Name: Kevin Durant
Age:  18
Height:  6-9
Weight:  225
College: Texas (Fr.)

Strengths/Weaknesses:

Durant is one of those players who seem to do a lot of everything, with no stone left unturned. He?s an extremely versatile offensive threat, who can move with great ease for a man of his size. If you try to bang with him in the post he?ll out-hustle and jump you, but he?s capable of knocking down deep jumpers if you force him out onto the perimeter. He possesses such a huge wingspan that defending seems to be one of his natural instincts.

He averaged double-digit rebounds for the season (11.1 per game), despite giving up a few inches to most of his counterparts on the glass. His raw ability and knowledge of what it takes to excel on the basketball court are things that simply cannot be taught. At Texas he had D.J. Augustin feeding him the ball in all the right places, which played to his advantage.

However, when USC put pressure on Augustin (rather than Durant himself) in the NCAA Tournament it disrupted Kevin?s offensive effectiveness. He still managed thirty points, in what ended up being the final game of his college career, but he made only eleven of the twenty-four shots he took from the floor and looked rushed more often than not.

Marquee Performances:  

Kevin treated his entire season as one big marquee performance, becoming the first freshmen in NCAA history to be named Player of The Year. Statistically his best performance came against Texas Tech when he posted thirty-seven points and twenty-three rebounds in forty minutes of action on the final day of January. Durant posted thirty-seven points on four separate occasions, while the twenty-three boards was far and away his best output of the season.

He never scored fewer than ten points in his college career, which consisted of thirty-five games (strangely enough), and notched eight or more rebounds in all but four contests. He shoots remarkably well from the free throw line (over eighty-one percent) and can hit triples with relative ease (a touch over forty percent). You?d be hard pressed to label any of his games at Texas as ?bad?.

Ideal Fit:

It would be a waste of time for me to sit here and tell you where Durant will, and won?t, fit come Draft night. We all know that he?s going to be taken either first, or (most likely) second on Thursday night when David Stern emerges from behind the magic curtain. Both Portland and Seattle could use a young player with Durant?s versatility, but the same could be said about Oden?s interior presence.

In all likelihood Kevin is going to become a Supersonic by the end of the week. With Rashard Lewis having one foot out the door, Durant will become the team?s starting swingman from Day One. I have no doubts that he?ll ready, but the most glaring question remains: Is the NBA ready for him?

Best Case:

Kevin Garnett, Minnesota: It?s always scary when a player?s game is compared to the greats so early, but there seems to be a very real possibility that Durant could become the NBA?s next great Kevin. He?s been compared to Minnesota?s Kevin Garnett, and even European superforward Dirk Nowitzki. If his career even remotely resembles either of those two, I think the Emerald City will be rather pleased.

Worst Case:

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte: I hate to get incredibly high on such a younger player, because not everyone will become the League?s next so-and-so, but Durant is one of three players in this year?s Draft that I feel are can?t miss prospects (with the other two being Buckeye teammates). If Kevin were to enter the NBA and crash entirely, his game would be comparable to the Bobcats? Gerald Wallace. Wallace has always had incredible athletic ability and potential, but it has yet to be reached. However, KD seems to already have better instincts around the basket, giving him a leg up on the Alabama alum.

Do you want Kevin Durant on your team? Unless you?re a Blazer or Sonics fan, fat chance? [email protected]