Kevin Durant: All Skill, No Brawns

Talk has been circulating like wild fire regarding Kevin Durant's pathetic display of masculinity after failing to bench-press 185lbs, even once. What is even more bizarre, is that the current President of the U.S. of A. can actually bench more than Kevin Durant. The 60-year-old senior-citizen who spends his time reading papers and riding helicopters actually benches more than a teenage basketball player who is about to make his living from basketball. That's crazy.

I'm not here to undermine Kevin Durant for not being able to lift a couple of heavy pieces of metal; after all, I'd probably do 10 times worse than the kid. When I play basketball and suddenly find myself in the lane, I get thrown around like a paper-bag underneath the basket; so what right do I have to suddenly criticize the dude for doing something I can't do myself? Nothing really, but who better to understand his would-be situation than a scrawny guy that actually faces those demons every single time he steps on the court? Me.

The two photos printed above are for everyone's references. On one side, we have college freshman Kevin Durant; while on the other side, is rookie (or sophomore, one of which) LeBron James. One reason that LeBron James was so highly regarded in his rookie period is that he came in the league ready with maturity (way more than fellow draftee Carmelo Anthony) and of course, the NBA-ready body. LeBron James didn't need to wait a year or two to be ready to take it to any towers he pleases, the 18-year-old was ready for it way before day 1. I think the two photos above speak for themselves. Not to mention LeBron can get down like this, which is why I think he deserves to win all the yearly awards altogether. I don't even want to get a photo of a 22-year-old LeBron James, that would only escalate K.D.'s predicament.

The down-side: Well, he obviously needs to build some mass. He did really well in the NCAA Tournament mainly because he is quick, he is long, and everybody else was just as scrawny as he was. However, the same can not be said once he enters the NBA and starts facing against Forwards with the likes of Rashard Lewis, Ron Artest, Luol Deng, Carmelo Anthony, Shawn Marion, and the likes. I could go on and on. On rebounding, his 11.1 rebounding average in Texas will have to go against the likes of Dwight Howard (another NBA-ready body as a rookie), Al Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Ben Wallace, and a whole lot more. There have been under-sized forwards who dominated the boards, namely Sir Charles Barkley, and an honorable mention to Kenny Thomas because it happens so seldom (like 1 in 20 games) but still does happen anyway; but they did it with over-powering and out-willing the obstacles in the paint. The same can be said of Kevin Garnett, a close comparison of Kevin Durant, but Kevin Garnett is lean and mean added to the quickness and length that Kevin Durant possesses; he has probably also grown stoic of the pain from bumping and grinding over the years, all of which Durant will develop in a few more years in the league, but not as of this moment. When Kevin Durant steps into that court for his first NBA game, he is going to have to rely on his quickness, length, and luck. Sadly, I don't really have any of those, which is why I am happy for Kevin. The paint is going to be a mess for Durant this year, and the perimeter is going to be hell with the likes of big, strong, and quick defenders like Ron Artest and Bruce Bowen, but it's not impossible.

Here's the bright side: Given the fact that Durant can't bench 185lbs., and yet is able to play the way he has been playing in the NCAA, shows no attribute to strength. It is hands down all skill. No matter how pathetic his brute strength is as of now, it only emphasizes how much skill the kid possesses. Given that it has only been his quickness that aided him throughout his games in the NCAA and the Pre-Draft Camp, only says a whole lot more about his potential than the downsides could ever do. I'm predicting dominance in the paint once he finally gets that NBA-ready body. We'd be watching a bulked-up Kevin Garnett, if he actually goes that extent with his mass-building. He would be quick, he would be strong, and he would totally OWN the triple-threat on offense. I doubt there is a single soul in this world that would think otherwise, lest they want to get embarrassed for denying so when the time finally comes. Looking towards the long-run actually makes Kevin Durant a favorable draft-pick over Greg Oden now as it seems. It makes me wonder how much damage he could actually have done and will do once his body becomes NBA-ready in 2 to 3 years.

My guess: We'd pretty much see havoc on the court.