Throughout the NBA season, Kevin Durant maintained he just wanted the focus to be on the court. The Golden State Warriors star will likely be a free agent this summer, which means Durant, much to his chagrin, has had to deal with questions regarding his future for most of the year.
Despite his pleas to avoid the subject, NBA fans and journalists couldn’t help but speculate where Durant will end up moving forward.
But lately, the former MVP has been so dominant on the court, it’s almost impossible to ignore his game.
Durant has scored 45 points or more three times in five games — becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to accomplish that in the same postseason. The Warriors suffered a 126-121 loss Saturday to the Houston Rockets, but Durant was the reason they were even in the game. He scored 46, shooting a remarkable 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
When Durant joined the Warriors in 2016, there was some reluctance to acknowledge him as the premier talent on a team loaded with stars like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Durant answered by winning the NBA Finals MVP back to back and leading the Warriors to two more NBA titles. Still, the Prince George’s County product doesn’t get the kind of attention and acclaim routinely showered on LeBron James.
But this latest stretch of playoff dominance is changing that narrative.
“I think Kevin wants to be recognized as the best player in the world,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told Sporting News last week. “And I happen to think he is. Now, on our team, he doesn’t need to show it. He’s not stat crazy. He’s not a guy that chases numbers. He’s content to let other people score.
“But in the playoffs, when it’s absolutely necessary that he becomes aggressive and takes over games, this is his time to take over. … And to me it’s pretty obvious watching the playoffs who the best player has been.”
Durant’s upcoming free agency will still garner lots of attention. On “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, Adam Sandler, appearing as his character “Opera Man,” pleaded for Durant to join the New York Knicks. Oddsmakers, too, believe Durant is headed for New York this summer — and a sportsbook listed the Knicks’ odds to win next year’s title at 16-1, even though Durant has yet to make a decision.
Ahead of that decision, Durant has reignited the debate over who is the best player in the NBA.
For years, that unofficial title belonged to James — driving Durant to the point in which he famously declared to Sports Illustrated in 2013 that he was tired of being “No. 2.”
James, however, missed the playoffs this season for the first time since 2005. And at age 34, he showed signs of slowing down — missing a career-high 27 games, the majority of which were caused by a groin injury. Though James averaged 27-8-8, he wasn’t as dominant as in previous years.
That has opened the door for Durant, who has been phenomenal. In nine playoff games, Durant is averaging a career-high 35.6 per game — only 11 others in NBA history have averaged more. Of those 11, only five others set those averages while playing more games than Durant, according to Basketball-Reference.
Durant’s scoring average, of course, could always drop as the Warriors continue this postseason. But the 30-year-old’s brilliance extends beyond scoring. He’s an invaluable defender and playmaker, too.
Perhaps the most remarkable part about this run is the fact that Durant didn’t begin these playoffs with the type of control we’re seeing now. In fact, for the first two games of the Warriors’ first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, a pesky Patrick Beverley did well defending Durant.
Durant, though, wasn’t fazed. Speaking to reporters, he even sent a message prior to Game 3.
“I’m not going to get in the way of the game because I want to have a little back-and-forth with Patrick Beverley,” said Durant, who proceeded to score 40 points. “I’m Kevin Durant. You know who I am. Y’all know who I am.”
Durant has since reminded everyone, just in case they forgot.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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