If OKC loses, does KD get a pass? Should he?

[KirbyPls]

Memphis is not a true 7-seed, I think we can all agree on that. Obviously the West playoff teams, top to bottom, are stronger than the East teams. I think we can also all agree on that. Tony Allen is perhaps an all-time great perimeter defender as well. Brooks is certainly no Jackson, Popovich, or even Spoelstra, so there's that. That being said...

Lebron is still eviscerated by many on this board for his Orlando series, where he averaged ~ 38-8-8 in the ECF against the number 1 defense in the league that year;

Likewise, Kobe (as much as I can't stand that rat-faced snitch), is still reamed by some on the board for both the 2008 Finals and the 2010 Game 7, a series, which the Lakers won, btw.

All season long, I read thread after thread about KD surpassing Bron; KD better than Kobe ever was; KD best scorer since MJ; KD the Kareem of SFs, and on and on, not just from known trolls either. Every player has bad series from Kareem to Magic to Bird, Kone, Shaq, Lebron, and even MJ. Obviously No one thinks that KD is impervious to a bad series, but if KD is approaching (or in) that group of players, as many have claimed, he should absolutely draw heat for this series, especially if OKC loses. If Kobe still draws heat for 2010 and Lebron for the 2013 Finals, KD doesn't get a pass here, IMO. Thoughts?

[Black and White]

No, Durant does not deserve a pass, he has a fully healthy team, he was balling all season long, he just hasn't hit his shots, credit to the Grizz, however we do have to put it into context and understand just how good the Grizz are, they are a top 4 calibre team as a 7th seed.

[navy]

Durant has no excuses for losing to any seed. MVP and new best player in the world. You are expected to win. Or at least play well in defeat.

[LONGTIME]

**** no he shouldn't get a pass. Especially with the way he has been playing in this series.

[KirbyPls]

No, Durant does not deserve a pass, he has a fully healthy team, he was balling all season long, he just hasn't hit his shots, credit to the Grizz, however we do have to put it into context and understand just how good the Grizz are, they are a top 4 calibre team as a 7th seed.

Agree completely, but the others I listed would not get a pass against this grizzly team.

[KirbyPls]

Durant has no excuses for losing to any seed. MVP and new best player in the world. You are expected to win. Or at least play well in defeat.

Allegedly.

[DuMa]

dude should at least be averaging more than his Regular season PPG

[Milbuck]

Of course he shouldn't get a pass, there's no question about that.

But if we ignored Lebron's first 3 games of last year's finals and waited till the result of the series to judge, we should do the same here.

Reserve your judgement until the series has finished. He's played like shit for his standards so far, but he still has 2 games to make it right. If he ****s that up, THEN we can rip him apart like we did Kobe, Lebron, other great perimeter players when they failed. But as of right now we have no idea how the series will play out - he could rise to the occasion like a true all-time great and go off for 45-60 the next two games and dominate the Grizzlies, or he could shrink like in game 4 and lose game 6. We have to wait.

[Thunderfan86]

No, he shouldn't get a pass. He's playing like a straight up shook, mentally weak, bitch. Talking about "I'm the decoy and I'm fine with that" what type of bitch ass n*gga shit is that? F*cking fakkit

[KirbyPls]

Of course he shouldn't get a pass, there's no question about that.

But if we ignored Lebron's first 3 games of last year's finals and waited till the result of the series to judge, we should do the same here.

Reserve your judgement until the series has finished. He's played like shit for his standards so far, but he still has 2 games to make it right. If he ****s that up, THEN we can rip him apart like we did Kobe, Lebron, other great perimeter players when they failed. But as of right now we have no idea how the series will play out - he could rise to the occasion like a true all-time great and go off for 45-60 the next two games and dominate the Grizzlies, or he could shrink like in game 4 and lose game 6. We have to wait.

Good point.

[KirbyPls]

No, he shouldn't get a pass. He's playing like a straight up shook, mentally weak, bitch. Talking about "I'm the decoy and I'm fine with that" what type of bitch ass n*gga shit is that? F*cking fakkit

Keep heart bro, in 2012, I was convinced that Lebron was not actually the player he would become when the Heat fell behind 3-2 to the Celtics, I was shook badly before game 6, expected Lebron to choke and chose not to watch it live. My lack of faith precluded me from watching my favorite player's greatest performance to date. I think KD has a great game in him this series, so have a bit of faith.

[Solefade]

no he shouldn't get a pass but can everyone just stop overrating the grizzlies? there's no reason the best scorer in the league shouldn't be able to light up a team that struggles to score 80ppg

[Thunderfan86]

Keep heart bro, in 2012, I was convinced that Lebron was not actually the player he would become when the Heat fell behind 3-2 to the Celtics, I was shook badly before game 6, expected Lebron to choke and chose not to watch it live. My lack of faith precluded me from watching my favorite player's greatest performance to date. I think KD has a great game in him this series, so have a bit of faith.

That's funny because I told myself I wasn't going to watch the game tomorrow. So you know exactly how I'm feeling right now.

[KirbyPls]

That's funny because I told myself I wasn't going to watch the game tomorrow. So you know exactly how I'm feeling right now.

Watch it, whatever happens. You don't want to potentially miss a legacy-altering game (in a good way of course).

[Bandito]

No. He should be scrutinized as Dirk was in 08.