Kevin Durant is a true student of the game. He has taken something from a lot of the greats that have come before him. If Durant was put together like a puzzle from pieces of players in the past, who would those players be?
Scoring: Tracy McGrady
Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history. When he gets going it’s reminscent of Tracy McGrady. McGrady at 6″8″ was quick enough to drive passed the initial defender. He could jump high enough to dunk on any center trying to protect the rim and also could rise up and nail a jumper over anyone. McGrady is a two-time scoring champion. In the 2002-03 season, he averaged 32.1 points per game while shooting 45% from the field. In Durant’s best scoring season, 2013-14, he averaged 30 points per game. Durant was more efficient than McGrady as he shot 50% from the field. The Phoenix Suns’ forward has talked about the influence McGrady had on his game before.
Passing: Chris Webber
This comparison may be surprising as their play styles are very different. Chris Webber was a face-up power forward who usually got the ball at the free throw or closer to the rim but also had the ability to lead a fastbreak. Webber was a really good passer from that position. Kevin Durant has similar assist numbers to Webber and can see over the defense in the same way. The long-time Sacramento King averaged 4.2 assists per game for his career. Durant has averaged 4.3 assists per game so far in his career.
Defense: Chris Bosh
Chris Bosh was a power forward/center who played for the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. In Toronto, Bosh was the main offensive threat and then had to adjust his game once he joined the Heat. He was no longer going to be the first option on offense playing along side LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. He made his impact by becoming one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA.
The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was great at staying in front of great offensive players.
Thia defense from Chris Bosh was superb. Nice find by Dragic in transition to get D-Wade a flush. pic.twitter.com/N8kzws2fd3
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) December 26, 2015
Bosh was also very good at protecting the rim as a help defender.
The similarities are definitely there when it comes to the defensive side of the ball for Chris Bosh and Kevin Durant.
The Completed Puzzle
Kevin Durant is a very unique player that is one part Tracy McGrady, one part Chris Webber, and one part Chris Bosh. These are three hall of fame basketball players that were great in their own right. Durant is on a different level of special. Do you agree with the puzzle pieces selected in this article?
