How would the season have played out had Kevin Durant signed with the Celtics?
Debate the answer with Chad Finn and Boston sports fans at The Sports Q.
Welcome to Boston.com’s Sports Q, our daily conversation, initiated by you and moderated by Chad Finn, about a compelling topic in Boston sports. Here’s how it works: You submit questions to Chad through Twitter, Facebook, email, his Friday chat, and any other outlet you prefer. He’ll pick one each day (except for Saturday) to answer, then we’ll take the discussion to the comments. Chad will stop by several times per day to navigate. But you drive the conversation.If Kevin Durant had come to Boston, who is playing tonight and what’s the series at? — ndi
Oof, wasn’t planning on dealing with that what-if the morning after the Durant and the instantly iconic Warriors finished off the Cavaliers in five games, but it’s a terrific question. Damn it, if only Kelly Olynyk’s sales pitch on the Celtics behalf in the Hamptons had been a little more convincing.
You know what? Had Durant come to Boston – and had Isaiah Thomas not popped his hip carrying around the rest of the starting five on many postseason nights – I think the Celtics overcome the Cavs and advance to play the Warriors.
Durant would have been the player knocking down the perimeter shots Jae Crowder and Marcus Smart clanged – and then some. He also would have been a rim protector, something that didn’t even seem part of his game when the Celtics, Warriors, Thunder and so on were making their pitch last summer. Durant became a genuinely impactful defensive player this year. He also averaged 8.9 rebounds per game, which is more than any Celtic since Kevin Garnett also averaged 8.9 in 2010-11. He would have been a scoring machine for the Green, and that would have only been part of his contribution. Yeah, with KD, they beat the Cavs. No doubt.
I don’t think they would challenge even a Durant-less Warriors team, though. Presumably the Warriors would have brought back Harrison Barnes or found a suitable replacement. And even without Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is a proven title-winning core.
The Warriors would have beaten KD and the Celtics in 6, and man, why’d you have to make me write about this what-if? I suppose there’s no chance of Durant opting out after this, huh? Rats.
What do you guys think? Had Durant joined the Celtics, would they have overcome the Cavs … and perhaps the Warriors too? How would it have all played out? I’ll hear you in the comments.
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