Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the NBA after winning scoring titles and being one of the best shooters in the game, but he is still not yet on the level of LeBron James and the Miami Heat and that was proven as the Thunder lost the series to the Grizzlies in five games.
The Thunder fell 88-84 on Wednesday night and Durant missed a shot at the end that could have tied it and while he led the team in scoring yet again, it wasn't enough to take down Mike Conley and company at home. Durant has always been "the man" for the Grizzlies, but after Russell Westbrook went down it became even more pronounced and all the focus was on him by defenders and there wasn't a moment they couldn't put a body on him.
Westbrook went down in the series against the Rockets in Game 2 when he was collided into by rookie Patrick Beverley and hurt his knee. He suffered a torn meniscus and was out for the rest of the playoffs, giving the Thunder a big hole to fill with Reggie Jackson, who was solid but not nearly as good as Westbrook. The Thunder won the series, but they did it in six games after being up 3-0 and the loss of James Harden was never more evident when they played against him.
While the team could never know Westbrook would get hurt, the trade away of Harden looked foolish after it happened, as the team did not have a legit number two star anymore and all was left to Durant, who led the team in scoring, assists and rebounds in the playoffs and couldn't do enough at the end to win. He was tough throughout the series but his shooting suffered over the last few games and while he was frustrated it did not get him too down after and he said that he believes in himself and his team.
Durant told reporters that he felt the year was not wasted, but with the Heat looking like they will get back to the finals, the Thunder have to wonder what might have been if some of those decisions were made differently. The Grizzlies played better during the series but they might not be as good on paper. Mike Conley played out of his mind and without Westbrook he was the best point guard on the court.
Kevin Martin was a solid player but he is no James Harden and now Durant must wait another year to finally get another chance at winning a championship and he will have to wait to face off against the man he is compared to the most in LeBron James.
