Former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague believes Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony are two of the best scorers in NBA history. But in a head-to-head meeting, Teague has his money on the Rockets forward.
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The conversation began when a fan asked a question on a live stream of the Club 520 Podcast. They wondered, if all three players were still in their prime, who would win in a series of 1-on-1 matchups: Michael Beasley, Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant?
Although Teague and his crew recognize Beasley as a legendary scorer, they agreed he is outclassed by the two Hall of Famers. Teague chose Anthony and Durant over Beasley but took a bit of extra thought to decide who would win between the remaining two.
“I gotta go KD,” Teague said. “He has no weaknesses.”
Standing at 6-foot-11, Durant’s ability to score is second to none. The Houston Rockets’ superstar can do anything offensively, but his lack of offensive vulnerability isn’t why Teague picked him. After all, “Melo ain’t got no weakness either,” Teague proclaimed.
If the question asked who is a better scorer through physicality, the award would easily go to Anthony because he would bully his opponents in the post en route to finishing with 25 points. The level of efficiency is what truly separates these two NBA greats.
“[Carmelo Anthony] didn’t make it look as easy as KD … On way less attempts,” Teague said.
Anthony wasn’t the most efficient scorer, considering his volume. The 10-time All-Star shot 44.7% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. Meanwhile, Durant is nearly 50/40/90, averaging 50.2% from the field, 39% from three and 88.2% from the free-throw line.
Although Durant could take a plethora of shots, he doesn’t force his game. He has only attempted more than 20 shots twice in his career. Anthony, on the other hand, attempted more than 20 shots five times in his career, while leading the league in attempts twice.
Carmelo has proclaimed on his 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast that he has “never” lost a game of 1-on-1. If the two superstars were to face off, it would be must-watch TV. The likelihood of it occurring is slim to none but could be on the table once Durant steps away from the NBA in the coming years.
