Can Durant be a very good center?

[iamgine]

He's about 6'11 240 Lbs. That's about the same size as many great centers such as David Robinson or Kareem Abdul Jabbar give or take a few.

Now obviously putting Durant at center could be very beneficial as no opposing center will be able to guard him while based on his size he could be quite decent at defending centers.

What do you say?

[Fudge]

Definitely. We've seen him do a decent job on M.Gasol already. One of the most skilled and strongest bigs in the league today. Haven't really seen much else, since he hasn't been asked much to do this.

But the answer is yes. Dude is low key strong enough to keep up with the fat boys/big boys of the league.

[JohnMax]

He couldn't guard Diaw in the post

[StephHamann]

I agree he beasted in the Post against the Clippers

http://cdn1.bloguin.com/crossoverchronicles/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2014/05/KevinDurantThunder_ChrisPaulClippers051114.jpg

[JonatanRey]

One of the best defenders I have seen on Durant is CP3. I think it wouldnt make such a difference because he is almost unstoppable no matter who guards him. You could change your D and put on him your SG, SF, PF,...

On the other side, any center with post moves could humilate him at the other end.

[AboutBuckets]

Doubt he's actually 240, maybe 225-230. He's built pretty similarly to but a bit thicker than Nerlens Noel who's in the 215-220 range. If he could get up to a true 250 and retain his agility and dexterity then yes, he could theoretically play the 5 and be above average

[JonatanRey]

I agree he beasted in the Post against the Clippers

http://cdn1.bloguin.com/crossoverchronicles/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2014/05/KevinDurantThunder_ChrisPaulClippers051114.jpg

Damn! You type quickly ;-)

[Thorpesaurous]

I'm not sure what type of alignment they could use that would help them in this regard. They could nominally put him at Center, but if Ibaka is out there with him, and say Perry Jones, no team would defend him with a center, so it would barely matter. He could probably defend that position just because there aren't a ton of teams that run through there anyway.

And he needs to upgrade his post game needs to improve drastically if he'd ever want to force centers to defend him, because as it stands now he's shooting the same fadaways after being rooted out by Chris Paul (as shown above) as he does against anyone else, so there's really no reason for a team to defend him with a Center.

[Fudge]

And believe it or not, Durant is actually one of a few players today that can legit defend all 5 positions AND do a good job at it.

I had a braifart. We're talking about offense here?

Dude would shit on opposing Centers on the daily. :oldlol: Are you fcking kidding me?

[JonatanRey]

And believe it or not, Durant is actually one of a few players today that can legit defend all 5 positions AND do a good job at it.

I had a braifart. We're talking about offense here?

Dude would shit on opposing Centers on the daily. :oldlol: Are you fcking kidding me?

About offense and defense. No doubt he would shit on offense against opposing C. The problem comes at the other end. He is not capable of defending true centers in the post. Not even in this weak era. He cant defend Al Jefferson, Al Holford, Anthony Davis, Cousins or Brook Lopez. No way.

[fpliii]

About offense and defense. No doubt he would shit on offense against opposing C. The problem comes at the other end. He is not capable of defending true centers in the post. Not even in this weak era. He cant defend Al Jefferson, Al Holford, Anthony Davis, Cousins or Brook Lopez. No way.
To be fair, that's five players. Throw in Dwight, Pekovic, Duncan, maybe a couple of others, and that total gets to 10.

He could probably do well enough against the other 2/3 of the league, no? I haven't watched him guard any centers except spot time on Marc Gasol, but he has the physical tools you'd think.

[ralph_i_el]

Wouldn't make sense to guard Durant with a center. He could defend most centers passably, but I think teams would go at him and try to get him in foul trouble.

[JonatanRey]

To be fair, that's five players. Throw in Dwight, Pekovic, Duncan, maybe a couple of others, and that total gets to 10.

He could probably do well enough against the other 2/3 of the league, no? I haven't watched him guard any centers except spot time on Marc Gasol, but he has the physical tools you'd think.


If you put it that way, I cant disagree. Plus, he would do it better than Al Jefferson on D. And everyone agrees Al Jefferson is a good center. I may be wrong at my answer ;-)

[lilteapot]

lmao I'd love to see him try and guard dwight.

[Thorpesaurous]

Wouldn't make sense to guard Durant with a center. He could defend most centers passably, but I think teams would go at him and try to get him in foul trouble.


There are plenty of teams it would make sense against too. It'd be nice to have him defending someone like Noel or Larry Sanders where they aren't a huge threat offensively to put him in any trouble, and he'd be free to roam a bit.

And other teams if they go small against, like say Portland, I'd rather have him defending their Center in Lopez than at Aldridge at PF.


Honestly OKC's positions are a little tough to define in general because both Durant and Ibaka do some SF and PF things, and both could move up to Center in a small ball lineup if necessary. And because of Ibaka's shotblocking you'd almost prefer him to be allowed to roam in spite of Durant's foul risk, and his crazy length that makes him so dangerous roaming as well.

It's one of the reasons the continued insistence on play Perkins so many minutes has been so frustrating, because there's so many interesting things this team could be trying. Hell even Perry Jones is big as a SF.

[KyrieTheFuture]

Sweet jesus you idiots think KD can guard a center in the post?

Edit: Don't even get me started on him being a rim protector

[JerrySeinfeld]

Sweet jesus you idiots think KD can guard a center in the post?

Edit: Don't even get me started on him being a rim protector

he could be good if he played point through center because he's just that good. same with lebron right now.

yeah he may get bullied in the post, but he'd still be a good center. it's not like many current centers even know how to exploit a post mismatch anyways. too many guys spotting up in todays league

[T_L_P]

He'd be a dynamic C on offense (though really just a stretch 4 playing the C), but the defense would be bad.

Guys like Robin Lopez and Jordan would have career nights on him.

[oarabbus]

To be fair, that's five players. Throw in Dwight, Pekovic, Duncan, maybe a couple of others, and that total gets to 10.

He could probably do well enough against the other 2/3 of the league, no? I haven't watched him guard any centers except spot time on Marc Gasol, but he has the physical tools you'd think.


Could he even guard a stone-handed oaf like Asik? As a 5th option, but a starter, he averaged 10/11 two years back. I don't know if I like the Durant guarding Asik matchup, or Durant guarding Boozer, etc.


There's a lot of Cs I don't want Durant guarding. Valanciunas, Bogut, Drummond, Monroe, Vucevic, Noah, Cousins, Gasols, Lopezes, the list of Cs that Durant CAN defend is smaller than the list he can't.

[TheReal Kendall]

Can't believe y'all really think KD would be a good C. Dude would get eaten alive on D.

Only way this would benefit him would be on offense and then teams would just go small and put their SF on him. Nikka couldn't even post CP3 up.

[HomieWeMajor]

I think think he could be the very first point-center.

[Nash]

Durant would by far be the thinnest center. He would be eaten up alive.

[BuffaloBill]

He couldn't guard Diaw in the post



Nobody can guard Diaw in the post

[YouGotServed]

Nobody can guard Diaw in the post

chuck hayes can

[wakencdukest]

No he can't. He's a perimeter player. His game is not inside with the big boys. He's good where he's at.