Kevin Durant is a better basketball player than LeBron James

[28renyoy]

I'm sorry, but it's absolutely true. The 4th quarter means too much in the playoffs. The vast majority of playoff games are decided in the 4th quarter and LeBron is nowhere near Durant's level with the game on the line.

[G-Funk]

I'm sorry, but it's absolutely true. The 4th quarter means too much in the playoffs. The vast majority of playoff games are decided in the 4th quarter and LeBron is nowhere near Durant's level with the game on the line.


was MIA the last 9 minutes, who does that???:oldlol:

[comerb]

He's not a better basketball player, but he's a killer... and ultimately that's what matters.

[R.I.P.]

Nothing to do with being clutch. Durant can simply shoot the shit out of the ball. Bron couldn

[miles berg]

He's not a better basketball player, but he's a killer... and ultimately that's what matters.

No, he is a better player.

Only place LeBron is better is in fantasy basketball.

[28renyoy]

He's not a better basketball player, but he's a killer... and ultimately that's what matters.

LeBron is better at passing and chase down blocks. That is it. He literally does nothing else better than Durant and can only play on the ball turning the rest of his teammates into nothing but spot up shooters. And in crunch time he falls apart.

Durant is shooting 51% on jumpshots in the 2nd half in the playoffs. Just think about that number for a second, that includes his 4 3's a game. He's shooting near 60% on 2nd half 2 point jump shots and he can get that shot any time he wants to. No other player in the history of the game sans Jordan has that type of reliability in crunch time other than bigs that were garbage free throw shooters, and you could just put them on the line. Durant is a borderline 90% FT shooter

[inclinerator]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8w8ST-z8pV4/Th5fux-mdyI/AAAAAAAAQCA/UbC-2X4yz78/s1600/FGoddhorserace.gif

[Kurosawa0]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.

[chazzy]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.
Neither does Dirk but you could argue he was better than Lebron last year.

[Round Mound]

He is a Better Shiooter and Clutcher but NOT a Better Player: Lebron Owns him In Driving to the Basket, Rebounding, Creating Missmatches, Creating and Passing and Ofcourse Defense (He can Guard 2-some 5s)

[28renyoy]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.

Hog the ball? I agree

Durant is the better scorer
Durant is the better shooter
Durant is the better slasher
Durant is better off the ball
Durant is the better man defender
Durant is the better shot blocker
Durant is more clutch

LeBron is the better passer
LeBron is the better off the ball defender/better at chase down blocks

LeBron's advantages aren't even that large anymore. Durant is quickly becoming one of the best passing SF's in the league. Meanwhile Durant's advantages are HUGE margins

[lebeast666]

lol guess you guys don't understand the fact that Lebron has to do so much whereas Durant just catches and shoots

[The Choken One]

LeBron is the best player in the NBA by a decent margin...

enough with the knee jerk reactions from the ISH already...

[R.I.P.]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.

No he doesn

[Indian guy]

Err, LeBron scored more points in the 4th today than Durant did last night.

It's not about the 4th qtr - it's about every qtr. Durant's superior ability allows him to impact games on command like LeBron never could. The fact that LeBron doesn't excel at anything on the offensive end of the floor makes him very susceptible to disappearing for large stretches of a game(3rd qtr tonight, for example). Durant's game has no such weaknesses. That's why he's better.

[kurple]

not true.

durant is a better shooter, that's pretty much it.

it's not like KD have won anything either

[28renyoy]

He is a Better Shiooter and Clutcher but NOT a Better Player: Lebron Owns him In Driving to the Basket, Rebounding, Creating Missmatches, Creating and Passing and Ofcourse Defense (He can Guard 2-some 5s)

So stupid.

Durant averaged more rebounds this year than LeBron ever has.
Durant was better than LeBron on ISO plays this season and had a higher FG% on drives
Durant ALWAYS has a mismatch. There isn't one player in the league that can even contest his jumpshot. There is no team defense to stop him because you cant prevent him from getting off a shot. All you have to do is zone LeBron and trap him when he drives.
Passing? I'll give you, but Durant creates baskets by not even having the ball in his hands because you have to guard him off the ball. That basically lets him teammates play 4 on 4.
Defense? LeBron's better off the ball, Durant is better on the ball. Pierce can't even get that shot off against Durant's length tonight

What an ignorant post from you. Then again your dumbass thinks charles barkley is top 10 all time

[clipse]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.

