Kevin Durant and the Thunder Inspire Dynasty Talk
By Jason McIntyre
A 4-0 devastation of defending champion Dallas.
An impressive 4-1 triumph over Kobe’s Lakers.
A 4-2 vanquishing of a Spurs team that put the Thunder in an 0-2 hole and had won 20 straight games.
A roster where all five starters are 28 or younger, and the best player, Kevin Durant – who is also the league’s leading scorer – is 23. The jump-out-of-the-gym point guard is 23, too. The league’s best 6th man? He’s 22. So is the league’s leading shot blocker.
Sam Presti, the bookish GM who built this team, has a juggernaut on his hands. Sure, he’ll have a big decision to make about extending James Harden and Serge Ibaka, but for the next two weeks, all you’ll hear about is the potential dynasty in Oklahoma City. Enjoy the ride, Thunder fans, and worry about the luxury tax issues and potential suitors for Harden and Ibaka later.
While the focus is on LeBron tonight, just remember what Kevin Durant did to the Spurs when his team needed him to take over: 16 straight points in the 4th quarter of game four, propelling the Thunder to victory. And with his team trailing the Spurs by 15 at halftime in game six, Durant erupted in the 3rd quarter – in the video above, his damage begins around the :57 mark – and the Thunder took control of the game. Hope LeBron was taking notes.
The Spurs? I don’t think they’re done. As noted in this post last night, the foundation remains, and if their last two No. 1 draft picks can step in to replace Danny Green and Gary Neal, San Antonio will be in contention for a top four seed in the West again.