Typical NBA logic. Ariza mugs somebody and gets a slap on the wrist. Odom does something thoughtless, and gets suspended.
Durrant plays no defense. He's carmello part II with a better offensive game and a worse defensive game. If Oden still is just getting injured over and over a couple of years from now, I'll probably change my mind, but at this point I still wouldn't take Durrant over Oden if you offered that trade to me straight up.
Is his offense polished? Absolutely not, but it's very effective when he's given the ball, and good swing players that are great offensive players and play poor D are more common (Melo, Dirk, McGrady, Richard Jefferson) than great centers. If you asked if I had to win a game tomorrow, and either Oden or Durrant were availble to play at full strength tomorrow. I would likely still take Oden. I honestly think Durrant is nothing more than a chucker at this point. He's a very good offensive player, but as recent statistics have pointed out, the Thunder do monumentally better on defense when he's not on the floor, and their record is what, 4-1 without him? Oden's not there yet, but I have seen enough flashes of his skill and physical talent that I believe he will be a top 1 or 2 center in this league for years. If he can stay healthy. At this point I have no qualms with saying I would rather have a future with Oden than Durrant. I think Greg will grow into his body, his bones will solidify (which from a medical standpoint has likely not happened yet).
It's not just about talent, I am seriously concerned about Oden's health. His injuries rival almost no one else in the NBA at that age, that is why I give him heat. I just don't think he will stay healthy and that is my biggest gripe in the NBA. That's why I get very annoyed with Bynum and will not count on him for any production later on in the year. I want my team to be ready without him and take care of homecourt advantage. As for Durant being a chucker, he's one damn efficient chucker.
I think you're highly underrating Durant's defense, Webster. He's not quite the game-changer that Oden is on D, but his man to man and help D are definitely above average. He's got the length and decent speed to guard anyone in this league and his rebounding has skyrocketed the past 2 months. and when it comes to offense, no explanation needed.
