Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is one of the NBA’s smartest players, so his analysis of fellow hoopers shouldn’t be taken lightly.
On Saturday, Green extended praise toward Kevin Durant as Charles Barkley talked about why James Harden is the best offensive player in the modern game.
“Kevin Durant is the best scorer by the way,” Green said on the NBA on TNT. “The best scorer ever. Not even close. No disrespect to James, but Kevin Durant is the best scorer ever.”
Green had the opportunity to see Durant’s scoring prowess up close for three seasons, as the two led the Warriors to back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
Durant, who is rehabbing his right Achilles, signed with the Brooklyn Nets in summer 2019. As a two-time champion and the 2014 MVP, Durant’s pedigree is steeped in offensive greatness. He’s a four-time scoring champ, and his arsenal is endless. He can use his handles for long-range dribble pull-ups. He can drive to the rim. He can make spot-up jumpers. He’s an elite midrange scorer.
Simply put, Durant has no legitimate weaknesses on offense. He’s averaged 27.0 points per game, shot 49.3% from the field and 38.1% from the 3-point line in his career.
Green complimenting him to this extent just shows how good Durant is, especially considering Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant were just as sound offensively as Durant. Durant currently ranks 31st all-time in points (22,940), and he ranks fourth in points among active players.