Even if that were true (which it isn't), at least KD does what he does for all
FOUR quarters!

[StateOfMind12]

In terms of pure abilities/talent, LeBron is better. It's the mentality that Durant has the significant edge over LeBron in. LeBron has a front-running mentality and he showed it again tonight. He plays horrible when he is going through adversity while Durant plays fine despite it.

[tpols]

Kevin Durant doesn't do half of what LeBron does.
He scores better than him in the half court.. is in general a better more versatile scorer.. and is much, much more clutch. He's also less ball dominant and allows his teammates to flourish alongside him. If you switched the two the Thunder would get worse and Miami would get better.

[truhooper]

no

[28renyoy]

Also just LOL @ all Durant has over him is shooting.

You do realize that if LeBron had Durant's jumpshot he would be the GOAT? It wouldn't even be CLOSE. Shooting is by far the most important NBA skill and there is a HUGE margin between LeBron & Durant in that area

[Cangri]

In terms of pure abilities/talent, LeBron is better. It's the mentality that Durant has the significant edge over LeBron in. LeBron has a front-running mentality and he showed it again tonight. He plays horrible when he is going through adversity while Durant plays fine despite it.
I think it's not even mental, Durant just has a MUCH better jumper, Lebron's jumper has been sht for a while now, so when he can't drive to the lane, he becomes useless, and he's only good at passing to the open man.

[rs98762001]

At this point, you have to say that LeBron has been significantly outplayed by Dirk in last year's playoffs, and Durant in this year's playoffs to date. Yeah he's clearly the best regular season player, but ultimately it doesn't mean much if year after year you come up short in the playoffs. If they flame out this year as looks likely, he's coming up to a decade in the league without a chip, and the panicking will begin. He's so good in so many ways except for the really important ones. Ultimately if Durant can keep this form going into next year, I think he may become the consensus best player in the game.

[Cangri]

You might call this 28renyoy guy a huge Durant nut.thugger or whatever but you can't deny he makes solid points.

[StateOfMind12]

I think it's not even mental, Durant just has a MUCH better jumper, Lebron's jumper has been sht for a while now, so when he can't drive to the lane, he becomes useless, and he's only good at passing to the open man.
I was referring to overall abilities/talent. Durant is obviously the better scorer and shooter than LeBron but Lebron has Durant beat at almost everything else.

[I.R.Beast]

Durant is a better shooter, has better crossover and moves going to the basket, is a better shot blocker equal rebounder better at the line, and better in the clutch by a mile.He holds his defensive assignments to lower percentages than lebron and does a better job staying in front of them.

LeBron's only edge is passing. lebron doing "so much" is just bs and garbage ppl like to hang their hat on to make an excuse for him.


Durant is a better player than LeBron , point blank

[Cangri]

I was referring to overall abilities/talent. Durant is obviously the better scorer and shooter than LeBron but Lebron has Durant beat at almost everything else.
The problem is that he just can't take over a game offensively the same way Durant can. Not with this heats team anyway. You could even see the Boston players sometimes give Lebron some space to shoot but he didn't because his jumper is sht.

[I.R.Beast]

He scores better than him in the half court.. is in general a better more versatile scorer.. and is much, much more clutch. He's also less ball dominant and allows his teammates to flourish alongside him. If you switched the two the Thunder would get worse and Miami would get better.
THIS....alot of people dont realize this. James is individually good at the expense of his teammates. Durant is individually great to the benfit of his teammates because his ability to score the way he does allow players to compliment whether they be another shooter or slasher and/or an assist guy,.

[comerb]

LeBron is better at passing and chase down blocks. That is it. He literally does nothing else better than Durant and can only play on the ball turning the rest of his teammates into nothing but spot up shooters. And in crunch time he falls apart.

