Patrick Beverley, the LA Clippers starting point guard, said that Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is “hands down” the best player in the NBA.
The Golden State Warriors are laced with superstar talent, but do they have the league’s best player? According to defensive-minded guard Patrick Beverley, via NBA TV, they do, and his name is Kevin Durant.
The four-time scoring champion has taken his game to the next level this postseason.
Beverley talks about that and his mindset as a factor that sets Durant apart from the mix. Beverley first-hand saw Durant’s killer mindset as the former MVP dropped 50 points on the Clippers in a series-ending Game 6.
After a slow start in the first two games of the Clippers-Warriors series, Durant heated up, cooking the Clippers in the last four games. KD dropped 41.5 points per game throughout the last four, also dropping six assists per game.
However, one four-game stretch shouldn’t define who the NBA’s best player is. What should define that is that player’s performances in some of the team’s biggest games. That said, Durant checks that mark too.
As the Warriors advanced, so did Kevin Durant’s red-hot shooting. In Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals, Durant scored 46 points and tallied six assists. Meanwhile, Durant didn’t turn the ball over once.
Although the Warriors lost Game 3, that’s the type of performance you see from the NBA’s best player. For Beverley, seeing it first-hand might’ve been enough to allow KD the title, but the majority of fans, Durant isn’t the best.
LeBron, Giannis, Harden or Kawhi are also in the mix. The fact that people are starting to consider a player other than LeBron James as the world’s best is a good sign for those hoping to achieve the crown after the King.
While Durant’s season wasn’t his highest scoring, it was his best as a passer. KD averaged a career-high 5.9 assists per game. That’s the part of his game that needs to be taken to the next level, and he certainly proved that he’s working on it this season.
Overall, the conversation of the NBA’s best is just that: a conversation. However, the approval of a potential All-NBA first-team player is quite the praise for the four-time scoring champion.