Its funny how high our standards are.
Lots of us, myself included, have expressed concern over Kevin Durant. His shot selection, shot percentage, the apparent ease with which opposing teams tend to physically push him out of his comfort zone. I haven't said it as much as others, but in the back of our heads I, and I know a few others have wondered at times;
"Is this REALLY THE SAVIOR?"
"What if he's not?"
It's a scary concept during these dark and gloomy times to think that potentially the only absolute sure thing about our franchise may not be such a sure thing at all. If nothing else we can now begin to realize that even having "the next superstar" does not guarantee smooth sailing and an instant turnaround. We're going to suffer a lot of bumps and bruises along the way.
Lets however just put things in perspective: We just had a 19 year old rookie score 35 points. 35 points
Each year we go into the lottery talking about difference makers and we wind up with guys who's greatest compliments still revolve around "Potential", "Energy", or being as specialist at some niche of the game. Durant is different. He's a throwback to when the draft was deeper and the expectations on young guys higher. He's a guy who is going to average 25ppg in his rookie campaign and then improve from there. We will complain about his shot percentage, his areas of needed improvement, and all that crap, but in the end it will be undeniable that from day one this kid could play in the NBA. We should all slow down and savor that once in a while.
Here's my side note for discussion:
Kurt Thomas is currently averaging 22mpg, just over 10 rebounds, and has a +13.38 efficiency rating. Add to that we are just a markedly better team when he is on the floor. He arguably defends Tim Duncan better than any player in the league. Assuming he stays healthy and keeps his production exactly the same what is his trade value come Feb? Is there any Eastern Conference Contender that could not use him? His contract is not prohibitive and he could be the piece that puts someone over the top. What would he be worth and do you have any proposed trades that you could see getting done?