Is Kevin Durant setting himself up for failure by taking on responsibility for doing the impossible?
Over Oklahoma City’s first three games in the Western Conference semifinals, Durant is averaging 34 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and shooting better than 50 percent. Yet, the Thunder still find themselves trailing the Memphis Grizzlies 2-1 and Durant, playing without faithful sidekick Russell Westbrook, is pledging to take matters even more into his own hands.
“I can do a lot more,” Durant, who in the absence of the injured Westbrook is averaging 9 more points, 5 more rebounds and shooting more than 10% better on three-pointer, told ESPN. “ There’s always things. No matter how good you play, you always can do more. I gotta find ways to help my teammates out and put them in great position.”
Try as he might, Kevin Durant can’t do it all alone. Without Westbrook’s explosive and creative style, the Thunder have struggled mightily. No one anymore than enigmatic forward Serge Ibaka. He and the usually reliable Kevin Martin combined to shoot just 6 of 17 in Game 3, in effect putting so much pressure on Durant that by game’s end even he seemed cold and bothered.
Durant made six of his first eight shots, but just three of his next 11 and even missed a pair of critical free throws with 15 seconds left and the Thunder within a single possession. “I felt worse than anybody for not coming through for our guys, especially in a game we could’ve won. “
But Kevin Durant can’t win it all by his lonesome, and deep down inside maybe even he knows that. After Saturday’s meltdown, he admitted Ibaka’s woes, which included two missed wide open dunks a layup and several uncontested mid-range jumpers, were “all in his head.”
Unless Kevin Durant can morph into Dr. Phil overnight, what more can he really do?
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