Both Durant and the Thunder have what it takes to be the best

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Kevin Durant is not shy about it: he says he's the best player in the world.

Durant made the bold declaration on two separate occasions this summer. The 27-year-old first said it at Team USA minicamp, then a second time during a promotional tour in Spain.

He's not far from the mark. Before Durant broke his foot, he won MVP honors with averages of 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists with a true shooting percentage of 63.5 while leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA's second-best record.

With all due respect to LeBron James, Durant might very well be the best player in the league. Compare their last two fully healthy seasons, and Durant is neck-and-neck with James in almost every category.

At the minimum, Durant is the NBA's best scorer. Here's a 6-foot-10 forward with tight handles, infinite range, tremendous finishing ability, absurd quickness for his size, and more than enough strength to power through opponents. He led the league in scoring for five straight seasons from 2009-2014, and he's on pace to become one of the best scorers of all time.

Even if you discount the statistics, there's just no denying the eye test. No one makes scoring look more effortless than Durant. Step-back threes, fadeaway jumpers, killer crossovers, post-ups, hook shots, silky smooth drives to the basket - Durant has everything. He's unguardable.

As long as they stay healthy, the Thunder are poised to retake their spot atop the Western Conference.

General manager Sam Presti cobbled together the makings of a championship roster by strengthening the supporting cast around his star-studded core. Presti tossed out Scott Brooks' unimaginative playbook, and ownership finally dipped into the luxury tax.

For the first time in franchise history, Oklahoma City has a low-post scorer in Enes Kanter, who averaged 18.7 points and 11 rebounds after being traded to OKC last season. Granted, Kanter has his fair share of defensive shortcomings, but that's where Steven Adams and Nick Collison factor in as platoon partners if Kanter has a bad matchup.

The Thunder will also have an assortment of useful wing players to meet various situations. Anthony Morrow (who shot 50.7 percent from deep after the All-Star break) slots in as their dead-eye shooter, Andre Roberson fills the role of defensive stopper, and Dion Waiters - for all his shortcomings - is still a talented scorer who could be productive in a limited role off the bench.

Most importantly, their core trio features three top-20 players in Serge Ibaka, Russell Westbrook, and Durant, who are all in their mid- to late-twenties. No other team, save for perhaps the San Antonio Spurs or Cleveland Cavaliers, can match the quality of the Thunder's best.

The bottom line: In addition to their stars, Oklahoma City finally secured enough quality players to run two-deep at every position. Compare that to 2013-14, when Caron Butler, Derek Fisher, and Kendrick Perkins were looked upon as rotation players on a team that pushed the Spurs to the limit in the Western Conference Finals.

The onus, then, falls on Durant to lead his team to greatness. Barring injuries, there are no more excuses. All the pieces are in place for Durant and the Thunder to finally win their first elusive title.

Granted, titles aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to player evaluation. To wit: despite losing to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in The Finals, James is still universally recognized as the NBA's best player.

But should a healthy OKC squad expect to win the title? Yes. And would winning a title anoint Durant as the best player in the world? It would certainly help.