Hoops4Life.com - Profile: Kevin Durant

Profile: Kevin Durant - by the.game

Written by the.game

Thursday, 26 April 2007

Kevin Durant | 9.29.88 | Suitland, MD
Texas | Freshman | SF/PF | 6'10 | 220
35.9 MPG | 25.8 PPG | 11.1 RPG | 1.3 APG | 1.9 SPG | 1.9 BPG | 0.473%FG | 0.404%3PTFG

Strengths

Durant's game lies in his athletic ability for a player of his size and his ability to shoot the basketball from anywhere on the court. A legitimate 6'10 in shoes, Durant's skill set would make even the best shooting guards jealous and combining it with his size, he creates nightmarish mismatches and capitalizes on them. His three point shooting is perhaps his biggest weapon at this point in time but he gets it done with his ball handling, runners, drives to the bucket and just about every other perimeter move you can think of. Though he was the runaway national player of the year as an eighteen year old, Durant's only beginning the scratch the surface of his potential. Despite being so dominant, there is a lot he can still improve on and this has made him arguably the best draft prospect since LeBron James (Greg Oden included). Durant scraps for loose balls and though he's not a physical presence by any means, he uses his length to rebound the ball and also rack up a high number of steals and blocks. His work ethic is second to none and has no qualms about stepping up to the plate and carrying his team on his back.

Weakness

Durant's strength (or lack of) will be an issue if he wants to become a dominant force in the NBA but at eighteen (and will be eighteen for another five months), it's not a big deal. He doesn't have the explosiveness of a LeBron James but then again, who does? Durant is prone to long periods of time during which he does not assert himself. This is partly due to the problem that few of his teammates outside of DJ Augustin could get him the ball under pressure but also not being proactive enough. His defense is the one area he could improve on most. Durant is great at blocking shots and knocking the ball away with his Stretch-Armstrong-esque arms but his man to man defense still needs work. What makes Durant such a great prospect is that he has no weaknesses that cannot be fixed with some hard work and some experience.

Notes

Even if you've been living under a rock for the past year, you should know the name Kevin Durant - the most decorated freshman in the history of college basketball. His scoring exploits, domination and character has made Durant the most marketable prospect since LeBron James and will stand to make a great deal of money in his first shoe contract. Durant's most common comparisons are Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Dirk Nowitzki...certainly not a combination to be laughed at. Can play either forward spot with great effectiveness and could be at least a 20 point per night presence as a rookie if he's given a lead role.

Draft Projection

Top Two (1-2)

Your Thoughts?

(Written by the.game )