Originally published on May 11, 2017.
Kevin Durant needed to be wanted. He didn't want to be needed.
He went to the bench with 6:48 to go in the first quarter of the Warriors' Game 4 matchup on the road against the Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals Monday night, having not scored a single point. He wouldn't re-enter the contest until the 9:23 mark of the second. It didn't matter.
Durant would heat up before the half and go to the break as one of three Golden State players with 10 points at that juncture. The Warriors, the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs, would go on to a 121-95 victory, their eighth-straight in the playoffs and 23rd in the last 24.
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An eight-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion and former MVP, Durant finished with 18 points in 30 minutes, good enough for third on the team. Reigning back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry poured in a game-high 30 points, and his Splash Brother, two-time All-NBA choice Klay Thompson, added 21. Durant's scoring output was just better than that of Draymond Green, an All-Defensive First-Team choice the past two seasons, who notched his 22nd career triple-double with 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to complete the sweep of Utah.
Durant just as well could not have scored. Heck, he could have not played at all like he did twice in the first round against the Trail Blazers while nursing a strained left calf. In 21 games this season without Durant, the Warriors are 17-4.
It's exactly why he came to Golden State — to be an option, not a priority.
Curry is the face of the franchise replete with a squeaky-clean image, crafted in the most wholesome areas of Charlotte, N.C. and a dichotomous back story, rising to stardom from a mid-major as a privileged underdog. He's a family man. His wife is a happy homemaker (when she's not claiming the NBA is rigged after tough losses) and, doggone it, his kids are cute. He owns the league's highest-selling jersey, sales that are helped by a flashy dribble and the most prolific 3-point shot the league has ever seen.
Green will likely earn the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award this season. He is the heart and soul of the Warriors, the boisterous, emotional leader who delivers inspiring halftime speeches when required. If anyone on the team needs a pat on the back or a kick in the rear end (or below the belt), he's the one to administer them. For better or worse, Green is the Warriors' hustle and muscle. He leads the team in rebounds (9.1), assists (7.3), blocks (2.6) and steals (2.0) per game in the playoffs. More importantly, he's not afraid to be the bad guy and endure, if not initiate, altercations on the court. In the words of Scarface, you need people like Draymond.
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Along with not having to shoulder the burden as a franchise player or locker-room leader, Durant has enjoyed the benefits of sharing in the shot and playmaking duties all season. In the regular season, he was the Warriors' second-leading scorer at 25.1 points per game behind Curry's 25.3 while shooting a career-best 53.7 percent from the field on a career-low 16.5 attempts per game. With the least responsibility he's ever had, Durant produced his highest true shooting percentage (65.1), which takes into account 2-point, 3-point and free-throw attempts, in 10 seasons in the league. When (not if) the Warriors meet the Cavaliers in the Finals, he'll be a part of a committee, one that also includes former finals MVP Andre Iguodala and Thompson, tasked with defending LeBron James.
Because let's not get it tangled or twisted. That's who this is all about.
It wasn't love for each other, but fear of losing out on another championship that brought Durant and the Warriors together.
It's unlikely Green had thoughts of stealing Durant away from Russell Westbrook and OKC the moment he wrapped his arms around Durant after the Warriors' narrowly escaped a 3-1 series deficit in last year's Western Conference finals. But what we do know is by the time they joined forces as teammates on Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, they both shared something in common — they knew what it was like to lose to a fully-staffed, James-led team in the Finals.
In 2012, Durant, then flanked by a young Westbrook and burgeoning James Harden, fell in five games to James as he led Miami to the Larry O'Brien trophy for the second time. Green had been to the mountaintop. He tasted a Finals victory in 2015 when James put up historic numbers (35.8 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 8.8 apg) in a losing effort. Green hurt his team the next year with a suspension as the Cavs mounted a historic comeback behind LeBron's signature Finals performance.
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Green was in his Durant's ear, whispering sweet nothings, all summer. That's something, according to former teammate Kendrick Perkins, Westbrook just isn't willing to do, though he and Durant are on speaking terms again.
“I mean, I was really just telling him about the fun we have together — the fun that this team has and how he would be welcome here with open arms. And it’s not about ‘I’ with us on this team. It’s all about ‘we’ and winning championships," Green told Sports Illustrated back in July.
He made Durant want to leave OKC and start a new relationship, ushering in a new era in his career. Durant chose to be a high-end side piece when he realized he may never get a ring as the Thunder's main squeeze. You can't compare Durant's signing with the Warriors to James' departing Cleveland for Miami. The Heat hadn't advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs in four years before James arrived in 2010. Cleveland, in the four seasons after James dipped, had the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft three times.
James, who's dominated Durant throughout his career, is the reason he didn't go East. He's also the reason upcoming big-name free agents such as Paul George and Kyle Lowry likely won't either. With No. 23 in your conference, the ceiling is the roof.
Durant had a solid Game 7 against the Warriors last season, scoring 27 points on 10-for-19 shooting in a 96-88 loss, but in the two previous series-clinching opportunities, he looked shook. In Games 5 and 6 against the Warriors he shot a combined 22 of 62 from the field, jacking up 31 attempts in each contest. Nonetheless, the Thunder were within striking distance, trailing by only four points with 8:30 to go and a chance to advance to the Finals in a win-or-go home bout for both squads.
The Warriors had already won a title and a record 73 regular-season games. However, in big business, the best way to eliminate the competition can be to buy it out. They didn't need Kevin Durant. They just wanted him off the Thunder.
And that was OK with Durant. He's on track to get what he wants, too.