Walk into the weight room of any high school with a decent sports program, and you'll see a few beefy offensive lineman/shot putter types who can bench press 315 pounds and a lot of tight end/power forward/catcher types who can bench press 225 pounds. You'll also see a lot of skinny teenagers who can't bench press anything close to that. But most of those skinny teenagers aren't about to become superstar pro athletes.
Kevin Durant is about to become a superstar pro athlete, but he turned in a performance typical of a skinny teenager at the Orlando pre-draft camp. Jason Quick reports that Durant was the only prospect in Orlando who couldn't bench 185 pounds even once. That means at almost any gym in the country, the average accountant or lawyer or computer programmer who lifts weights a few times a week after work is stronger than the likely No. 2 pick in the NBA draft.
Combine Durant's poor showing with the phenomenal athleticism of Greg Oden, and it's easy to see why Oden is the clear choice of the NBA scouts even though Durant was the college Player of the Year. But Durant also has a ridiculous wingspan of just under 7-foot-5, which is Shawn Bradley territory. Guys with long arms always have more functional strength than bench press strength. Durant's meager bench press is more a curiosity than an indictment.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Yeah, these tests really don't mean that much. Monta Ellis tested HORRIBLY when he got tested (I'm pretty sure he couldn't lift the bar either), but he seems to be doing pretty well for himself and he isn't nearly as unathletic as those tests made him out to be (obviously). Sometimes players just aren't giving maximum effort, sometimes they get nervous, sometimes they're arms are just too damn long. Unless this means Durant will slip down all the way to my Bulls at #9, this is all irrelevant.
Posted at 6:02PM on Jun 4th 2007 by aanderso
2. You are right, guys with longer wingspans have more trouble on the bench. Anyone who has spent time in the gym, with any serious attitude, will easily be able to bench 185. How much does Durant weigh? That is a question that needs to be asked. I would say he is around 210 himself. If he never lifted then it shouldn't be a shock that he can't lift much. Tracy McGrady couldn't bench 135 when he was coming out of high school. That's just embarrassing. Durant lit up the NCAA without being strong. The American game doesn't necessitate strength anymore. If they put a big guy on him he will get to the basket. If they put a smaller guard on him he can post up or pass with ease. Iverson probably had some trouble on the bench and he wasn't 6'9'', he was 5'10''. I think he has had a pretty good career thus far. It is less about strength and more about skill in the NBA these days. I think he will be ok.
Posted at 7:36PM on Jun 4th 2007 by Birdman
3. Oden all the way. He is a freak of nature, Dyrant will put up crazy points and even rebounds. Ptown needs the big man in the middle, we have aldridge, and roy and add oden and sign lewis and there u go, title is on the way, haters
Posted at 9:26PM on Jun 4th 2007 by blazerareback
4. Durant is undersized and will get pushed around easily his rookie year, but this doesn't matter. The Sonics will get him started on a weight-lifting regimen. Durant eats, sleeps and breathes basketball and wants to DOMINATE. He will do what is necessary. All of the truly great ones combine out of this world talent with a strong work ethic. Nobody trained or worked harder than Jordan. Karl Malone could often be found at the gym at 6 in the morning during the offseason.
Posted at 9:34PM on Jun 4th 2007 by Daniel
5. Well one things is for certain, the number 1 and 2 projected picks will be the ugliest picks in the history of the draft.
Posted at 12:02AM on Jun 5th 2007 by hykedoe
6. Durant doesn't weight anything - listed at 220. He's Hakim Warrick with an outside shot. I'm thinking he's got to play the Tayshaun Prince/Reggie Miller angle of specializing in pick and rolls offense and perimeter defense. Which is STILL HoF territory.
Posted at 10:18AM on Jun 5th 2007 by solomonrex
7. What is does show is his laziness. Anyone who has ever played a high school sport much less a major college program knows the people that last the longest are the people with the best work and or work out regiment. I am very surprised being at UT they let him slide in the weight room. Unfortunatly most of these super stars in High School get a free ride when it comes to work. Just thing how much better all of these atheletes would be if they had the work ethic. Exept Iverson who is a lazy Thug and bum.
Posted at 10:36AM on Jun 5th 2007 by Deemo
8. You're right Deemo, spending nearly all of his time working on his game (sometimes up to 10 hours a day when he was in high school), and being a fierce competitor just smacks of complete laziness. What a lazy thug that Kevin Durant is.
