Momma said there’d be days like this.
Kevin Durant had a pretty bizarre Game 1 vs. San Antonio. He couldn’t get it going in the first half, shook loose in the third quarter, and then was bottled up by San Antonio in the fourth. He hit free throws, a result of the Spurs’ defensive approach on him, but was just 0-2 from the field. Forget the percentage, Kevin Durant got two field goal attempts in the fourth quarter. Is that going to cut it? Obviously not, as the Spurs won 101-98.
Of the many things the Thunder needed in Game 1, Thabo Sefolosha on the floor in the 4th, more control and patience from Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Manu Ginobili to vanish from the Earth suddenly in an alien abduction, they also needed a smarter game from Durant. 27 points on 19 shots is perfectly efficient for Durant, but it could have been more. Truth be told, the Spurs had no real answer for Durant’s length. Stephen Jackson dug in. Kawhi Leonard pestered. But if Durant managed his offense better, he could have had more.
But can you pin this loss on Durant? No. He gave them 27 on 19, and that should be good enough.
However, Durant is going to have to take the hardest assignment. He did it in Round 2 vs. Kobe Bryant. He’s going to have to do it in the WCF against Manu Ginobili.
The Thunder have no one to even slow down Ginobili. Harden is wholly outmatched. Westbrook has his hands full with Parker. Thabo Sefolosha can help, but he should honestly be guarding Parker. Durant needs to use his length and lateral quickness to guard Ginobili. Cut off the angles, limit the penetration, contest the shots. Sefolosha needs work on him. Durant needs work on him.
Are there tangible things Durant can do better? It’s hard to say. Should Westbrook or Harden improve? Undeniably.
But Durant has the most advantages, as usual, more than usual. It was clear from the start. Durant is going to have to be more than just a scoring machine. He has to be dominant in every area, making a difference on every level. That’s how good the Spurs are.