Thunder Vs. Grizzlies, Game 1: Kevin Durant, Zach Randolph Meet As Contrasting NBA Playoff Heroes

Kevin Durant was the presumptive 2011 NBA MVP before Derrick Rose was the presumptive 2011 NBA MVP; more accurately, Durant was Rose before Rose was Rose. Seeking relief from the cynical, cold hegemony of LeBron James, the NBA world looked to embrace a fresher, more innocent face of the league after last year's NBA Playoffs. Durant led the United States to its first FIBA World Championship in more than a decade, doing what LeBron could not. That, plus his incredible humility in not having a 60-minute nationally televised production about his decision to extend his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, made Durant the new People's Champ ... until a rough stretch at the start of the NBA season vaulted Rose atop the NBA MVP Except LeBron Power Rankings. (We're a results-oriented bunch.)

Zach Randolph is closer to LeBron than KD, in hate most people do not like Zach Randolph. Those who do embrace the crazy, or are hip, or (in many cases) both. Zach Randolph is Williamsburg's idea of a heroic basketball player. The affectionately nicknamed Z-Bo has worn out his welcome every place he's been except with the Memphis Grizzlies. Oh, there have been opportunities to wear out his welcome in Memphis, like when a newspaper reported last summer that Randolph was being indicted on drug trafficking charges, and when last fall he got affronted that the Grizzlies wouldn't extend his magnificently large contract. But for whatever reason -- probably reasons of success heretofore unseen in the Memphis -- he remains in the good graces of Grizzlies fans, and now, hipster NBA fans. He's Alt KD, and he's popular because he was never popular.

It's an odd dichotomy, but one that pervades the Grizzlies-Thunder series tipping off on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ABC). The Thunder are the chosen challenge, a rising squad with incredible young talent poised to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in the coming years before ascending to favored status. The Grizzlies are ... no one really knows. The NBA is littered with bizarre teams that have epic but fleeting success. The We Believe! Warriors are the most obvious comparison, but that team spoke to a time (the up-tempo mid-00s) and an ethos. The Grizzlies are just weird: a low-post oriented squad with defensive-minded guards who can't shoot and an Iranian center on the bench. It's like a Hubie Brown dream gone terribly wrong.