After much-criticized move to Warriors, pressure is on Kevin to deliver title
LeBron James has admitted that he is chasing the ghost of Michael Jordan and at this time of year LeBron usually has more to lose than any player in the NBA Finals. That is, until Kevin Durant came along. No one player — not LeBron, not Stephen Curry — is under more pressure this year than Durant, who abruptly dumped Oklahoma City last July to join a star studded, ready-made contender. The Golden State Warriors, who will host Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, have beaten and lost to LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers over consecutive seasons. And regardless of the results in June, Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have one championship ring in the bank. Durant is different. He is 0-1 in his only trip to the NBA Finals, losing to LeBron and the Miami Heat in 2012. Another loss this year damages Durant’s legacy while enhancing LeBron’s. The Warriors enter the 2017 NBA Finals as favorites, marking the sixth time in eight Finals appearances that LeBron is the underdog. James doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the little engine that could, right? But last season, the Warriors were coming off an NBA record 73-win regular season and had a 3-1 lead on Cleveland before Green got suspended, Andrew Bogut got hurt and LeBron assumed his role as the selfproclaimed “best player in the world.” Since winning Game 5 in Oakland, the Cavs are 15-1 in the postseason, including nine consecutive road wins.
It’s an impressive run, yet the Warriors are the only undefeated team in the postseason, having gone a perfect 12-0 up to this point. Overall, they’ve won 27 of their last 28 games. Hence, Golden State is favored.
“Everyone wants to say, ‘Ah man, this is boring and this, that and the other,’ but you usually don’t appreciate something until you don’t have it anymore,” Green said. “And so, I think maybe there’s just a lack of appreciation for greatness. But then when you look at a situation, most people have never reached greatness. So maybe there’s just not an understanding of what you’re watching. I think you’ve found two great teams, and we’ve played that way, and maybe people don’t appreciate it because of a blowout or because of a sweep.
“But people may want to be careful, because I think right now you’re witnessing greatness. Two great teams, great players, and that’s what it is.”
The Warriors are a better team than the one that set the NBA record for wins in a regular season a year ago. There isn’t a general manager alive who wouldn’t swap Bogut and Harrison Barnes for Durant, Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee, which is essentially what the Warriors did.
Golden State is a lethal offensive team despite the absurd remark from Cavs head coach Ty Lue that the Boston Celtics are harder to defend than the Warriors.
If that’s really so, please tell me who plays the role of Durant on the Celtics. Jae Crowder? Kelly Olynyk? There is no comparison.
Durant is arguably the league’s second best player, which is why his stunning move last summer was heavily criticized. He left a contender to join an even better team. And in doing so he hurt the league’s competitive balance whether he wants to believe that or not.
“Like I’m the reason why (expletive) Orlando couldn’t make the playoffs for five, six years in a row?” Durant told USA Today. “Am I the reason that Brooklyn gave all their picks to Boston? Like, am I the reason that they’re not that good?
“I can’t play for every team, so the truth of the matter is I left one team. It’s one more team that you probably would’ve thought would’ve been a contender. One more team. I couldn’t have made the (entire) East better. I couldn’t have made everybody (else) in the West better.”
Durant made the best team better and nothing less than a championship will suffice. eBron experienced this seven years ago when he left Cleveland to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. The Heat lost in the Finals that first season to Dallas and LeBron carried the weight of the world on his shoulders into next season. He was finally off the hook when he won that elusive title. That’s the year he beat Durant and OKC.
Durant can return the favor this year but it won’t be easy. The Cavs have improved since last season, particularly Kevin Love. And LeBron is still LeBron. He’s still the best player on the planet... even if Las Vegas is calling him an underdog.
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