Durant's Silent Rise: Better Than Ever, Even After the Injury

Look, we all remember the Achilles. June 13, 2019. Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant goes down, and for a lot of guys, that’s it. Career over, or at best, a long, slow decline. Not for KD. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports recently pointed out how Durant has actually become *more* efficient since that injury, a take that, frankly, doesn’t get enough airtime. And he’s right.

Think about it. Before the Achilles tear, Durant’s career true shooting percentage was an insane 61.2%. Since then, including his time with the Nets and now the Suns, that number has jumped to 64.9%. That’s not a small bump. That’s a significant improvement for a guy who was already among the most efficient scorers the league has ever seen. His assist-to-turnover ratio has also seen a steady climb, hitting a career-high 2.8 with the Suns in the 2022-23 season. This isn't just about shooting; it's about decision-making.

He just passed Michael Jordan for 14th on the all-time scoring list, hitting 29.8 points per game this season. And he did it with less fanfare than a lot of his other milestones, probably because we’ve just come to expect this from him. He scored 35 points against the 76ers on March 31 to pass MJ, hitting 10-of-17 from the field. That’s typical Durant – quiet, deadly, and ridiculously efficient.

The "Bus Driver" Myth

Here’s the thing: a lot of the talk around Durant still centers on the idea that he needs to be the "bus driver" to truly validate his greatness. That he needs a championship where he's unequivocally *the* guy, like LeBron in 2016 or Jordan in '93. And frankly, that’s a tired narrative. He won two rings with Golden State, earning two Finals MVPs in the process, averaging 35.2 points and 5.4 assists in the 2017 Finals. He put up 39 points in Game 5 of that series, clinching the title. How much more "driving" do you need?

Goodwill’s point about efficiency cuts right to the heart of this. Durant isn’t just scoring; he’s doing it in a way that maximizes his team’s chances. His effective field goal percentage has consistently been in the high 50s and low 60s post-injury, hitting 59.9% in his first full season with the Nets in 2020-21. This isn't a volume shooter chucking inefficient shots. This is surgical precision, shot after shot, night after night. He's evolved his game, perhaps subtly, but effectively. He's picking his spots better, utilizing his length and high release to get clean looks against any defender.

And that’s the real story here. The guy tore his Achilles, and instead of taking a step back, he refined his game. He came back stronger, smarter, and somehow even more difficult to guard. He’s not as explosive off the dribble as he once was, but his mid-range game is still arguably the best in the league, and he’s hitting 42.4% from three this season. That’s a career-high for him in a full season.

So, while everyone is still debating legacy and "bus drivers," Durant is just quietly, efficiently, climbing the scoring ladder and proving that you can get better even when the odds are stacked against you. My bold prediction? Kevin Durant will play until he’s 40, and he’ll finish his career top-5 all-time in scoring.