Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[JD617]

Yeah, it would've been better if he just left the underrated part out. It's not like the Celtics don't get any ink or national tv appearances.

 

[im not you]

[h3]Kevin Durant eats plus/minus for breakfast[/h3]
December, 10, 2009
Dec 10

5:56

PM ET

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Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images
Now making his team's defense way better: Kevin Durant.

By Henry Abbott

This is such a funny story. In most of the NBA, it's kind of a geeky sideshow.

But for a certain bunch of people, mostly in Oklahoma City, it's war.

Here's the basic gist of it: For his first two years in the NBA, Kevin Durant had some of the worst plus/minus numbers in the NBA -- even as his traditional stats were off the charts.

It was a weird deal. Very weird.

I wrote about it, and it was taken as some kind of mean-spirited attack, even though I said all kinds of nice things about the player. Perhaps they were a little hung up on plus/minus expert Wayne Winston's statement that Durant's numbers were so bad, he wouldn't take Durant on his team for free.

Durant responded to that post, basically by saying that real fans appreciated the fact that he was playing as hard as he could, and whatever plus/minus was we'd be better off letting Kevin be Kevin.

In a response, I talked about plus/minus. It can be ignored in small pieces. But two years of telling the same story ... that's a lot of evidence. Watching a metric ton of Durant video made clear that while he's amazing at tons of things, he had a miserable time defending the pick-and-roll, and closing out on shooters. Those two things alone could explain why his team allowed so many more points per possession when he was on the floor. He also tended to end up shooting against double and triple teams more than most players.

It's a new season, though, and players Durant's age improve quickly.

And so far this season?

Kevin Durant may have the greatest plus/minus improvement in NBA history.

He was one of the very worst players in the league by that measure last season, and now he's second-best. Only Dirk Nowitzki rates better in Wayne Winston's adjusted plus/minus. As of today, Durant's Thunder are giving up 11.5 fewer points per hundred possessions when he's on the floor. And they're scoring 13.75 more. That's unbelievable. (Interestingly, the next best player in the NBA, according to this early-season measure, is Marc Gasol. Then LeBron James and Luol Deng. If those numbers seem a little funny ... it's early yet. Plus/minus means a lot more with bigger samples.)

Durant's agent, Aaron Goodwin, denies this has anything to do with a newfound regard for plus/minus. "Kevin is a great player working hard to get better on offense and defense each day," says Goodwin. " His team overall is playing better, and they are competitive in games now. Kevin Durant wants to be one of the best to have ever played the game, and he works hard toward that goal."

Meanwhile Winston is regretting his exact choice of words. "I should have said 'If KD played in the future like he played in his first two years I would not want him on my team.' Clearly he has made a fantastic improvement. ... I would certainly want him given how he plays now. He is first team NBA and possibly MVP."

I have been asked if I regret what I wrote. Heck no! I wrote he had great potential, but playing D like that, and taking some of those shots, he had hurt his team in his first two years.

Problem solved.

Hats off to Durant for his hard work. It's a happy story. Take a bow, Kevin!

(And, if you have a free minute, could you tell your fans to stop sending all that hate mail?)

Son took that plus/minus @%$# personal

 

[westcoastsfinest]

the celtics underrated?

...ive never heard of a team with the bestrecord in the east being underrated

 

[do be doo]

So is the western conference still the top dog in the NBA?.....

or is it to early to tell.....
also what division do you think is the toughest in the NBA?....

 

[kiddin like jason]

I wake up every morning hoping the Hornets have finally gotten rid of some of these dead-weight players, but to no avail.

Morris Peterson started the first six games of the season. Since then, he has played a total of 4 minutes and 17 seconds.

Julian Wright continues to get blackballed, even with Byron Scott out of town.

Hilton Armstrong... is Hilton Armstrong.

Get rid of them.

 

[franchise3]

Instant Buckets

 

[shuges]

I'm glad KD took that %!@% to heart.

Props to him for raising his game and silencing his critics.

 

[dlo13]

What's Calderon coming off the bench for? If he can play, why not start him?

They just don't wanna give up 140 again, I guess...

 

[CP1708]

I didn't know Dallas v Miami today.

All them Dallas folk gonna be in a baaaaad mood tonight no matter who wins.

 

[dlo13]

Well, alright...Toronto is only on pace to allow 133 now.

 

[bigmike23]

handjob with 21 points tonight

 

[mateen cleaves]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

handjob with 21 points tonight

who?

 

[bigmike23]

how are you a 7 foot starting NBA power foward and only get 2 boards in a game?

and handjob=Tyler Hansbrough

 

[chester the cheetah]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

how are you a 7 foot starting NBA power foward and only get 2 boards in a game?

You're softer than baby %+%+, that's how.

 

[bangdak]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

how are you a 7 foot starting NBA power foward and only get 2 boards in a game?

and handjob=Tyler Hansbrough

are you talking about barganari? hes never been an good rebounder, although he def. should be grabbing more boards.

 

[bigmike23]

naw soft !@% LaMarcus Aldridge, but Barganari does make Aldridge look like Bill Russell on the boards tho

 

[japanair21]

20/17.

Who?

Erick Dampier.

 

[bigmike23]

so if the only time you come in here is to suck off a mavs player why dont you keep that crap in the Mavs season thread?

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

so if the only time you come in here is to suck off a mavs player why dont you keep that crap in the Mavs season thread?

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

so if the only time you come in here is to suck off a mavs player why dont you keep that crap in the Mavs season thread?

Sorry but I put more input in a single post than you do in an entire week of posting.

Half of your comments have to do with insulting others, or insulting players.

Bring some insight to your comments and someone MIGHT take you seriously.

I come in here very frequently and talk about things non-Mavericks.

 

[do be doo]

 

[CP1708]

JA gettin handled by Mike.

Van Gundy suckin off Nash last night was a perfect example of why I can't stand dude. He's a good player, but damn with all this praise over stuffthat he hardly does. If he's so great and wonderful, why can't he play basketball in the half court and feed dudes in the post? He's a system PG. He's good at what he does, but not some all around marvel.

Noah been in a bad mood lately, and now he has KG barkin in his ear tonight, wonder if something pops off.

Denver v Phoenix and Utah v LA should make for an interesting night. Kobe stays with stupid broken fingers. His shooting percentage about to drop real quick. Wonder if Bron would be able to dominate with his left hand for a long stretch. Dude would probably retire right there on the court if he broke a finger.

Stat with a huge rebound and a dunk in crucial crunch time.

Never seenthat before.

 

[japanair21]

Noah been in a bad mood lately, and now he has KG barkin in his ear tonight, wonder if something pops off.


I been slammin' KG a lot the past year and a half for yappin his mouth off and not showing up in games, but he has been ON it. The guys shooting 56% forthe season, and in December he's just KILLING it. He isn't as great of a defender as he WAS, but he's still damn good; and for what he'sslouching in defense, he's making up for polishing his offensive game.

UTAH VS LA shouldn't be that big of a match-up, Utah has been all over the place this year, but I think they'll crumble tonight unless Kobe is reallyimpacted by his finger. We'll see though.

I think Denver tramples all over Phoenix tonight, that's just me though. Cool with me either way since one of them will fall behind in the race for theWest.

I'm loving SAS and NOH struggle for a playoff spot right now,

. Going to be interesting with OKC playing good ball and Portland struggling withinjuries.

 

[bigmike23]

Double OT for Portland VS Bucks

bobcats and mavs in OT also

 

[finnns2003]

what happened to the bulls? they suck, what an easy win.