Durant is shooting 51% on jumpshots in the 2nd half in the playoffs. Just think about that number for a second, that includes his 4 3's a game. He's shooting near 60% on 2nd half 2 point jump shots and he can get that shot any time he wants to. No other player in the history of the game sans Jordan has that type of reliability in crunch time other than bigs that were garbage free throw shooters, and you could just put them on the line. Durant is a borderline 90% FT shooter

He's also a better ball handler, has better court vision, is a better defender, runs the floor better, and finishes at the basket better.

Durant is a hell of a shooter, but he is not a better basketball player than Lebron. He is a better winner, which... as I said, is what counts.

[28renyoy]

I have a question.

What can LeBron James do without a screen? His offensive game at this point is literally ISO, pick and roll, drive to the rim and get fouled or kick it to an open man if he is met with a trap

While this is fine the 5-8 times a game he does it, this is literally his entire arsenal. Other than that he gets assisted on back cuts, transition baskets, or jacks up sub 40% 18 footers.

His scoring arsenal is such a joke at this point. The guy is a jumpshooter with poor footwork and a broken jumper

[I.R.Beast]

The problem is that he just can't take over a game offensively the same way Durant can. Not with this heats team anyway. You could even see the Boston players sometimes give Lebron some space to shoot but he didn't because his jumper is sht.
Another thing people arent noticing is that We're doubling wade and going single on lebron.

[tpols]

Another thing people arent noticing is that We're doubling wade and going single on lebron.
Because Wade is a lot more crafty and slithery than Lebron.. he can easily break one guy down and then it's a two step into a foul or great finish. And Wade is too short to effectively pass over KG's arms.

Lebron either puts his head down one way or pulls up.. hes extremely predictable.

[I.R.Beast]

I have a question.

What can LeBron James do without a screen? His offensive game at this point is literally ISO, pick and roll, drive to the rim and get fouled or kick it to an open man if he is met with a trap

While this is fine the 5-8 times a game he does it, this is literally his entire arsenal. Other than that he gets assisted on back cuts, transition baskets, or jacks up sub 40% 18 footers.

His scoring arsenal is such a joke at this point. The guy is a jumpshooter with poor footwork and a broken jumper
he sucks going one on one...We are literally just doubling wade and forcing him to go ham..

[comerb]

THIS....alot of people dont realize this. James is individually good at the expense of his teammates. Durant is individually great to the benfit of his teammates because his ability to score the way he does allow players to compliment whether they be another shooter or slasher and/or an assist guy,.

No, that's not even remotely true. It's all about complementary play-styles. Lebron James is a slasher/penetrator w/ pinpoint passing precision, he makes shooters better (ie Ray Allen, Mo). Durant spreads the floor and makes slashers better(ala Westbrook & Wade)

[all_or_nothing]

The most significant differences is that Durant is an incredible shooter and he never shys away from big moments. You can count on him to take those big shots when his team needs it the most. He seems so confident, composed, and he handles the pressure exceptionally well, especially for someone so young.

With that being said, Lebron needs to work on his footwork and post game. He doesn't have a consistent mid range jumper and he's not that great of a 3-point shooter. He's slowly declining in athleticism and explosiveness. He can't quite get to the rim at will like he used to.

If this year is an indication, Oklahoma is going to be the team to beat in the coming years and Durant is only going to get better.

[Round Mound]

So stupid.

Durant averaged more rebounds this year than LeBron ever has.
Durant was better than LeBron on ISO plays this season and had a higher FG% on drives
Durant ALWAYS has a mismatch. There isn't one player in the league that can even contest his jumpshot. There is no team defense to stop him because you cant prevent him from getting off a shot. All you have to do is zone LeBron and trap him when he drives.
Passing? I'll give you, but Durant creates baskets by not even having the ball in his hands because you have to guard him off the ball. That basically lets him teammates play 4 on 4.
Defense? LeBron's better off the ball, Durant is better on the ball. Pierce can't even get that shot off against Durant's length tonight

What an ignorant post from you. Then again your dumbass thinks charles barkley is top 10 all time

U just described what i though u would and no Lebron is a More Complete and All Around Gamed than Durant. Lebron has Been a Better Rebounder for his Career so there. Durant is a Better Shooter and Clutch Shooter. Thats It.

