Kevin Durant no longer needs any audition to prove his worth heading into free agency. When he is officially free from his contract with the Warriors in July, he will be fielding offers from the rest of the National Basketball Association. Indeed, he’s that good; outside of — and, arguably, even more than that of — the on-the-decline LeBron James, he has the game that would suit any type of system. He certainly made the two-time defending champions even better with his presence; not for nothing was he named Most Valuable Player in their last two Finals appearances.
All the same, Durant made an outstanding case for himself in Games Five and Six of the Warriors’ surprisingly contentious first round series. With the Clippers refusing to simply roll over and instead using a seemingly unquenchable wellspring of resolve to make what was supposed to be a cakewalk into a competitive best-of-seven affair, they needed him to be at his level best. And he was in closing out their pesky opponents, dropping a cool and effortless 50 markers on just 26 shots. He never veered from their plan, never sought to play hero ball, never thought to be first among equals. But because he was simply himself, he proved to be head and shoulders above his so-called peers all the same.
Considering how the Clippers fought for every possession and in every moment, it’s fair to argue that the Warriors would have encountered more difficulty were Durant not around to serve as a living “Get Out of Jail, Free” card. For all the otherworldly predilections of two-time regular season MVP Steph Curry, the finally sharp end-to-end exertions of Draymond Green, the relentlessness of Klay Thompson, and the still-solid showings of Andre Iguodala, he’s their ace in the hole. He’s their single most potent weapon, the one player in the league who can get off with extreme ease the very shot desired in single coverage.
Certainly, Durant’s uniqueness makes the sensational ordinary. Because things come easily to him, those from the outside looking in tend to devalue the work he puts in to post the numbers he does. When outcomes are on the line, though, the difference he makes is apparent. Even with the Warriors, who already boasted of an unparalleled talent pool before he joined them in 2016, he has become the driver by default. Without him, they could very well have bid goodbye to their hopes for a threepeat. They were shaky from the start of their 2018-19 campaign, and only because of him were they able to find their center prior to the postseason. And, in the first round, the Clippers had every answer for them — except for him.
Under the circumstances, it’s fair to contend that Durant has come, seen, and conquered with the Warriors. He joined them, became one with them, and then headed them. Now, he may want to climb other mountains. Four titles in a row with decided frontrunners? One all-the-way run alongside, and then in front of, James with the Lakers? Or one Larry O’Brien Trophy for the otherwise-dysfunctional Knicks? The NBA will know soon enough. In the meantime, he’s producing masterpieces and getting all and sundry to purse their lips in anticipation.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
