why is durant struggling vs memphis as appose to last year?

[inclinerator]

he had a worse team last year without westbrook yet he's playing a level below that this year, what is the cause of the sudden drop off

[yarrak]

It's all mental. He is choking.

[SpecialQue]

Higher expectations maybe? Last season no one expected them to win without Westbrook.

[scm5]

I think it's because he has Westbrook to fall back on.

Also, I think Durant is good enough that no one in the league can effectively shut him down, but Tony Allen seems to have gotten the mental edge over Durant which is something he might not have had last year.

[JohnMax]

His stats aren't bad

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html#playoffs_per_game::none

[Nuff Said]

Grizzlies are just a bad match up for the thunder. Also keep in mind kd wasn't as good toward the end of the season as he was earlier.

[chazzy]

No idea. Looks completely out of his game

[Cold soul]

Durant looks mentally and physically drained, he looks exhausted out there. But that's no excuse for his bad play.

[MUGEN]

He just looks mentally weak to be perfectly honest. Hope he snaps out of it for the next game

[Real14]

its part grizzlies, part westbrook and part himself.

[Droid101]

Tony Allen being fully healthy. He was hobbled last year. They sat him out most of the regular season to ensure Durant Death.

[GODbe]

http://blacksportsonline.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Lil-B-Basegod.jpg

[jlip]

His stats aren't bad

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duranke01.html#playoffs_per_game::none

Durant with that Wiltesque minutes for the series.

[inclinerator]

holy 47.8 minutes da *** is brooks doing

[Keno]

holy 47.8 minutes da *** is brooks doing

lol 4 overtime games in a row.

[russwest0]

He logged over 3000 minutes in the regular season. Many of them late in the year while he was in a shooting slump. Hell even in the last game of the season vs the ****ing Pistons he had to play like 45 minutes and score 20 points in the 4th just for OKC to win by a few points.

In all actuality it probably would have been better just to rest the guys late in the year and settle with the 3rd seed and let the Clippers take the Grizzlies on in round one.

As soon as Brooks started cutting the rotation after the ASB and removing guys like Lamb, Adams, and PJ3 from the rotation OKC started playing worse and to accommodate for it and try to get the 2 seed Brooks just played KD a shit ton.

KD honestly just looks physically fatigued out there. He got shit on on twitter for standing in the corner with his hands on his knees late in the game one play like he was being lazy but I don't think people understand how draining it can be to play that much in the regular season and then log 48mpg in just the first round of the playoffs. Brooks has drove him into the ground. It doesn't excuse all of his poor play but when a 90% FT shooter is shooting like 70% it shows just how bad it is. It also doesn't help that KD is the last guy in the league to ask for rest.

[plowking]

Tony Allen being fully healthy. He was hobbled last year. They sat him out most of the regular season to ensure Durant Death.

And because the Grizzlies would beat any team in the East in a 7 game series? Right?

F*ck it. Any East team ever.

[Lebronxrings]

in all honesty hes gotta be drained from all the time scott brooks gives him. I would go look at okcs box score during the regula season and see him play 45+ minutes a game. Not to mention hes intimidated by the alpha westbrook.

[Black and White]

Combination of factors:

1) Tony Allen - he has been playing godly defense and his ball restriction has been great, basically forcing Durant to take quick shots if/when he gets the ball. Durants lack of post game doesn't help this cause either.

2) Fatigue - 4 straight OTs and heavy minutes during the regular season, its hard to see on the court but it definitely has to be a factor, look at his drop off at the free throw line.

3) Mental - certain teams get in your head, most star players always have a bogey team, last years series against the Grizz must still be in his head, no matter how much he wants to put it behind him, causing him to overthink and want to possibly prove people wrong about last year???

Dunno, I'm just throwing a few things out there.