For the first time in 15 years, both Kevin Durant and LeBron James will not be participating in the second round of the playoffs or higher. LeBron James and the Lakers had an abysmal season, as they missed the playoffs altogether. Whereas Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets were absolutely dominated by the Boston Celtics in their first-round series, getting swept in 4 games and being the first team knocked out.
NBA legend Isiah Thomas believes these playoffs could signal a changing of the guard and will force the NBA community to have a serious conversation about top players in the league. He noted that while LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been dominant for most of their careers, they both missed the playoffs and got swept in the first round respectively. Thomas believes a conversation about top players is overdue.
"After these playoffs, we're gonna have to do some rethinking of who the top players are. We've had LeBron James & Kevin Durant in the top. One got swept & one didn't even make the play-in so."
Agree with @isiahthomas?
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)https://t.co/42j5uoSnGq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 26, 2022
“After these playoffs, we’re gonna have to do some rethinking of who the top players are. We’ve had LeBron James & Kevin Durant in the top. One got swept & one didn’t even make the play-in so. So we’re going to have to do some rethink about who is at the top.”
Thomas was speaking in reference to players like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and Ja Morant, the young stars of the league who have shined throughout the course of the playoffs. Many fans have echoed what Thomas has said, that the days of Durant and James dominating the NBA are over, and now, it is time for the young guns of the league to take over and become the stars that they are meant to be.
Of course, knowing LeBron James and Kevin Durant and the kind of competitors they are, there is no doubt that they will use the disappointing end to their respective seasons as fuel to come back stronger next year, and reclaim their position atop the NBA mountain.
