On Wednesday, radio host Dan Patrick asked man child/Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard who he’d rather have on his team: LeBron James or Kevin Durant?
Howard answered, “I’m going to go with Kevin,” which members of the basketball community immediately translated to mean: “I think Kevin Durant is better than LeBron James.”
This of course turned everything upside down for 24 hours, upsetting the deck chairs from Pro Sports Daily to PTI, where guest host Bill Simmons chastised Dwight for his decision. Such is the NBA climate on the eve of media day. There’s nothing else to talk about, so a misinterpreted Dwight Howard quote gets play like it’s the damn Constitution of NBA Basketball.
Howard never actually said Durant was a better player – he insinuated it by saying he’d rather have him as a teammate, but he never directly said the words, “Durant is better.” Nevertheless, his comment got me thinking.
Does Durant have more potential than LeBron? Is it possible that he’ll be a better player next season?
Because “better” is a subjective term with more caveats than a Frank McCourt marriage proposal, I won’t say Durant is a better player than LeBron. That would lead me into a field with more landmines than a Jersey Shore cast party. What I will say is that I think Durant will be league MVP next season.
Here are five reasons why:
1. He was considered a legitimate candidate last year
Not only did Durant lead the league in scoring last season with 30.1 points per game (the highest average of his career), he also led the Thunder to 50 wins and their first playoff berth in six years. For his efforts, Durant was rewarded with four first place MVP votes and 609 points overall, putting him second to LeBron (and conspicuously ahead of Kobe Bryant) in the MVP race.
Granted, Durant was never actually close to winning the award – LeBron played out of his Oscar Robertson-loving mind last season – but the idea was palatable enough to voters that they now consider him a player capable of winning the award, which is important because…
2. He made “The Leap” this summer at the FIBA World Championship
Durant is the most recent in a line of NBA players who have made “The Leap” playing international basketball (Charles Barkley in 1992 and LeBron in 2008 are his two most well-known predecessors). In earning tournament MVP and leading Team USA to a gold medal finish (its first in 16 years), Durant proved he is not only a great player but also a great leader.
He addressed his flaws (notably defense and interior scoring) and put the team on his back time after time – most notably in the semifinal game against Lithuania, when he scored a Team USA single game record 38 points. He was Coach K’s ace in the hole, the guy who broke all conceptions about America’s “B-Team” not being able to measure up to international competition. And he did it all with a confidence and grace not often found in a 21-year-old player.
Before the tournament we knew Durant was a great player. Now we know he’s a winner as well, a go-to guy who can be counted on when the game is on the line – as long as Ron Artest isn’t around that is.
3. The Thunder are only going to get better
If Durant made “The Leap” with Team USA, Russell Westbrook made “The Mini Leap.” He may have come off the bench, but Westbrook was the point guard on the Team USA roster who stood out the most. Not only did he get into the lane at will and finish a flurry of ferocious dunks, he also played crunch time minutes when Derrick Rose struggled.
Westbrook’s development, paired with inevitable breakout seasons from James Harden and Serge Ibaka and the defensive potential of rookie center Cole Aldrich, makes the 50-win Thunder even more dangerous than they were last season.
Throw Jeff Green, Thabo Sefolosha and Nick Collison into the mix and you’ve got a team that I think can finish as high as third in West (behind L.A. and Dallas), which of course bodes well for Durant’s MVP chances.
4. LeBron is now Dwyane Wade’s sidekick in Miami
No matter what perspective you look at it from, LeBron significantly lowered his MVP stock by taking his talents to South Beach. In Cleveland, he was The Man. In fact, he was more than The Man. He won two MVP awards there and took them to their first ever Finals appearance. He was a demigod.
In New York, he would have been The Man too. They haven’t had a superstar since Patrick Ewing left. Even in Chicago, with Derrick Rose on board, he would have been The Man.
In Miami, he is not.
In Miami, Dwyane Wade is The Man. He proved it by bringing them a title in 2006 and routinely leading them into the playoffs after Shaq left. The Heat are his team. LeBron is just a sidekick. Granted, he’s a sidekick with a kick ass suit and an arsenal that would make even Mr. and Mrs. Smith blush, but he’s still a sidekick. And MVP voters don’t give awards to sidekicks – just ask Kobe Bryant circa 2002.
LeBron may have put himself in a situation to win multiple championships when he joined the Heat, but he also opened the door for Durant to win multiple MVP awards. If I’m KD, I send him a bottle of Perrier Jouet for every Maurice Podoloff trophy I win.
5. Kobe isn’t a serious contender anymore
I know, I know. I’m going to get heat for this. But it’s true. Last season, Kobe posted his worst PER (21.9) in 10 years and his lowest win share score (9.4) in five. He finished third in MVP voting and received zero (that’s right, zero) first place votes. The year before that, he finished second in MVP voting and received just two first place votes (five fewer than Dwyane Wade).
This is not to say Kobe isn’t still the most feared, most accomplished player in the NBA. He is. It’s more a reflection on the quality of his teammates (Pau Gasol in particular) and the nagging injuries that have bothered him for years.
Granted, he took more time off this summer than he has in years but the fact remains he has over 37,000 minutes on his NBA odometer (not including playoffs and international play) and he’s not the athletic interior presence he once was (which means fewer and fewer high percentage looks).
His will is still strong – make that the strongest. If he set his mind to it, Kobe could terrorize the league every night and put up MVP-type numbers. But he doesn’t want to be that player anymore. He’s learned that he’s better when he subjugates himself for the better of the team. As such, he’s not a serious MVP threat anymore. With him and LeBron out of the way, it’s Durant’s trophy to lose.
And, yes, Vegas oddmakers agree with me.
Patrick Crawley is the sports editor for Neon Tommy and the managing editor of Basketball Fiend.
Wow this article blows.
If by “blows” you mean right on the money, then yes, you are correct. I can’t wait to see wade and james fight over who “the man” is.. Lebron is an egomaniac that clearly in his career has never had a team first mentality like KD. This will not go over well in Miami. Kobe and the lakers will always worry me though..
KD will be better than LeBron by 24. He’s already a better shooter, and has a nicer base in Oklahoma than LeBron had in Cleveland. As Kobes falls, Oklahoma will be rulers of the West. Hell, they could take it this year maybe. And I’m not even a fan. It’s quite scary really.