Kevin Durant is widely regarded as one of the premier players of this era. Standing at 6 foot 11 inches, he towers above most small forwards at his position. Coupled with his laser-precise jump shot, he is a nightmare for most defences. He is a 4-time scoring champion, 2-time finals MVP and 1-time regular season MVP. It's not just his abilities and laurels but the efficiency with which he does it, that makes him stand out. However, in this year's playoffs, the Celtics have completely shut him down and he looks a mere shadow of his usual great self. Down 3-0 and on the brink of elimination the question arises is Durant worthy of his position in basketball's Mount Rushmore? Or do the likes of Lebron, Kobe and even former teammate Steph Curry tower above him? Here are 3 arguments against Durant's bid for basketball immortality.

He took the path of least resistance:

Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world in the summer of 2016. News broke out that he would be taking his talents to the Golden State Warriors. For a bit of context, the Warriors had just come off a record-breaking 73 game win season. They made it to the finals and only lost to the LeBron James led Cavs in an epic 7 game series. To add to that Durant's OKC thunder had also played an epic 7 game series against this same Warriors just a round earlier. So Durant decided to subscribe to the "if you can't beat them join them" philosophy. Joining a team that was already regarded as champions, leaving his teammates in the gutter in OKC. He went on to win his 2 championships and even finals MVP with the warriors. However, there will always be an asterisk beside these championships due to the manner with which he switched sides.

On court limitations:

To be fair there are not many limitations in his game. However, we are talking about the elite of the elite. Nitpicking is allowed on this level. The facets of his game that leave a bit to be desired are his passing ability and his handles. Great players often get double-teamed to attempt to get the ball out of their hands. This automatically leads to a 4 on 3 advantage for the rest of your teammates. Your ability to anticipate the trap and find a teammate with a good pass is the way to overcome this strategy. Durant is not a natural passer and often turns the ball over in this situation. Another limitation is his handling ability. Again I confess I'm nitpicking, for a guy his size he has a great handle. However, it's not good enough against defensive pressure like he's seeing with the Celtics. He dribbles too high and gets his pockets picked.

Competition from his contemporaries:

The talent in the NBA is at an all-time high. On every team, you notice a star-level player on the roster. Durant was drafted in 2007. At the time of his entry into the league, the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dwayne Wade and a young Lebron were at the top of the podium. At Durant's peak, he was always seen as a distant 2nd to LeBron James for the best player. Another challenger was Kawhi Leonard, a player who plays a similar position and has come up big in the playoffs. Of course, the revolutionary Steph Curry has been on the list of contenders for the best player of this generation. This decade has seen an ascension of a new breed of superstars spearheaded by Giannis Antetokounmpo, the reigning Finals MVP.

Durant is without question an all-time great, but where do you rank him all time and amongst his contemporaries?