Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant is not buying the skepticism around Philadelphia. On Saturday, Durant compared the new-look 76ers to the Golden State Warriors teams that won back-to-back NBA championships in 2017 and 2018, and called the Sixers “a contender” without hesitation.
“The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair,” Durant said, as reported by ESPN. “They’ve got four 25-point scorers on this team. Hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They’re going to be fun to watch.”
The numbers make his point. Jaylen Brown averaged 28.7 points per game last season. Tyrese Maxey put up 28.3. Joel Embiid added 26.9. LeBron James, 41, who signed with Philadelphia on July 24, averaged 20.9 in his final season with the Lakers. He has averaged 25 points or more in 20 of his 23 NBA seasons.
A blueprint Durant helped write
Durant knows what this kind of offensive depth does to a defense. He won championships with Golden State in 2017 and 2018 alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – a roster that drew relentless criticism for concentrating too much talent in one city. He sees that same dynamic now in Philadelphia, and his read is direct: if three Hall-of-Fame scorers were “unfair,” four 25-point scorers should set off every alarm in the Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia assembled this group methodically. Brown arrived via trade from Boston. Maxey was drafted and developed in-house. Embiid never left. James chose the Sixers in free agency over several suitors including the Warriors, who reportedly pursued him without success. The result is a roster with no obvious weak link in the starting five, and a bench led by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who signed with Philadelphia earlier this summer, per ESPN.
The durability question no one can ignore
Durant stopped short of handing Philadelphia the ring. The caveat is health. Embiid has missed significant stretches each of the past three seasons. James turns 42 in December. Brown has played more than 65 games just twice in his career. Any of those three missing significant time changes the calculus significantly.
But Durant’s framing carries weight. He is not a 76ers fan. He is a competitor who helped set the offensive standard the Sixers are now chasing. When he looks at Philly and sees something familiar, that is worth taking seriously.
If they stay healthy, there is no offensive peer in the Eastern Conference. That is the upside. The question is whether this group can stay on the floor long enough to find out.
Source: ESPN – Kevin Durant compares 76ers’ star power to his Warriors teams
