Any true fan of professional athletics knows the stressful implications of the free agency period; some fans historically know far too well. However, certain off-seasons yield higher stress levels than others, particularly those involving upper echelon athletes and their impending departures from teams that didn't perform to their standard of expectations. When the final horn blew on this National Basketball Association (NBA) season (ironically, bringing about redemption for the star alluded to earlier), the sporting world braced itself for another possibly momentous shift as Kevin Durant became an unrestricted free agent.

And, momentous it was.

For those of you who do not know who Kevin Durant (KD) is (either you don't like sports, or you live under a rock), allow me to introduce you. The former league Most Valuable Player (MVP) is averaging just over 28 points per game, five assists per game, and eight rebounds per game for his career. Adding to his statistical accolades, he has been crowned scoring champion four times (most points per game among all players in a single season), joined the 50/40/90 club (50 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from beyond the three-point line, and 90 percent from the free throw stripe), and has been named to five All-NBA First Teams (an honor bestowed on the best players in the league following the end of the season). (Note: all of these statistics and more can be found on his player profile.)

So, considering all of the offensive firepower and what that had to mean to the only team he had ever known (spanning their final season as the Seattle SuperSonics and relocation to Oklahoma City), you can imagine how devastating it had to be when he announced his intentions to join the Golden State Warriors (GSW). Granted, given the hypothetical situation where I had superhuman abilities in basketball and had the opportunity to join a team that would virtually guarantee a shot at a title while inking a contract for 54.3 million dollars over two seasons, I would have done the same thing as KD. But, that doesn't lessen the severity of the move.

However, does the offensive firepower actually hurt GSW?

Well, as far as the goal of scoring points is concerned, I would say no. Last season, Golden State was ranked first in total points per game as well as assists per game, so the addition of another offensive weapon would only theoretically add to those totals.

But, from where are the points going to come? During their record-setting regular season, Stephen Curry averaged over 30 points per game, while Klay Thompson notched >22 per contest (other individual statistics can be found here). The addition of another 20 plus per game player as well as Thompson's documented refusal to sacrifice numbers could redefine what we have grown to understand with "Strength in Numbers." This area is where I am proposing potential deficits. "Numbers" could go from referring to the sheer amount of options on offense to the amount of points Curry, Thompson and Durant score.

This campaign, which was coined at the beginning of the Steve Kerr era, thrived off of bench depth and scoring opportunities created by the aforementioned depth. The prospect of having three offensive-minded players without a willingness to sacrifice for the others could spell problems for the team dynamic. How does the bench's productivity suffer from KD's decision? What happens when one of the new big three doesn't perform to their standard caliber; can the bench with its decreased exposure make up the difference? Who gets the last shot when the game is on the line--Curry, Thompson, or Durant? How does KD react, going from the first option behind the arc to the third? Are Curry's numbers going to decline due to Thompson's immaturity? What about Draymond Green; does his productivity decrease due to the addition? What happens in the scenario where one of them gets hurt (Kevin Durant does have a history of injury)?

There are too many questions for me to buy into the move just yet.

Whilst I am far from a fan of Golden State, I am a fan of professional basketball, and as a fan of professional basketball, I can't help but sit in eager anticipation of what could be the greatest showing of hoops since the '95-'96 Bulls. However, until I see their chemistry in action, speculation remains just that, and I choose to remain a skeptic of the KD experiment.