Lebron is Miles Away a Better TOTAL Defender.

Duran deserved the MVP i agree there but are Overrating him Too Much

BTW: I did not Insult You...Like U Just Did.

[Dragonyeuw]

* cues Pauk in 3...2...1...*

[Dragonyeuw]

Durant is a Better Shooter and Clutch Shooter. Thats It.



That's a pretty big advantage though.

[knightfall88]

I'm sorry guys but Lebron is better than Durant at every single thing except basketball.

[I.R.Beast]

He's also a better ball handler, has better court vision, is a better defender, runs the floor better, and finishes at the basket better.

Durant is a hell of a shooter, but he is not a better basketball player than Lebron. He is a better winner, which... as I said, is what counts.
LeBron James is nto a better on ball defender than durant. Help defense yes, but not on ball. Durant length and lateral movement makes him better than lebron on ball. Better ball handler , i give you, but Durant has better moves with the ball thus making him better at getting to the rim. Durant is a better isolation player than leBron. James defense is overrated.

[I.R.Beast]

No, that's not even remotely true. It's all about complementary play-styles. Lebron James is a slasher/penetrator w/ pinpoint passing precision, he makes shooters better (ie Ray Allen, Mo). Durant spreads the floor and makes slashers better(ala Westbrook & Wade)
Durant makes everyone better, shooters, slashers, scores..dont matter. his game fits into what a TEAM wants to do. If u aint catching and shooting then james can't do a damn thing for you. He's overrated in every aspect of basketball.

[Fudge]

I'm sorry guys but Lebron is better than Durant at every single thing except basketball.
:oldlol:

[BEAST Griffin]

Garbage.

If Lebron slept in the first half like Durant did the other day, the Heat would get blown out.

Lebron bears much more responsibility than Durant.

[Replay32]

Durant is a flat out scoring machine and one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen. He's longer and taller than lebron. He will pull up from deep without a care in the world. I believe he came in 2nd in the 3 pt contest this year. He's got crazy range and is a consistent shot maker in the clutch.

I believe Lebron is a better defender and playmker. Lebron's impact is a greater than durant's too. Lebron can carry scrubs further which makes him slightly better IMO.

But Durant is a way better shooter/scorer than Lebron and he has a deeper more talented team around him. Durant is a beast and is so cool. I love his approach to the game.

[LamarOdom]

* cues Pauk in 3...2...1...*

Don't worry Heat just lost and LeBron didn't do sh!t with the game on the line you can expect Pauk hiding until the next win.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Lebron hasn't had what I'd call a bad series, this isn't 2010 and 2011. And at this point, Durant played with even more help than Lebron for the playoffs with Bosh missing a lot of time.

I'll give Durant top 2 this season with Dwight having a down year and Wade declining(Dirk as well to some extent).

[knicksman]

Durant could end up as GOAT. Ive never seen an off the ball player that can score that much. IMO Ill pick his skillset over jordan.

[upside24]

Durant is a monster and his scoring ability is phenomenal but he is not better than LeBron James.

When I watch Durant play I am amazed by his effortless scoring, silky smooth shot and fearlessness when it comes to taking big shots.

But when I watch LeBron, I am amazed by his scoring, vision, slashing, pin point passing, finishing after contact, board crashing and superb defense.

Durant can do some of the things LeBron can do but not as consistently. Maybe Durant will evolve into something that will approach LeBron's level but at the moment he is not there.

[HorryIsMyMVP]

Kobe Bryant is like a poor man's Kevin Durant.

[ILLsmak]

No, he is a better player.

Only place LeBron is better is in fantasy basketball.

Yeah or potential. LeBron has the potential to go completely ape and get like 50 15 15.

-Smak

[ILLsmak]

Durant could end up as GOAT. Ive never seen an off the ball player that can score that much. IMO Ill pick his skillset over jordan.


