In the NBA offseason, there’s never a shortage of controversial takes and bold claims. Just days into this year’s break, Kevin Durant has already stirred the pot. In a conversation with LeBron James and Steve Nash on Mind the Game, the two-time NBA champion shared his thoughts on how the guard position has evolved over time. However, it was the smaller guards who found themselves under heavy scrutiny.
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Durant felt that those below 6’2″ aren’t fit to be part of the starting five anymore, since the pick-and-roll tactic has changed the way teams scheme on offense and defense. An interesting theory that Durant brought up for the sake of conversation.
However, not everyone appreciated what Durant said, and this included Kendrick Perkins. The Boston Celtics legend vehemently disagreed with KD’s assessment and explained why on The Road Trippin’ podcast.
“Well, it was drunken contradiction and all over the place in that clip because he brought up Luguentz Dort is 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7,” claimed Perkins, referencing Durant’s talk with Bron and Nash. Funnily enough, he would get corrected moments later as Dort is actually 6’4,” which did play into KD’s point.
Still, Perkins was pretty riled up at the idea that small guards couldn’t have an impact. He name-dropped Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson (6’2″) and Rockets star Fred VanVleet (6’0″) as prime examples of smaller guys being incredibly effective on the court, especially on the offensive end.
“He brought them up, but at the same time, he was seeing guys like T.J. McConnell, and if the Pacers won (the NBA Finals), we could have possibly been talking about him being a finals MVP,” barked Perkins. This was one take, Perkins absolutely knocked out of the park. McConnell was electric throughout the Finals, especially in Game 7, when the team desperately needed a spark. Unfortunately, his heroics weren’t matched by anyone else that night.
Perkins, however, wasn’t done. He pointed out that bigger guys can get picked on just as easily as smaller ones. “Little guards aren’t the only people that get picked on,” he stated. “We watched get Luka searched out every time down. We watched Karl Anthony-Towns, who is nowhere near 6-foot and is actually 7-foot-1, get picked on.”
It makes sense why Perkins would take the opposite stance from Durant on the subject. The two have butted heads nonstop over the years, thanks to their complicated relationship during their days together on the Oklahoma City Thunder. As for the guard take? Durant is one of the most well-versed basketball minds of the past decade. His input isn’t just welcome, it’s usually backed by logic, and he probably makes some valid points.
That said, there will always be exceptions to the rule, and players like Brunson or VanVleet are exactly that: the exception. The NBA game is always evolving. No era plays the same way. There was a grit to the basketball of the ’80s, ’90s, and early 2000s that’s largely absent today. But the level of skill in today’s league far outweighs that of the OG days.
Players now have to be multi-threats just to keep up with other multi-threat superstars. There’s no denying that being a bigger guard can be an advantage. But that doesn’t mean the little guy should be completely overlooked as a starter, either.
