Kevin Durant is tearing up not his Achilles, but the whole NBA. Kevin Durant has been one of the best in the league pretty much since the day he put on a Sonics uniform. Now, KD has not only broken the stereotype of an Achilles tear ending who a player used to be, but he’s reverted all the way back to his MVP Thunder days with his numbers this season.
2013-14 Comparisons
Through 15 games this season, Kevin Durant’s numbers are eerily similar to what they looked like through 81 games in his MVP season in 2013-2014. He’s averaging 31 points per game to his 32 with the Thunder. His steals and block ratios have flipped. In OKC, he was averaging 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks to now in Brooklyn averaging 1.5 blocks to 0.7 steals. His assists are the same at 5.5 and rebounds at 7.5 as opposed to 7.4 with the Thunder. It stays like this all the way down his stat line with hardly any significant differences. Truthfully, one of the biggest differences is he’s doing all this in 37 minutes instead of 39.
Will he win the MVP?
While Durant is having an MVP season, he likely will not win the award. It’s a subjective comment, but the fact that he is playing with two of the best in league with Kyrie Irving and James Harden, it’s hard to imagine him bringing home that award. While the Nets may end up being the favorites to come out of the East and KD is the best player on that team, he does not have to carry them. Unfortunately, that is sometimes why the award goes to who it does. The Nets are a top seed in the East with just Kyrie and Harden. KD puts them even more over the top.
Still in his prime
While he may not bring home MVP, the comeback player of the year should already be in the bag. What he has done is unprecedented and fun to watch. A guy who will go down as one of the greatest to ever do it, and we thought his best days were behind him. Luckily, that’s not the case. It’s a question to if he could have been able to do this had Kyrie and Harden not been with him. Truthfully, I think he could, but the weight of having to do it instead of just being able to would’ve eventually weighed on him, I believe. Regardless of what ends up happening this year, it’s just good to see KD back playing the game of basketball at the highest level of anyone in the game.
