 30/7/5 (23.6 PER)

2nd round against the Jazz (2017)
KD - 25/9/5 (21 PER)
Curry 25/5/6 (20 PER)

WCF against the Spurs (2017)
KD - 28/7/4 (PER 22)
Curry - 31/6/5 (PER 26)


KD lighting up that terrible Cavs defense (LeBron included....clearly looked like he was just saving himself for offense)

Really got people acting like KD was the better player that year. I been told @murksiderock @Dray5K how much people have that let finals cloud that year.

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

I'll correct myself. In 2018 KD was better in the playoffs although to be fair Curry was coming off of injury (missed the 1st round of 2018).

However, 2017?? Where is the lie?

1st round against the Trailblazers (2017)
KD -21/7/2 (16 PER)
Curry - 30/7/5 (23.6 PER)

2nd round against the Jazz (2017)
KD - 25/9/5 (21 PER)
Curry 25/5/6 (20 PER)

WCF against the Spurs (2017)
KD - 28/7/4 (PER 22)
Curry - 31/6/5 (PER 26)


KD lighting up that terrible Cavs defense (LeBron included....clearly looked like he was just saving himself for offense)

Really got people acting like KD was the better player that year. I been told @murksiderock @Dray5K how much people have that let finals cloud that year.

You said Steph was clearly better in general, which wasn’t true at all. and Steph being better in a few playoff series means nothing. Kobe has series better than Shaq during the Lakers 3peat. Was he better than Shaq overall during that time period?? I think most people have enough sense to realize Shaq was still the better player regardless of what Kobe did in 2000-2003

KD also outperformed Steph in almost every metric in both finals and we seen what KD was doing in 2019 playoffs too.

2019 vs Clippers
35/5/5/1.5/1.2

steph-24/6/5/1.2/0.3

2019 vs Houston. 33/5/4/0.8/0.8

Steph-23/4/5/1/0.2

2018 nba playoffs- pelicans

KD-27/7/4.8/1.4/1.2
Steph- 24/5/3/2/0.5

rockets-

KD-30/5/2/0.3/0.9
Steph- 25/6/5/1.7/0.9






and Steph performed well in the 2018 finals except game 3. KD was just better not just in stats but lytics. Anyone suggesting otherwise, I have to ask what the hell were you watching???
There terrible cavs defense also pretty much beat the warriors the previous year I fukks with Steph and believe his gravity opened up things for KD, of course.

however there’s only about one year you could a make a argument he was ever better than KD

from the start of their careers. KD has had more achievements/better stats all around, and was generally the better player. Again I fukks with Steph but his most success came as a sidekick for a reason