Maybe, in a moment of reflection during the 2016 free-agency period, Durant asked himself, Forget what everyone else says. What does being No. 1 mean to me?
He must have considered the ringless runs of Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing as well as his contemporaries such as Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. He was tired of settling for second.
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He saw how Steve Kerr emphasized playing sefless basketball with freedom of movement. He saw the championship drive and the joy the Warriors brought to the floor. He knew he could become an efficiency monster in this system, but he didn’t have to score 30-plus every game. He knew the temporary backlash would pale in comparison to the stamp of approval a championship could give his legacy.
Durant’s exceptional career has washed away any thoughts of high school or the 2007 NBA Draft. He has an MVP trophy. He is two wins away from a title. He hasn’t surpassed James yet, but as LeBron inches toward basketball mortality, Durant may one day take the mantle as the best player in the NBA. He is checking all the boxes, even if those boxes look slightly different.
While 2017 was no banner year for offensive linemen in the NFL Draft, the Colts selected only one blocker, fourth-round pick Zach Banner. They invested in just one lineman in free agency, luring interior lineman Brian Schwenke away from a Tennesse Titans team he started only three games for in 2016. That’s two depth acquisitions for a line that has allowed Luck to be sacked 56 times in his last 22 games.
Geoff Swaim Game Jersey Ballard has faith in the young linemen tasked with protecting the league’s most expensive asset. Only one of the team’s starters last fall had more than two years of NFL experience: 2011 first-round pick Anthony Castonzo. The Colts front office is hoping another year of experience and growth will be enough to produce significant upgrades this year.