Golden State Warriors: 3 takeaways from Game 4 of 2019 NBA Finals

1. Kevin Durant’s move to Golden State is validated

I would be lying if I said Kevin Durant doesn’t look great in this scenario.

After much talk about the Golden State Warriors offense being more potent without the best scorer this side of Micheal Jordan, all that talk (ludicrousy) is finally silenced at the expense of the Golden State Warriors hopes of a threepeat.

I’ve always seen the move to Golden State as a smart one for Kevin Durant, as KD was stuck with Russell Westbrook as his running mate and was offered a revolving door of a lackluster supporting cast,  KD’s future in Oklahoma City looked bleak.

With no change in sight, it would be hard to envision a scenario in which Westbrook and Durant won a championship together. Especially with their tug of war over who was the alpha on that team.

Durant needed to learn how to win, much like LeBron James did when he left Cleveland to go team up with Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley, two cornerstones of the Miami Heat franchise with a championship pedigree.

Like former champions always like to remind us, there is a mental aspect of learning how to become an NBA champion.

And that learning curve was a perfect match for KD and the Warriors.

The Warriors, fresh off of a monumental breakdown needed a fresh leader in the locker room, and for Durant, who else is better to learn from and finally be able to play egoless basketball for the first time in his career than the 73-9 Golden State Warriors?

But, as expected, KD was crucified in the media and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went as far as to say it was the weakest move he has ever witnessed an NBA superstar make.

Although I did agree with him at a certain time, Durant has continued to silence his doubters with back to back Finals MVP’s and solidifying him as a top 2, if not the top basketball player on the planet.

And finally, people see the value KD has had on the Warriors.

Durant has long been the x-factor that filled all the pre-existing holes the Golden State Warriors had, whether it be frontcourt scoring, a consistent scoring option, a valuable help defender or as a closer, KD filled all those holes and transcended the Warriors into an unbeatable territory in a seven game series

And when the Golden State Warriors were finally tested with a formidable opponent and a bad stylistic matchup, they all but crumbled under the pressure of Kawhi Leonard and company.

So you keep discrediting Kevin Durant at the cost of your own ignorance, but it’s time to take a step back and appreciate his greatness as a Golden State Warrior.