Getty LeBron James with Kevin Durant.
Though they’ve been rivals on the court for years, LeBron James and Kevin Durant do have a lot of respect for each other’s game. The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off winning a championship and Durant was asked by ESPN to give some analysis on the series. He had some strong comments about LeBron and Rajon Rondo during his analysis.
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Rondo and LeBron make it clear very quickly that the zone wasn’t going to stop them. Both men put together some excellent games in the series. Durant has played in a few important games against both of them so he knows a thing or two about what makes them hard to stop.
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Nets & Durant Would Be Title Threats to Lakers
One of the biggest disappointments of the latest NBA season was the fact that Durant didn’t play throughout the entire year due to injury. His pairing with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn is supposed to be one of the best in the NBA but we still have to wait a while to see it on the court.
For a minute, it looked like Durant was ready to take over the title of the world’s greatest player. After LeBron put together an MVP-level season that ended in a championship run, not many will dispute he’s still the best. With a year off and a new team, Durant will be coming back with a vengeance. If Durant and Irving can stay healthy, they’re going to form a lethal duo. The Nets also showed they had some good depth in the NBA bubble. They have to be considered one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. If they do win the conference, they could very well meet the Lakers in the Finals. That prospective game could settle the debate of who is currently the best player in the world.
Rondo Might Not Return to L.A.
If the Lakers hope to make to the Finals once again, they might have to do it without Rondo. The rumors are that he’s planning on opting out of his contract. That doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be moving on but it does likely mean he’ll at least explore his options. A team that needs a veteran point guard could pay him more than the Lakers would be willing to offer.
Rondo wasn’t an impact player during the regular season but he was excellent in the playoffs. If the Lakers brought him back, it would be because they believe they’ll need him in the playoffs. Los Angeles won’t be dead in the water if Rondo leaves. There are a number of strong point guard options who the team could add. The fact that the Lakers are the reigning champions makes them a potential hot spot for top veterans looking to win a title.
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