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Will Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant be an all-time great?

By Andrew Melnick

May 25, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second quarter in game three of the Western Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second quarter in game three of the Western Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant has developed into the NBA’s best scorer and is widely regarded as the league’s best player. However, the 2013-2014 NBA MVP is sometimes criticized because he hasn’t had more success in the postseason.

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Although he thinks it may be unfair, Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes Durant needs to start winning rings before he can be considered an all-time great.

"Kevin Durant is a tough one to really compare to past players because he has such a unique skill set and body type. I liked the George Gervin comparison in his first couple years, but he’s morphed into a completely unique player in his own right at this point. I’m hoping Durant is able to at least win a title or two at some point, because it would be a shame to see him unfairly judged as somehow less than as great as he actually is. I mention that specifically because of the way we consume and judge players these days. Rings are clearly important and will always be the ultimate goal, but they should not be the sole measuring stick when it comes to rating and ranking players."

Durant averaged 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 50.3% from the floor, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 87.3% from the charity stripe during the regular season. Then, he averaged 29.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.0% from the field, 34.4.1% from beyond the arc and 81.0% from the free throw line in the postseason. In his career, he’s averaged 27.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the field, 37.7% from three and 88.2% from the field.

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