KD's Quiet Climb: Why Efficiency Trumps Nostalgia
Vincent Goodwill dropped a pretty interesting take the other day, talking about Kevin Durant passing Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list. He basically said KD's become a more efficient scorer since 2019, which, on its face, sounds a little wild given what Durant was doing in OKC and Golden State. But here’s the thing: Goodwill isn't wrong. The numbers back him up, even if it feels counterintuitive when you remember those insane 2017 and 2018 Warriors teams.
Look, Durant's always been a scoring machine. We're talking about a guy who averaged 30.1 points per game in 2009-10, his third year in the league. That was a phenomenal season, sure. He shot 47.6% from the field that year. Fast forward to his first full season in Brooklyn, 2020-21, after tearing his Achilles: he averaged 26.9 points, but his field goal percentage jumped to 53.7%. His true shooting percentage, which accounts for threes and free throws, was a career-high 67.2% that year. That's a significant leap. Even last season with the Suns, at 34 years old, Durant put up 29.1 points per game on 56% shooting, with a 67.7% true shooting percentage. That 56% mark was his best since the 2017-18 season, when he shot 51.6%.
**The Post-Warriors Evolution**
Thing is, the Achilles injury, as brutal as it was, forced Durant to refine his game even further. He was already unguardable, but the post-2019 version of KD operates with less frantic movement and more surgical precision. He’s still pulling up from 30 feet, still hitting those contested mid-range jumpers, but he's doing it with fewer wasted motions. Consider this: in his MVP season, 2013-14, Durant averaged 32 points a night on 50.3% shooting. A ridiculous season, absolutely. But compare that to his 2022-23 numbers: 29.1 points on 56% shooting. He scored almost as much on significantly fewer attempts and better efficiency. His usage rate has actually dropped slightly compared to some of his earlier seasons, yet his scoring output remains elite. He's picking his spots better, plain and simple.
And that's why Goodwill's point resonates. It’s not about volume; it's about making every shot count. Jordan, for all his GOAT status, had seasons where his efficiency wasn't quite what Durant's is now. MJ’s career true shooting percentage was 56.9%. Durant's is 62.4%. Now, eras are different, pace is different, but those numbers aren’t a mirage. They tell a story of a player who, even after a career-altering injury, found a way to be even more devastating with the ball in his hands. You can argue he’s lost a half-step defensively, but offensively, he's a cheat code. My controversial take? This version of Durant, the one we've seen post-2019, is the most polished offensive weapon the league has ever seen, even more so than prime Stephen Curry or LeBron James. His combination of size, skill, and shooting touch is simply unmatched.
The man just passed Michael Jordan with 29,203 career points. That's not just a footnote; it's a testament to sustained excellence. He’s going to keep climbing that list, passing Wilt Chamberlain, passing LeBron. He’s not going to stop.
Bold prediction: Kevin Durant will finish his career as a top-three all-time scorer, eclipsing Karl Malone by the end of his next contract.