Kevin Durant Is a Great Player, but He Will Never Be LeBron James

Kevin Durant was one of the NBA's top players before Team USA clinched the gold medal at the FIBA World Championships, but his performance there solidified that logic and gave birth to a new train of thought.

Durant became the top scorer in USA history as far as the World Championship goes, and his 38 point performance against Lithuania in the semi-finals ranks as the single greatest scoring output by an American in any international tournament.

Durant's sterling performance in Turkey left little doubt as to who the best player in the World Championship was and Durant's teammate Chauncey Billups confirmed that in a postgame interview, as well as adding his own little twist.

In an interview after Team USA's gold-clinching win against Turkey Billups said Durant proved he deserves to be mentioned among the best players in the game and even went further to declare Durant would be the world's top player in a matter of seasons.

Is it possible that Billups may have surrendered logical thought to the thrill of the moment? Either that or LeBron James announced his retirement and everyone missed it.

Durant is probably one of the best pure scorers to hit the NBA in a long while and considering that he is only 21 years old, there is plenty of time for him to evolve as a player, but there are limits to his talent.

I can understand Billups showering Durant with blessings, but the same common sense that led to James being named the NBA's MVP the past two seasons is the same reason Durant will not be the NBA's top player anytime soon.

Durant averaged 30.1 points per game while becoming the youngest player in NBA history to achieve that feat, and he also added 7.6 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists, while shooting 47 percent from the field.

James was second in the NBA in scoring at 29.7 points per game and he averaged 7.3 rebounds per game, 8.6 assists and connected on 50 percent of his shots from the field.

There is a strong chance that Durant could average 35 points per game next season and an even stronger chance that James could average the NBA's first triple-double season in recent memory.

I can picture Durant possibly averaging 10 rebounds per game, but it's doubtful he has James' natural instincts as a distributor, not to mention his court vision in the open floor.

James was only a fraction off of Durant's scoring average last season, he shot a higher percentage from the field and he averaged nearly the same amount of rebounds while collecting more assists.

So exactly what has Durant done that would suggest he is on the verge of eclipsing James as the NBA's most talented player in the next few seasons?

Some point to Durant's age, but I don't buy it, because James is only 25 himself and there are still questions regarding whether or not he has reached the full peak of his potential.

It's hard to imagine James improving his game, but there are areas that could still use attention, such as his man to man defense and his mid-range offensive game.

But, James is, at the moment, a better defender than Durant, on the ball or off it, and he has the ability to penetrate the lane at will. The need for a superior mid-range game is not necessary.

Playing beside Dwyane Wade should alleviate James of much of the pressure he faced in Cleveland and he should be able to concentrate more on the other parts of his game that need work.

Some people feel James is already the game's most complete player, as some feel Durant is the game's best scorer. But can he ever become more than that?

I'm not trying to knock Durant, because he is a special player. But remember, players like James only come around once in a lifetime.

James may be the NBA's most impressive physical specimen, as well as the league's best athlete and it's rare to find a player who has the talent to match their natural, god-given gifts.

James is one of those players and although Durant is a great talent, I would be hesitant to place him in the same category as James because his game is not complete.

Some observers question James' leadership abilities, his will to win and his ever-growing reputation to fold under pressure, but none of those arguments are a reflection of his talent.

Those criticisms are clearly subjective, but what James has done on the court is not a matter of opinion but rather a strong argument for why some consider him to be the best player in the game.

That won't change next season barring unforeseen circumstances and it's hard to imagine it changing anytime soon after that.

I can agree that Durant has a chance to be recognized as one of the game's top two players in the near future, but as long as James is playing in his prime, Durant will never be number one.