Durant v. Greene Comparison

by furious.d on Aug 4, 2008 5:50 PM PDT

I'm sure that other people have made this point here, but it has become pretty common around StR to drop Kevin Durant as a comparison to Donte' Greene. Many of you probably already see where I'm going with this, but please hear (read?) me out.

Durant and Greene are easy to compare because they have similar bodies and styles of play, and took similar trajectories to the NBA. Those are good reasons to compare the two; however, they don't necessarily indicate that the two will have similar success in the NBA. I'm not saying that Donte' Greene can't be as good or better than KD. In fact, I really hope that he can improve his game to the point that a comparison is valid. But right now, I don't think Durant and Greene's talent should be compared. I guess my argument could be boiled down to this: If Donte' Greene had the ability to be as good of a basketballer player as Kevin Durant, he would be as good of a basketball player as Durant. And he's not.

Here comes the evidence:

-Greene (2/21/88) is actually older than Durant (9/29/88), and Durant has a Bambi-like body so those arguments are out the window.

-Both players spent one year at a DI school with a big-time basketball program in a major conference; these are their college stats (KD/D'G):

GP: 35/35; MIN: 35.9/35.8; PPG: 25.8/17.7; FG%: .473/.418; 3PT%: .404/.345; FT%: .816/.707; REB: 11.1/7.2; AST: 1.3/2.0; TO: 2.8/2.6; STL 1.9/1.3; BLK: 1.9/1.6 (sorry, I know that's difficult to read)

-Durant was IMO (and apparently the opinion of NBA GMs) the best college basketball player in the country his freshman season. Greene was not.

Conclusion: Hopefully, with the help of the great Sacramento Kings organization, Greene will improve to the point that his talent and production are comparable to Durant's. Right now, they are not, despite the fact that their careers have been similar in so many ways.

And before you release the hounds on me, I'd just like to state that I wanted the Kings to take Greene with the twelfth pick. I agree that he has wonderful potential and was a steal for Houston and a great piece to get back for Artest. I love the trade, I love the player, and I love the apostrophe. I just think comparing him to Kevin Durant is silly. Sorry, Donte', please prove me wrong. Okay I'm done.

(This is a FanPost from a member of the Sactown Royalty community. The views expressed come from the member, and not Sactown Royalty staff.)

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that weird code at the bottom should be this picture

by furious.d on Aug 4, 2008 5:51 PM PDT reply actions

Rec'd for Truth

Nothing to add, other than The extra ‘E’ owns KD in assists! Rookie of the year baby!

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Aug 4, 2008 6:08 PM PDT reply actions

And turnovers!

W00T!

Just kidding. Nice post, FD.

I think very few readers and posters at StR ~~fear~~ hate the truth, sometimes we just disagree on what the truth “is”. Well, unless they’re jocking a particular player, then there’s no reasoning with them.

I don’t know what the future will bring us as fans, but I’m still a little tingly over the coming basketball season. It feels good to look forward to November this year, and I haven’t felt that way in a couple of years. I don’t know what these kids can do, but I look forward to watching them and I hope the remaining veterans perform and teach well.

Yeah, that’s what she said.

Your Sacramento Kings: Another day, another drama.

by KK on Aug 4, 2008 11:42 PM PDT up reply actions

I'd be happy

If he were to be similar to Rashard Lewis.

BOOK IT!

by kingme18 on Aug 14, 2008 8:22 PM PDT up reply actions

as long as we don't have to pay him $120 million

then, yes. Yes please.

Donte? Donte'! Donté?!?!
'spect da 'xtra E'

by iashwash on Aug 14, 2008 8:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Just for fun, FD

it might be worth noting who the other players on the two teams were.

For example, if KD was the primary scoring option on his team, it would account for higher points, lower assists.

If D’G was more of a second option, it would account forthe opposite being true.

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 5, 2008 8:46 AM PDT reply actions

let's complete the disney analogy

Durant:Bambi::Donte’:???

Peter Pan? Simba? Flotsam and Jetsam? I think that reaching an StR consensus on this issue is at least as important as the issue raised by furious d here.

by the way, the post is lovely.

by beevenator on Aug 5, 2008 10:48 AM PDT reply actions

Durant:Bambi::Donte’:Mothra

by Tom Ziller on Aug 5, 2008 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions

Mothra is NOT Disney.

Just sayin’.

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 5, 2008 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions

but wait

i thought disney owned the eastern hemisphere or something

by beevenator on Aug 5, 2008 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions

the universe?

Now I can put my pink lace bra and panties back on. - Kfan in Korea

by iashwash on Aug 5, 2008 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions

If only.

