NBA Player Power Rankings: Who's Hot, Who's Not?

NBA Player Power Rankings: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not?

January 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts after shooting a three-point shot during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 111-101. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jan 13, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) directs his teammates against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Last Rank: No. 4

Position: Small Forward

Age: 27

Slash Line: .517/.410/.896

Season Averages: 35.9 MPG, 26.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 BPG, 0.9 SPG, 2.3 3PM

Verdict: Hot

Kevin Durant is the very definition of a matchup nightmare. Between his size, shooting touch, range, athleticism, and, when he’s aggressive, supreme confidence, Durant is as close to unstoppable as they come.

When a player can do this, it’s not even fair:

Considering he makes shots like that on a regular basis, Durant himself is not even fair.

Durant is one of the most revered scorers in NBA history, and four scoring titles dispute any counterargument. As the 2015-16 regular season has progressed, he’s begun to look more-and-more like himself.

That’s bad news for the opposition.

Oklahoma City won three of its four games this week, and Durant was superb in every one of them. He scored 24 points on 15 shots against the Los Angeles Lakers, had 28 at the Portland Trail Blazers, dropped 30 points on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and poured in 29 points on 14 shots against the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant is slowly rediscovering his MVP form, and once he does, it’ll be bad news for the Association.

Next: Going Tiny Archibald