The National Basketball Association is filled with star players, but the status of superstar is reserved for a short list of guys. LeBron James is probably the greatest example of an active superstar. He's the most popular player in the league and is one of the best, if not the best, players in the game. Everyone knows LeBron James, but there's a skinny kid that plays in Oklahoma City that doesn't get nearly as much attention that is quickly becoming one of the league's best players. (Note: All statistics are as of February 3rd.)
You remember Kevin Durant. His lone collegiate season at Texas was simply phenomenal, earning him National Player of the Year honors and a ton of fanfare. Then came the great Oden vs. Durant debate in the 2007 NBA Draft, a decision in which the Portland Trail Blazers chose to make Greg Oden the number one pick over Durant. Durant was drafted by the Seattle Super Sonics, who have since become the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder have one of the worst records in the league as of February 3rd, but Durant alone is reason enough to purchase Oklahoma City Thunder tickets.
Durant had a solid rookie season in Seattle, enough to earn him the Rookie of the Year award, but he did experience his fair share of struggles. Durant's shot selection and shooting percentage came under fire early in his career, though he ended up raising his percentage to 43 percent before the season ended. He shot a mere 29 percent from three point range, though, this from a guy who was labeled as a really good shooter coming out of college. His rebounding numbers were a bit disappointing considering his size and he had trouble on the defensive end.
Well, Durant has been a different player so far in the 2008-09 season. Those percentages that were such a problem in his rookie season have been raised, and I mean raised. Durant is shooting 48 percent from the field and a phenomenal 42 percent from beyond the arc. His free throw percentage of 86 percent puts him among the best in the league, especially important with Durant attempting about one and a half more foul shots per contest than he did last season. The former Longhorn is averaging 25 points, seven rebounds and three assists at the age of 20, and he won't turn 21 until well after the season is over.
Just how good can this kid become? I think the sky is the limit here; we're talking best player in the league material, and that's considering he's just four years younger than James. Durant possesses that killer instinct late in games that Michael Jordan had. He's already got more game-winning shots than James. His range is almost limitless, within reason, though some shots he hits are simply incredible. Durant has the skills and is young enough to imagine him putting up 35 points per game in a season, perhaps more. So far this season, he's already had a 45 and 16 game, a 41 and 10 game and 35, 10 and six game, and he's a small forward. He doesn't have the passing skills that LeBron has, but he's a more natural scorer.
While Durant has not been getting the press he deserves because his team isn't that good, though they've been looking much better lately, it's only a matter of time before people realize that this kid is already one of the 10 best players in the league and that he's got the potential to be the best. It's going to be difficult for him to hurdle LeBron, but he's got a great chance of becoming number two, maybe even 1b.
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