So we’re now at this place where we as adults can evaluate the past three seasons of Kevin Durant in Oakland. The emotion is no longer raw. It is a time for pragmatic thought and words.
If Kevin Durant was my son what I would say is that you did the right thing minus one detail. You should have been open about why you made your decision. A point guard who plays like a fourth grader and a shooting guard who still can’t shoot were why you had to leave. You should have left for the simple reason that the Thunder organization didn’t and still haven’t been able to two do things which need to be done to become a real contender.
Namely:
1 Find a coach who can coach Russell Westbrook. Who is this person? I surely don’t know who that coach is short of Pop perhaps. But I know this, the manner in which Russell Westbrook calibrates risk-reward on the floor is precisely why the Thunder are 4-12 in post season without Kevin Durant making Sam Presti look a great deal better than he is as a GM.
2 No quality shooting guard. Shooting guard implies just that. Have a guard who can shoot. This doesn’t mean you pay Andre Roberson $10 million a year to be the worst shooting guard in the history of the NBA. This means you add a SHOOTING GUARD who can shoot. And to Russell Westbrook’s defense somewhat…Sam Presti still hasn’t done this unless you’re a Little Nick Gallo or Low Energy Royce Young zombie who believes Terrance Ferguson is that dude who can be the next Danny Green or Fred van Fleet.
If Durant were my son and Harvard wanted him to come there…I wouldn’t say don’t go there—they already have too many smart people. I’d want my son to go where he has the opportunity to fulfill his potential to the max and be rewarded for his work ethic and dreams.
To me…Durant going to Oakland was him going to Harvard to see what it’s like to be on a team with a coach whose players listen and a friggin’ shooting guard who can shoot. How ironic for me that Klay Thompson is my favorite player in the NBA and the model for what a shooting guard should be. Meanwhile–Sam Presti still embraces long players who can’t shoot. It’s stunning. It’s like the OKC Chamber of Commerce volunteering to be guinea pigs for sonic booms. Sam Anderson knows. I wonder if Clay Bennett could make a few calls and get Mary Fallin a third term? Who are these people in Oklahoma?
So now Durant is gone to Brooklyn with his Achilles is on the mend. Will he be the same player down the road? We don’t know. But we know this…Kevin Durant has two championship rings and two Finals MVP trophies he wouldn’t have if he’d stayed in Oklahoma City.
The axiom is a simple one. Dumb teams in any sport don’t win championships. Did you see a smart team in Oklahoma City this past season as Paul George had an MVP worthy season?
No we did not and it’s time to make some conclusions about the Oklahoma City Thunder.