Honestly, every article that has ever been written about Durant talks about his borderline maniacal work ethic. There's no way he could be that good with THAT body if he didn't work incredibly hard on his skills. Some people just really struggle to put on weight.
Posted at 11:05AM on Jun 5th 2007 by aanderso
9. Durant is embarrassing. 'Only' guy who couldn't lift 185 lbs once at the camp. He was never in the weight facilities at Texas. He'll be beat up his rookie season. Mcgrady couldn't lift 135 in high school? Who cares, I'm sure atleast 50% of high schoolers can't lift that much. He changed that by the time he went to the NBA. Who cares if he tore up the NCAA? Doesn't always cross over.
Posted at 11:58AM on Jun 5th 2007 by snedro
10. Durant is going to be an average NBA star. He's nothing but another Kobe only on the more slender side. He's just a shooter like Kobe. Give me the ball, I'll shoot it. Durant is not a team player and doubt if he ever will be. Kobe, Iverson and Durant on one team would nice tring to figure out who is going to shoot the ball. HA-HA
Posted at 12:22PM on Jun 5th 2007 by Russ Hauber
11. Durant's not a team player? Just a shooter like Kobe?? The 26 points are nice, but what about the 11+ boards and nearly 2 blocks a game, leading the Big 12 in that category? Who cares if he can't get 185 up. Get him in an NBA strength-training program and he'll be plenty strong enough. You're crazy to think he's just another offense-only Kobe. A one-dimensional player doesn't average 26, 11 and 2 per game as an 18-year old true frosh in the Big 12. Go ahead and doubt on him, but this kid is driven beyond what you can comprehend to be a star. Not just an average player, but a star.
Posted at 1:38PM on Jun 5th 2007 by Sean
12. How much does the basketball weigh? Enough said.....
Posted at 2:33PM on Jun 5th 2007 by matrixcl55
13. aanderson, apparently none of that time was spent in the weight room where it counts, working on your jump shot just wont help when Shaq is putting is body on ya. He couldnt lift 185 one time. I know people who have great skinny physics from doing push ups. I also played ball with Black guys in High School who never touched a weight before footgall who were bigger that Durant.
Posted at 4:23PM on Jun 5th 2007 by Deemo
14. k.d. is the most talented playa in da draft and da best s.forward to come out since bron bron. get off his shit jus cuz he can't bench 185. he still goin no.2 (he aint goin over oden). u cant front on 26, 11 and he was defensive p.o.y. in his conference. he's da 2007 garnett!!
Posted at 9:23PM on Jun 5th 2007 by k.c.
15. Anybody with even the slightest bit of B-Ball knowledge can clearly see that this kid's potential is through the roof to easily merit being taken where he is assumed to be going in the upcoming draft. Throw that bench press stat out the window! He'll dev elop the natural strength as he naturally matures anyway as well as get the proper counsel & motivation to "get his weight up" by playing experience anyway. His li'l narrow-looking ass can have a spot on my team everyday! LMAO All the TRUE BALLERS know and say, "Kid has mad skills on the court, son."
Posted at 5:31AM on Jun 6th 2007 by Slick Rick aka The Voice Of Reason
16. Many of you are right, he will get his strength up tremendously. He has a height advantage which will enable him to be able to bench much more over his career. I was barely able to bench 100 when i was a senior in high school and now im going into my senior year at college and i can bench 225 six times. with proper training, there is no reason durant cant make more progress than i did
Posted at 2:39PM on Jun 6th 2007 by Lifter
17. yo yall are wack. so what if he cant bench 185. he still dominated college wuthout being strong. yall know that he will get bigger. and when he does, he will tear it up.
Posted at 3:13PM on Jun 6th 2007 by elliot f
18. Hes going to the NBA. Who cares
None of you haters are
Posted at 9:08PM on Jun 6th 2007 by a
19. ^^^^
Aint that the truth lol
Posted at 9:49PM on Jun 10th 2007 by DROOOOO!!
20. As much as we don't want to admit it, arm strength is a viable asset in the pro game. Even Reggie Miller can bench press more than 185. That said, NBA trainers are renowned for putting weight on skinny young kids. Al Jefferson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron are all examples of how a persons body will strngthen over their first few years in the NBA. Kevin Durant will definitly fill out and he will be a dominant player in a short time. Oden is your Sam Bowie or Michael Olowakandi of this years draft. Okay, maybe that's an exagerration, he couldn't be that overrated, but I'd take Durant overall, for sure.
Posted at 12:06PM on Jun 22nd 2007 by ImRight