since the Westbrook injury - Durant is averaging 33.2 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists for a total pts+reb+ast of 49.6 in 8 games.

Only Jordan had ever broken 50 pts+reb+ast (50.7, 1990) until Lebron blew him out of the water in 2009 with his 35.3 + 9.1 + 7.3 = 51.7 post season that was cruising along to the title until running into the Magic buzz saw in the 3rd round.

It would be interesting to see Durant carry a team of role players for a full season and deep into the playoffs like Lebron 09 and Jordan 90 did, but I think it ends soon.

[This message has been edited by InternetFan02 (edited 5/15/2013 4:45p).]

lebron took a cast of role players to the finals in 07, and deep in the playoffs in other years

that's the difference between durant, kobe, Pau Gasol, etc and lebron. None of them can carry a team on their own to the finals. Dwight howard did it in 2009, only to lose to kobe and pau. If lebron has the same cast durant has right now, perhaps he wins a couple games against the spurs in the finals. Ibaka alone is better than any center/pf that lebron had in 07

Gooden/Illgauskas were competent post players, if I'm remembering correctly that they were on that team.

Wasn't the Eastern Conference also much weaker back then?

Sure you had the Magic and Celts but then it was just Lebron with the Cavs and essentially a whole bunch of blanks

[This message has been edited by tremble (edited 5/15/2013 5:46p).]

you forget how good the wizards and pistons were. The pistons were lebron's first nemesis before the celtics became good

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Gooden/Illgauskas were competent post players, if I'm remembering correctly that they were on that team.

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Gooden was gone by 09. Ilgauskas averaged 10ppg in the playoffs, less than Ibakas 12.4.

Lebron's 2 supporting scorers were Mo Williams and Delonte West. Yes the same Delonte West who is now out of the league and sleeps in a truck in front of Mark Cuban's house.

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you forget how good the wizards and pistons were. The pistons were lebron's first nemesis before the celtics became good

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Detroit and Washington were terrible in 09.

There were 4 elite contenders in 09 and 3 of them were in the East

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you forget how good the wizards and pistons were. The pistons were lebron's first nemesis before the celtics became good

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Go look up who the Wizards were trotting out for round 1 against Cleveland that year. Please.

LeBron and the Cavs' run to the Finals was great. But it might be the most overrated thing about LeBron's career given the playoff path. By far.

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Gooden/Illgauskas were competent post players, if I'm remembering correctly that they were on that team.

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Gooden was gone by 09. Ilgauskas averaged 10ppg in the playoffs, less than Ibakas 12.4.

Lebron's 2 supporting scorers were Mo Williams and Delonte West. Yes the same Delonte West who is now out of the league and sleeps in a truck in front of Mark Cuban's house.

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Yeah, but that's still more than Perk is putting up

what? he had the greatest playoff game comeback ON THE ROAD in NBA history during that finals run.

did you forget that?

And the wizards series were very awesome tests in 2006 & 2007 (i think those were the two years). The pistons were very good in 2007, too

The 2007 East was one of the worst ever. The Cavs would have been swept in the 1st round if they were in the West that year. But by 2009 the Cavs, Magic and Celtics were all legitimate.

It's like people don't remember how the 07 finals turned out.

Round 1 against the Wizards. The Wizards without Gilbert Arenas or Caron Butler. This was Arenas' last season putting up superstar numbers. 28, 5, and 6 for the SEASON. Look at that line. Add in 2 steals per and a chip on his shoulder and a hatred for Cleveland. You don't think they missed that? Butler was putting up 20, 7, and 3 plus 2 steals as well. That was a Russell Westbrook situation on crack.

Round 2 was against the Nets. They were a .500 team who lost their starting center during the season. Who did they have step up in the 5 spot during the playoffs? Mikki Moore. MIKKI MOORE. Throw in a defensively-declining Jason Kidd and Vince Carter as backcourt stoppers? Shouldn't have even gone to six games.

Round 3 was the real challenge. Hard-contested, but this was the only series that I remember being impressive. Detroit was rock solid defensively and it was great win by LeBron and Cleveland. People also forget that BOOBIE GIBSON basically had to part the Red Sea in the deciding game.

Finals. SWEPT.


So yeah. It was a good run, but five or six other players that season could've "single-handedly" brought that Cavs team to the Finals. LeBron has done a lot of impressive things in his career, many of which are more impressive than his Finals sweep in 2007.

Yeah 50 win 07 Cavs would have been 6 seed in west playing Spurs first round. Tony Parker could have won First Round MVP! That's why I laugh at anyone who crows about Parker winning a Finals MVP.

what?

