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During Max Kellerman’s appearance on the ESPN show ‘Get Up’ featuring Jalen Rose and Mike Greenberg, Max had some interesting comments to make.
"I don't know for how much longer Kevin Durant will be a top-5 player, and it's not even about his age. LeBron James is better than Kevin Durant by a whole lot. I think AD (Anthony Davis) is the second-best player in the world, unless Kawhi is healthy, and then I don't know.
"And then you have Giannis, who already is on that level, God forbid his jumper starts to fall. That puts KD at No. 5 maybe -- like, right now, the fifth-best player in the world".
Most of us would probably rule out the possibility of Kevin Durant being number 4 or 5 in an NBA Top 5 Player list – but by the end of the 2018-19 NBA season, this might very well be so. Here’s why.
Durant's talent is undoubtedly exceptional and something that the NBA has rarely ever come across. What he can do on both the offensive and defensive ends is nothing less than astonishing, making him comparable to the likes of Scotty Pippen and other all-time greats.
However, what really stands out from Max Kellerman’s comments is that Durant is an amazing talent, but other great players, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, are all younger talent with sky-limit potential, whose numbers and efficiency ratings are right up there with Durant's.
LeBron James will surely keep the throne as the NBA’s best player for the next 2 seasons, but taking into consideration Durant’s age in comparison with the younger talent coming up - how long will that leave Durant in the Top 5 conversation?
Admittedly, he is probably the 2nd best player following LeBron James. And without question, KD will continue to gain great achievements with the Warriors. However, having 3 (and now 4) All-Stars playing alongside him – will result in enlarging the roles that Giannis, Leonard & AD will have to attain in order to have any chance of post-season success in the upcoming years - thus, appearing as ‘better players’.
This can result in a few Top 5 NBA player lists to have Kevin Durant ranked as 4th, 5th or perhaps not in the list at all.
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