Reigning NBA MVP and scoring champion, Kevin Durant, is a player who has been discussed as being one of the top 2 players in the game at the end of last season along with LeBron James.
Fast forward a few short months and Durant has appeared in just 19 of his team’s 42 games this season, and as a result, has remained largely invisible from the national spotlight even though his Thunder team seems to always be on television.
He finished fifth in the Western Conference All-Star voting for frontcourt players — more than 800,000 votes behind New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, and almost 250,000 votes behind Memphis Grizzlies Center Marc Gasol.
Now the voting is left up to the coaches but there are some reservations on the fact if Durant will get voted in, maybe about 50/50 chance he’ll miss the All-Star Game all together. It might be a stretch for some but when looking at the other competition in the West, it might not be all that farfetched.
For his part, Durant seems unconcerned with it all, at least on the surface.
The following courtesy Michael Wallace of ESPN.com:
Reigning league MVP Kevin Durant says a drastic drop-off in fan votes that cost him a starting spot in next month’s NBA All-Star Game won’t serve as any extra motivation as he tries to lead Oklahoma City back into the playoff picture.
“I don’t need the All-Star vote to validate me as a player,” Durant said Friday when asked about the perceived snub. “I’m always motivated. This is my eighth year in the league. I’ve been on All-Star teams before. I’ve done things in this league. I don’t need that to validate me.” …
“It is what it is. I’m also motivated because I love playing basketball,” said Durant, who is averaging 25.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists this season. “Honest, I haven’t played a lot. So it’s all good.”
Durant should get in just due to the fact that i don’t think the coaches will overlook his greatness overall.
Plus, it’s an All-Star game. You want to see the best players in the world play against each other in the ultimate exhibition showcasing the leagues best talents.
