A year ago, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were on their way to their fifth NBA title, with Westbrook winning the MVP.
This past season, Westbrook, Durant, and James Harden all won their fifth titles.
This year, they all won three.
They’ve been the best four in the NBA for a decade, and they all had the potential to become the best three-and-D players in the game.
But instead, the four have been the three best players in their respective eras, and in some ways, the best players of their eras.
Westbrook is a better three-point shooter, for example.
Durant is a stronger defender and a better shooter from beyond the arc.
Harden has become the league’s best two-way player thanks to his ability to get to the rim.
Now, if one of them were to retire, it would be difficult for those four to replace them.
They’d have to become better at whatever they do best.
This isn’t to say they’re completely bad.
For all their faults, they have played with the best of them, even if that might not be their true style.
The best three players in NBA history, according to the ESPN Stats & Info, were all four-time MVP winners.
But the best two players are actually two of the best.
They’re the three greatest two-ways in the history of the league, and if the Warriors want to continue that success in the near future, they’ll need to become as versatile as possible.
Here’s how to become a better two-and the three.
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