3rd place – Kevin Durant
NBA 2K17 probably got the top three fairly accurate in the eyes of most. Despite being one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen, possessing a combination of athleticism, length and shot creation that just shouldn’t happen so effortlessly, Kevin Durant coming in at 3rd makes sense.
Behind the unprecedented shooting ratings of Stephen Curry and the undisputed all-around greatness of now three-time champion LeBron James is the right spot for Durant.
It just seems hard to place him further ahead in 2K17 when the game will be looking at the momentum of player’s individual seasons and how the playoffs panned out. Even though it was the Warriors who blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals (sorry to mention that for the billionth time), it was Durant’s Thunder who lost a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals.
His incredible play in that series is almost overlooked as his 42.3 percent shooting has caused many to forget how much he did in other areas of the game and how brilliant his defense was (the best defense of his career that is). Averaging 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks per game for the series is a very basic indicator of just how important he was.
However, Curry’s Warriors getting the best of Durant’s Thunder in the playoffs and winning a second straight (unanimous) MVP has unsurprisingly placed Curry ahead.
Of course, if he isn’t going to be placed in the top two, there’s no question that Durant is still a clear choice ahead of everyone else for 3rd.