Is Kevin Durant the last NBA Superstar for awhile?

Originally Posted by Big J 33

You can't answer until you define superstar.

Someone you can win a championship with when he's your #1 option?
I use that definition aka the definition Charles Barkley uses.  He is the best player on the team and puts them on his back and is the reason they are a contender for the championship.  Though I can understand people saying he should have the household name element as well.  But there are a lot of well known players that we might not consider top players.
 
Originally Posted by Cheese Wagstaff

There's no way to project high school kids as future superstars... in 06 people would have told you that Mike Beasley was going to be an elite scorer and franchise player for a lucky NBA team.
Also, Anthony Davis seems like a potential pick. Sort of like a Marvin Williams. IDK.

Ehh, there were flags all over the place for Beasley since high school.


Originally Posted by MonStar1

What is the point of this thread?

There's a lot of stars and young guys with great potential coming up.

Great potential ≠ Superstar potential
 
It really depends on the definition of superstar. I pray for the day Wall develops a consistent jump shot. and Javale McGee develops a brain
 
Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by Cheese Wagstaff

There's no way to project high school kids as future superstars... in 06 people would have told you that Mike Beasley was going to be an elite scorer and franchise player for a lucky NBA team.
Also, Anthony Davis seems like a potential pick. Sort of like a Marvin Williams. IDK.

Ehh, there were flags all over the place for Beasley since high school.


Originally Posted by MonStar1

What is the point of this thread?

There's a lot of stars and young guys with great potential coming up.

Great potential ≠ Superstar potential


Ok but everybody has different meanings of the words.

At this point Derrick Rose has had an amazing career.  Youngest MVP ever. #1 pick. he's a superstar.

but then you got a guy only saying MJ, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron.

Where is the line?  Are we talking about GOAT candidates? Because thats different category.

Superstars are guys that get voted All-Star every year, are winners, are legit MVP candidates.  I'd say current are Kobe, Bron, Durant, Howard, Rose, and Wade.  
  
 
Originally Posted by Jay02

Originally Posted by HankMoody

Durant will not be.better than LeBron in one or two years.
laugh.gif
What could possibly make you say this? Hold up. Possibly best ever?
eek.gif

Why couldnt he be better than Bron? People were talking about Durant being better than him last year. 



Because he won't. It's not even an argument right now and won't be for probably 5 years or whenever, if ever, LeBron starts breaking down. Care to provide any evidence concerning Durant having a better 2010-2011 than Lebron? 
 
Lebron is a human highlight machine during the regular season but cant preform as well when the pressure is on, durant can score WHENEVER he feels like it. Rose isn't consistent when the game comes down to the wire. Who would you rather hand the ball to with 3 seconds left? KD Bron Rose?
 
Originally Posted by Antonito90

Lebron is a human highlight machine during the regular season but cant preform as well when the pressure is on

Myth that holds no standing when one looks at his body of work. But I know you haven't done that. 
 
Hank you always defend LeBron...but the "clutch" criticism is deserved.

He's been the man on every team for 9 years now. 82 games plus playoffs. 

He's only made 2 buzzer beaters.  @Golden St. and a halfcourt prayer vs Orlando.

He has made late buckets like vs. the Wizards
30t6p3b.gif
 (he traveled), went ham in Detroit, and vs. Chicago.

So you do the math.  He's 0-2 in Finals. He has passed up plenty of game winning shot opportunities in Cleveland. He's not consistant at all in this 4th quarter performances. 

He should be doing more down the stretch and everybody knows it.  Last nights ASG was his whole career in one game.  Amazing all game, highlights, stats, but doesn't come thru.  Classic LeBron.
 
Originally Posted by Fecta23

Originally Posted by venom lyrix

Originally Posted by Curious24

I beleive only superstars win championships. 

By your logic...then Kevin Durant is not a Superstar


No it doesn't.
It's highly likely Durant will win a NBA championship in his career if he stays healthy, same with LeBron, Rose.
I can't believe people don't think Duncan was a superstar, shame on you.  I don't care about their entertainment value I'm talking overall game.

Only person who def is not a superstar is 'Melo.
 
