Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic: Franchise players in each NBA Team – NBA Feature Part 15
Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has been the main reason behind the emergence of the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since the franchise shift from Seattle.
In nearly four years, KD has transformed this young unit into a championship contender and had it not been for the brilliance of LeBron James in the NBA Finals this year, OKC would already be the champions.
Durant is the best scorer in the league; he has been for the last three years running, and the leader of Thunder franchise. There are players like Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka, but when it comes to the player
who holds the key, it is Durant.
Offensively speaking, Durant is even better than James and after his performances last season it is safe to say that he has replaced Kobe Bryant as the Mr. Clutch of NBA.
The forward has already signed a long term contract with the franchise and has vowed his loyalty to the frantic OKC fan base on a number of occasions.
Durant is still young in NBA but has already achieved enough to establish him as a superstar and one of the most talented players in the league. The one thing he does need to improve is his physicality. At present, his game circles
around the shooting prowess, but if he wants to go one step further, he will have to learn to slice the traffic lanes on the basis of sheer power.
Nevertheless, if OKC will win a championship any time soon, we all know who the architect will be.
Orlando Magic – Aaron Afflalo
With so many changes going around at Orlando, it is difficult to select a player who will carry the Magic into the future.
Their future probably hinges on the three draft picks received via the Dwight Howard trade, but most immediately the best player on the team is Aaron Afflalo, who was sent by the Denver Nuggets.
Afflalo had an excellent last season in which he posted 15.2 points per game on average. He is not only solid on the offensive side but also brings a great deal of energy on the defense and perhaps the new look Magic side can take
a lead from him.
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