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 6, 2008 9:31 AM PDT up reply actions

Alot of times I've found

That players get compared to pro players to give fans with better knowledge of the pro game than the player they’re reading about a visual comparison.

That being said, these types of things are dumb, and Durant is a special talent who should have been taken 1st overall. (Said that last year, and saying it now. He will be a better player than Oden. The question is how much better from where I stand.)

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Aug 5, 2008 11:47 AM PDT reply actions

Agreed

I think the Greene/Durant comparison is to give people an idea of the style that Greene has and not necessarily the talent level.

When the Jazz exec(?) said that he hadn’t seen anyone go end-to-end like Thompson since The Mailman, he wasn’t saying that JT would be the next Karl Malone, he was just making a comment as to whose style JT reminded him of. I believe the same to be true of the Webber comparisons, because of JT’s shooting ability.

Just as we shouldn’t get too excited about our young guys by stating that they’ll be the next so-and-so, we also shouldn’t get too excited when people comment on who their style of play reminds them of.

by smgmatt on Aug 5, 2008 12:03 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs

Rec'd because of the bundles of wisdom offered

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Aug 5, 2008 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions

this is a really good example of what I was (unsuccessfully) trying to illustrate

I don’t have a problem with anyone saying that the way Thompson runs the floor is reminiscent of Malone. Like you said, he’s not calling Thompson next Karl Malone.

But when I read multiple StRers comparing Greene to a guy who’s younger and far more successful than him, it doesn’t read like a community of people trying to inform one another about Greene’s game. It reads like a bunch of people thinking that if they repeat it enough, it will come true. To me, this is about as valuable as comparing Salim Stoudamire to Ben Gordon. Maybe their games are similar, but the important difference is that one is much better than the other.

Durant:Bambi::Greene:Pinocchio

by furious.d on Aug 5, 2008 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions

that's so weird

i was totally thinking about putting jiminy cricket instead of peter pan

by beevenator on Aug 5, 2008 5:20 PM PDT up reply actions

my favorite description was this:

(can’t remember who said it, but became really popular around the draft): Kevin Durant will be the better player, but Greg Oden will win more championships.
The kid is big, viscous, athletic, and a freaking nice guy. Guaranteed to be a great teammate and a rock in the middle. Oh yeah, and he fills a big Portland need. Portland’s basically upgrading Pryzbilla with Dwight Howard.

Now I can put my pink lace bra and panties back on. - Kfan in Korea

by iashwash on Aug 5, 2008 1:07 PM PDT up reply actions

viscous like nickelodeon gak?

by beevenator on Aug 5, 2008 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions

LOL

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 6, 2008 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions

viscous as in

he resists thermal breakdown that can damage engines (Castrol commercials from the 80’s)

by misterbrister on Aug 6, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions

also

castrol commercials right now. except i think now it’s “that can lead to engine breakdown” or something stupid.

by beevenator on Aug 6, 2008 11:08 AM PDT up reply actions

And who says TV isn't educational?

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 6, 2008 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Wishy washy Harvard liberals?

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Aug 9, 2008 10:17 AM PDT up reply actions

Oden and Dwight Howard?

If they were upgrading with Dwight Howard, I think they would certainly be on their way to some championships, but Oden is nowhere near the player that Howard is. He may be some day, although the fact that he looks about 30 years older and has already had injury issues make me hesitant to believe so.

I think Oden will be a nice, complimentary player for Portland, but he’s no Dwight Howard.

by cabz on Aug 5, 2008 3:42 PM PDT up reply actions

yeah, a tad bit too much for now

just got caught up in the hype/ the latest truehoop pro-Oden bit.

Now I can put my pink lace bra and panties back on. - Kfan in Korea

by iashwash on Aug 5, 2008 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions

He hasn't

Played any fereakin’ games yet. He’s already had a major injury (others have been fine – some not), He could be Shaq – or he could be Kwame.

Who the heck knows??!!

eternal skeptical optimist

by lietothegirls on Aug 6, 2008 11:47 AM PDT reply actions

I know

But I’m not tellin’.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Aug 6, 2008 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions

You're bluffing.

Let's go home.-Kevin Martin

by LeaguePassAddict on Aug 6, 2008 5:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Comparisons

I love the Rashard Lewis comparison. I actually think Greene is a better shooter than Durant. If Donte’ can be Rashard Lewis, Kings will have a great scoring tandem in that of him and Martin. Donte’ isn’t Durant, at least not now, nor Lewis, but could be something in a short amount of time.

by mr mark on Aug 19, 2008 2:06 AM PDT reply actions