All-Star----Superstar----Legend

There's a level above superstar IMO

Dudes like Wade, Durant, Dwight, might not be on that MJ, Kobe, and Lebron legendary level but theres no doubt that they're superstars. And when its all said and done I think with his talent, work ethic, drive, and how humble he is that Durant will end his career on that legendary level.
 
I defend evidence. Tell me how many buzzer beaters have even transpired in the playoffs in the past 5 years. I'd say not many.


The regular season stats don't back this up. Look up clutch stats. His postseason performances don't back it up. Honestly, y'all look for memories and almost every other player doesn't have much in that category either in the past 5 years.

I always admit that LeBron had choked in the Finals last year. But to say he can't perform under pressure is ridiculous. He does more often than not and at an elite level in the NBA.

It definitely bugs me because the evidence so thoroughly discounts this and how much emphasis is put on "clutchness."
 
Originally Posted by HankMoody

I defend evidence. Tell me how many buzzer beaters have even transpired in the playoffs in the past 5 years. I'd say not many.


The regular season stats don't back this up. Look up clutch stats. His postseason performances don't back it up. Honestly, y'all look for memories and almost every other player doesn't have much in that category either in the past 5 years.

I always admit that LeBron had choked in the Finals last year. But to say he can't perform under pressure is ridiculous. He does more often than not and at an elite level in the NBA.

It definitely bugs me because the evidence so thoroughly discounts this and how much emphasis is put on "clutchness."

But not everybody is the greatest talent ever. he can post, drive, or shoot.  there's no reason for him to not have more "memories". can we agree on that
  
 
Is 48 points on the road in Game 5 of the ECF against the heavily-favored super-defense-heavy Pistons while scoring your team's last 25 points not enough of a "memory" when it comes to clutchess? The fact that it didn't come on a technical-speaking "buzzer-beater" (which is an EXTREMELY NARROW range of situations) means it doesn't really count? (And despite the fact that he did INDEED have the game-winning shot, just that there was a second or two left on the game clock or something.)

Lebron, though performing terribly in last year's Finals, has been quite proficient enough when things mattered.
07-08 Clutch Stats: http://www.82games.com/CSORT11.HTM
08-09 Clutch Stats: http://www.82games.com/0809/CSORT11.HTM
09-10 Clutch Stats: http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM
10-11 Clutch Stats: http://www.82games.com/1011/CSORT11.HTM
He's at or near the top of the list in points/48mins during clutch time every year. And beyond scoring, his FG% is higher than Durant and Kobe's every single year, while blowing away almost everyone in terms of combined points, assists, and rebounds.

To define "clutch" as the very last 5 seconds (or whatever) of the game is extremely myopic. Kobe has more game-winning shots than Jordan and that is fact. But that's because MJ didn't need the situation to require buzzer-beaters or game-winning shots to begin with. He would just dominate the 4th or the last 5 minutes and pull away and not let go. The last shot is 1 shot out of around 180 shots that two teams will put up in a game. To think that that 1 shot counts, say, ten times more than the other 89 shots your team takes is silly. 
And if that's STILL not enough for you, then here are the stats on game-winning shots: http://82games.com/gamewinningshots.htm  . Once again, Lebron is QUITE proficient enough compared to his peers.

Has Lebron performed up to standards in the playoffs? Recently - not really. But earlier in his career he met or exceeded expectations in the playoffs every year. Not until the Orlando series did he start under-performing.

I'm not saying he's the CLUTCHEST around or anything like that. He's had some issues last few playoff years, but to say he CANNOT perform in the clutch is ridiculous. Just as recently as the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the playoffs last year shows he was QUITE clutch. Those Boston and Chicago series he displayed an amazing propensity for clutch play and big time shots... enough such that this entire board and the media was saying he had banished his un-clutch demons. His performance against Dallas was putrid, but that's no reason to speak as if he had NO clutch capability whatsoever.
 
Originally Posted by nYcHipHopHippo

All-Star----Superstar----Legend

There's a level above superstar IMO

Dudes like Wade, Durant, Dwight, might not be on that MJ, Kobe, and Lebron legendary level but theres no doubt that they're superstars. And when its all said and done I think with his talent, work ethic, drive, and how humble he is that Durant will end his career on that legendary level.
Wait...how is Lebron more legendary then D Wade?
 
