Evidently KD got hold of Henry Abbott’s article from Friday that broke him down as a player using plus/minus. Durant tweeted today:
Everybody that is doubtin me as a player and my team as a whole..all i can say is that we all are tryin and workin our hardest!
What more do u want? let me be the player i am…i come to practice everyday..and push myself to my limit, God has put me n a gr8 position!!
I love all the REAL basketball fans who appreciate hardwork, passion and love for the game..and not jus “plus and minuses”…wateva dat is!
You know KD, I’ve kinda sorta defended you on this matter… just keep that in mind.
Commentary
Kevin Durant, Plus/Minus
Go. Read. Now.
Obviously, you can read for yourself, but I found this part that had nothing to do with KD particularly interesting:
Of particular interest here is Russell Westbrook. The Thunder are very good when Westbrook’s on the court, and generally pretty bad when he’s off. (Wayne Winston says this effect is so pronounced he could build a strong case that Westbrook should have been rookie of the year over Derrick Rose.)
How does Westbrook do it?
In some ways, he’s the opposite of Durant. He is not a gaudy scorer — in fact, he’s a pretty bad shooter. He also has a high turnover rate, which is typically murder on team efficiency.
Yet Westbrook is a good defender. He draws a ridiculous number of fouls on both ends of the floor. He gets the team in the bonus, which in turn earns all of his teammates free throws. He rebounds well for his position, particularly at the offensive end, which can often lead to easy baskets.
Emphasis mine on the bold. This topic has been covered around these parts as well. Now go read it. You’ll be a better person for it. And come back ’round here and we can talk.
Commentary
Kevin Durant, Plus/Minus, Russell Westbrook