Wouldn't go that far, but I remember arguing with people on this forum or on other forums before the draft. I wasn't a huge Durant fan, but I saw him play a couple times at Texas, and you could just tell he was an all-time great level player.

I was like U GOTTA PICK HIM OVER ODEN. Even if Oden doesn't get injured, it's durant all day.

I think I could see him being better than Kobe and LeBron when it's all over, but MJ, Bird, or Magic? I don't know. Those guys have a lot of rings. So does Kobe, I guess, but I think if Durant continues his level of play and wins a few rings, he'll surpass him.

-Smak

[Indian guy]

LeBron has the potential to go completely ape and get like 50 15 15.

Care to explain how a below average shooter and mediocre slasher has this "potential"?

[cteach111]

Wouldn't go that far, but I remember arguing with people on this forum or on other forums before the draft. I wasn't a huge Durant fan, but I saw him play a couple times at Texas, and you could just tell he was an all-time great level player.

I was like U GOTTA PICK HIM OVER ODEN. Even if Oden doesn't get injured, it's durant all day.

I think I could see him being better than Kobe and LeBron when it's all over, but MJ, Bird, or Magic? I don't know. Those guys have a lot of rings. So does Kobe, I guess, but I think if Durant continues his level of play and wins a few rings, he'll surpass him.

-Smak

Durant/Lebron will have chances to cement their legacies if they ever meet each other in the postseason.

I think it'll happen at some point, maybe even this year :D

The Heat will be the Finals, dunno about OKC though.

[Micku]

Yes and no. LeBron James have more ability with his all around game. Plus he is a better defender.

Durant is a better clutch player and and better off the ball player. He doesn't need the ball. Right now, he is playing better offensively.

[bizil]

This is a case of a great scorer who is also a EPIC all around player vs. an EPIC SCORER who has a good all around game. Bron is a great scorer no doubt. He has won scoring titles and can get 30 in his sleep. But he's not quite on the level of Durant in terms of taking a game by the throat scoring. Durant on the other hand is a good all around player but not an epic one like Bron.

So it comes down to who would u rather have, guys like Bron, MJ, Bird,Magic, Wade, Big O, West or Durant,Nique, Melo, King, English, Gervin, Dantley. Normally u would take the kind of guys from the first group who are EPIC at the all around game and alpha dog shit. But frankly, Bron isn't the alpha dog as the others in the first group. So this might be a closer comparison than some think. Being a true alpha dog is the most premium asset in bball. And Durant is the ultimate alpha dog along with Kobe and Melo right now in the L. So even if a guy is a better all around player, Durant's epic alpha dog shit can supercede that often times!

[1987_Lakers]

lol

[Mr Exlax]

This thread had to have been started after the first game lol.

[caliman]

I hope this series ended all of that silly talk.

[pauk]

Hahahah... poor 28renyoy, give the guy a break

[Clifton]

Nobody is a better basketball player than Lebron James. Of course that's a commonplace now, but it was true after game 1 too. I don't know why people don't talk about Lebron's passing and playmaking more. That's why he's better than everyone including Durant (as amazing a player as Durant continues to become). When you have a guy with the quickness and vision and passing and fluent ballhandling of Allen Iverson, and you remove the need to dominate the ball, make him the size of a power forward, and then develop his high-post and off-ball ability, develop his defense so it's some of the best in the league, and then have him grow up into a man with the mind of a warrior, and you have almost the greatest conceivable player. The only thing Lebron doesn't have is touch. But 30 points on jumpshots is not as impactful as 20 points on dunks. And it's okay if you lack touch around the rim if you can just dunk on everyone all the time.

[LA_Showtime]

I would love to see Durant's numbers with a legitimate point guard or an offense that isn't 99% isolation basketball.

[Johnni Gade]

Lebron won

[ihoopallday]

Fail :roll: :roll:

[LeBron 06]

I'm sorry guys but Lebron is better than Durant at every single thing except basketball.



:oldlol:

[imdaman99]

:oldlol:
There's nothing more obvious than an April 13 who just got approved bumping a thread from summer 2012.

Alts gonna alt :rockon: