Kevin Durant was wary of the trade that brought Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City.

"I didn't like him," Durant said. "He had words for our team [in previous matchups], and as a young guy you just thought he was mad at the world. But [eventually] I just saw that he was all business. Once you come off the floor, he's cool. I noticed that [personality trait] with KG, being around him, and noticed those two guys are very close. He's easy to love. He's a guy whose personality is off the charts."

Not to mention his basketball IQ. For all of Perkins' bravado, it's the nuances of his game that have impressed his new team the most.

"He's one of the smartest basketball players I've been around," Durant said. "He goes two, three plays ahead [mentally]. I got hit on a screen [against Denver on April 8] and I was a little late, and all he did is put his hand out and played two guys, basically three guys. ... That's something we didn't have before."