Kevin. Durant.
On Independence Day, basketball’s best pure scorer and one of the most coveted unrestricted free agents in sports history announced he’s coming to the Golden State Warriors.
On paper, he makes this team as unstoppable as we’ve ever seen.
“Fans of the other 29 teams that aren’t Golden State — let’s have a scared group hug,” Bill Simmons tweeted.
A fourth quarter death lineup now consists of two MVPS, the second best three-point shooter in the league, an NBA Finals MVP and the league’s two-time Defensive Player of the Year runner-up.
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Durant and Draymond Green. Let that sink in. There isn’t a weak link on the basketball court — and there will be on other teams. Once the Warriors figure out how to play together, they are going to relentlessly attack opponents into submission. Durant’s arrival has spawned reports that Tim Duncan is heavily weighing retirement. Even the Spurs are throwing up the white flag of surrender.
The Warriors lost a championship to LeBron James, but in doing so, they may look back and call it the moment they landed Durant. It’s hard to imagine KD coming to Golden State if they were fresh off two championships. But because they lost to LeBron, the Warriors’ contingent, consisting of their owner, GM, head coach and four star players, were able to sell Durant that they need him. Hook. Line. Sinker.
The Warriors can also thank Thompson for helping deliver Durant. That Game 6, 41-point thrashing in Oklahoma City prevented the Thunder from advancing to the NBA Finals — where they very well could’ve beaten the Cavaliers. Durant would not be in Golden State if Klay hadn’t turned in the most clutch performance of his life.
Before we spend the next few months dissecting how all of this is going to work, think about how many dragons the Warriors have slayed just by signing Durant?
There is no more worrying about Harrison Barnes corner threes. There is no more worrying about the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are now essentially neutered dogs with only Russell Westbrook. There is no more worrying about who will carry the load if Steph Curry sprains his MCL.
Sacrificing team chemistry, Barnes, Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli is totally worth it to land Durant. The Warriors’ brand of basketball is still a beautiful mess without those players, and in all likelihood will only become more potent (and graceful) at the same time with Durant. When you combine Durant’s ball-handling, shooting and driving skills on offense, he’s one of the most gifted offensive players the sport has ever seen.
Since entering the NBA in 2007-08, Durant is second in points, first in free throws and third in win shares. The Warriors value interchangeable players more than any other team, and at 6-foot-9, Durant can play anything from shooting guard to center. The record-breaking 73 wins are in play again this season for the Warriors.
There are new burdens the Warriors will have to carry.
How will the rest of this roster shake out with very limited cap space to work with? Who will protect the rim? How will Durant, a Kobe and Michael Jordan like figure who needs the basketball in his hands, fit into a ball movement system? How will the Warriors handle the constant criticism that comes with building a super team? The Heat became despised villains, and Golden State will now face similar scrutiny.
Of course, anything short of a championship will be considered a massive failure.
But on Fourth of July, there is no time to worry or fret about the potential negatives. Golden State just landed one of the biggest fish free agency has ever seen.
The Warriors have Kevin Durant.