Originally Posted by Curious24

Originally Posted by Fecta23

Originally Posted by venom lyrix


By your logic...then Kevin Durant is not a Superstar


No it doesn't.
It's highly likely Durant will win a NBA championship in his career if he stays healthy, same with LeBron, Rose.
how?

malone, barkely, ewing, and shaq didn't win titles in the 90s
lebron, dirk, nash, d 12 didn't win titles in the 2000's

all of them are/were superstars
 
Originally Posted by HankMoody

Originally Posted by Jay02

Originally Posted by HankMoody

Durant will not be.better than LeBron in one or two years.
laugh.gif
What could possibly make you say this? Hold up. Possibly best ever?
eek.gif

Why couldnt he be better than Bron? People were talking about Durant being better than him last year. 



Because he won't. It's not even an argument right now and won't be for probably 5 years or whenever, if ever, LeBron starts breaking down. Care to provide any evidence concerning Durant having a better 2010-2011 than Lebron? 
laugh.gif
 at your argument being "because he wont". 
Lebron is the best in the NBA, has been, and could continue to be. But looking at how good Durant is there's no reason to think he has no chance of being better. Im not saying this is guaranteed like you are. You're completely ruling out any possibility of Durant being better and thats just dumb. If we're gonna make guarantees of whats going to happen in the future...Lebron will never win a championship and Durant will win multiple. Boom. If you think otherwise just know im right and you're wrong. 

And I never said Durant had a better year. I said people were starting to talk about him being better. Last year when he had the record for most 25+ point games in a row or whatever, yes people were starting to talk about him being better. It was brought up on ESPN multiple times. If you pay attention to the NBA you heard the chatter.
 
Originally Posted by Addict4Sneakers

Originally Posted by Curious24

Originally Posted by Fecta23



No it doesn't.
It's highly likely Durant will win a NBA championship in his career if he stays healthy, same with LeBron, Rose.
how?

malone, barkely, ewing, and shaq didn't win titles in the 90s
lebron, dirk, nash, d 12 didn't win titles in the 2000's

all of them are/were superstars
malone had mj and phil jackson...no1 in nba like that nor ever will be....
barkley and ewing arent superstars imo neither is nash or howard all were not total players.
 
Originally Posted by HankMoody

I defend evidence. Tell me how many buzzer beaters have even transpired in the playoffs in the past 5 years. I'd say not many.


The regular season stats don't back this up. Look up clutch stats. His postseason performances don't back it up. Honestly, y'all look for memories and almost every other player doesn't have much in that category either in the past 5 years.

I always admit that LeBron had choked in the Finals last year. But to say he can't perform under pressure is ridiculous. He does more often than not and at an elite level in the NBA.

It definitely bugs me because the evidence so thoroughly discounts this and how much emphasis is put on "clutchness."
My biggest fear is that basketball is becoming the new baseball, all about the numbers. Well you tell me what number separated Jordan from Isaiah Rider, it was something intangible, not talent, not wing spaan. It was Jordan's determination, his hunger, his persistence to command excellence from his team.
Jordan's intangible characteristics, is what ironically got him all of his rings, MVP's, and very tangible "numbers". 
 
My biggest fear is that basketball is becoming the new baseball, all about the numbers. Well you tell me what number separated Jordan from Isaiah Rider, it was something intangible, not talent, not wing spaan. It was Jordan's determination, his hunger, his persistence to command excellence from his team.

Jordan's intangible characteristics, is what ironically got him all of his rings, MVP's, and very tangible "numbers".


PREACH!
 
Originally Posted by Curious24

I dont follow college bball or high school.  I beleive only superstars win championships.  As a knick fan i dont think we can win without a superstar.  When i watched Kevin Durant I knew right away this guy was a superstar.  6'10 ppl dont go off for forty with little effort.

03-04 pistons had no superstars. i think we are using the term superstar way too much. there are only 2 superstars in the league.

Kobe
LBJ
 
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