Durant goes 2-11 in the 1st half as the Thunder are down 12. Looking more like Lebron 2010 vs Celtics.

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Durant goes 2-11 in the 1st half as the Thunder are down 12. Looking more like Lebron 2010 vs Celtics.

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Exactly the comparison I was thinking earlier while watching this abortion.

Lebron had a triple double in 2010 in his last game

And he ends the game with a Lebron 2011 like 4th quarter with more turnovers than points.

This all makes me appreciate more what Lebron went through. This was an interesting experiment we got to see the last 9 games. I think Durant needs to join a team with a 2nd superstar.

Fortunately for Durant he doesn't have to abandon his team to get the 2nd superstar, and he'll continue to completely avoid the criticism and microscope that other stars like Lebron, Garnett, Kobe, and Dirk had to go through.

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This all makes me appreciate more what Lebron went through. This was an interesting experiment we got to see the last 9 games. I think Durant needs to join a team with a 2nd superstar.

Fortunately for Durant he doesn't have to abandon his team to get the 2nd superstar, and he'll continue to completely avoid the criticism and microscope that other stars like Lebron, Garnett, Kobe, and Dirk had to go through.

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Let me make sure I have this right. You're saying Westbrook is a superstar, correct?

If anything, I feel like losing Westbrook put Durant even more under the microscope. People are going to start saying the team can't win with only Durant; he's going to have to beat LeBron to win a championship, and that's no easy task.

When you're "the man", like LeBron, Dirk, Garnett, etc., people can always point to the weak supporting cast and say "what if". With Durant now, it's going to be he can't do anything without Westbrook.

These playoffs will definitely take a lot of heat off of Westbrook though. Doubt we'll hear nearly as much about how he's a ball hog, reckless, selfish, etc.

Let's be real here, Lebron never won a championship without help either.

He got damn close but he never did it.

Agreed, but people still saw he was a total badass when he was on a team alone so they could say "oh well if LeBron had more help he'd win championships easily". With Durant, people are going to say "well, he has an awesome second banana in Westbrook and a good third banana in Ibaka, why can't he get over the hump?"

I think Durant will win some championships, sooner rather than later depending on how long Dwyane Wade's body holds up.

Yeah Westbrook is the big winner here in reputation. Followed by Lebron.

And now we'll always have the answer to the question of what if Durant had to carry a playoff team on his own like Lebron tried to do? He put up Lebron like numbers for a good stretch of games but faded away

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Durant goes 2-11 in the 1st half as the Thunder are down 12. Looking more like Lebron 2010 vs Celtics.

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Which one is the Finals MVP that year and which is LeBron?

Player A: 26.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 7.2 apg, 3.5 steal+block/g

Player B: 28.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.9 steal+block/g


Durant can only do so much. He didn't shoot well tonight, but he still got pretty good numbers against a VERY good perimeter defender in Tony Allen.

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With Durant now, it's going to be he can't do anything without Westbrook.

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I thought they'd say the same about LeBron winning with Wade, but it hasn't happened much. Durant's too good not to get there eventually.

The Lebron 2010 reference was obviously aimed at the infamous game 5 vs Boston.

And Durant had one of his worst shooting games EVER tonight by the stats.

Well with LeBron and Wade, I think people have accepted that Wade isn't the same consistently dominant player he used to be. That is LeBron's team undoubtedly; Wade still has his big games here and there but he's just as likely to be a nonfactor.

And yeah, Durant put up some incredible numbers. You have to wonder if his thin frame is what makes him fade late in games like that. You rough up a beanpole the entire game for 40+ minutes, he's gonna be burned out by the end.

To add to that, I didn't watch the entire series but having Durant guard Gasol for any amount of time seems pretty silly. Gasol is a big banger, Durant is gonna get burned out real quick playing down low against him.

Of course if my other option was Kendrick Perkins I guess I wouldn't have a choice.

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This all makes me appreciate more what Lebron went through. This was an interesting experiment we got to see the last 9 games. I think Durant needs to join a team with a 2nd superstar.

Fortunately for Durant he doesn't have to abandon his team to get the 2nd superstar, and he'll continue to completely avoid the criticism and microscope that other stars like Lebron, Garnett, Kobe, and Dirk had to go through.

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Let me make sure I have this right. You're saying Westbrook is a superstar, correct?

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Are you saying he isn't?

9 total points in last 3 fourth quarters + overtime.

choKevin Durant