Durant says Westbrook is Thunder's best player

By foxsports
Published

Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, when healthy, is arguably the best player in the world. LeBron James has held that title for more than half a decade, but when Durant won the MVP award in 2013-14, there was a legitimate argument over who was the better player at that time.

In August, Durant said he was "the best player in the world." It was a bold statement, but the offseason is a time for daring proclamations. 

According to Durant now, though, he's not even the Thunder's best player, let alone the best player in the world. Durant says the distinction of OKC's best player belongs to his polarizing teammate, Russell Westbrook.

The comment that stood out, via Anthony Slater of The Daily Oklahoman:

Durant subtly slid that assertion into the context of his comment, and there's no telling whether he actually believes that, or if he's just trying to pump up Westbrook even more. Westbrook has closed the gap between him and Durant over the past couple of years, but at peak potential, Durant still has the highest ceiling as the most complete scorer in the world.

This season, Westbrook is posting a slightly higher Player Efficiency Rating (31.2 compared to 28.0), and both players are shooting 49.5 percent from the field (Durant on 19.4 FGAs, Westbrook on 21.8). Westbrook has been marginally better this season, but remember, Durant is coming off a serious foot injury and it takes time to adjust to the pace of the NBA season, as he's said.

Regardless, Durant has a history of deferring to Westbrook at inopportune times, and may need to recalibrate his normally healthy ego if Durant and the Thunder truly want to win a championship.