Kevin Durant may be one of the most polarizing figures in recent NBA history, but he is also, in some ways, one of the most underrated. We take him for granted today, but true 7-foot-4 players with his attributes are incredibly rare. Durant is the very definition of a “unicorn” in the league.
If he were to retire tomorrow, Durant would be one of the first in line to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Two titles with the Golden State Warriors and an MVP award are reason enough, but the 35-year-old has meant more to the league than just the title since being taken second overall in 2007.
Durant will always have his detractors because of the way he left Golden State to join the Brooklyn Nets and then the Phoenix Suns. It’s also why the trade rumors surrounding him will never go away either. He’s done the unthinkable before, what’s stopping him from doing it again?? No matter where he ends his career — and it will likely be in Phoenix — things could still get better for Durant.
The most likely scenario, which gives us a sense of where we’re headed, is that Durant wins the scoring title for the fifth time in his career. The reasons why that won’t happen are varied and numerous, but they’re not insurmountable.
The NBA took steps last season to prevent individual scoring from getting out of hand, and Durant is also part of a trio of stars that means scoring isn’t just his responsibility. His 27.1 points average in 2023-24 wasn’t even the best on his own team, as Devin Booker managed the same output while also playing point guard. A responsibility he will not have next season.
DURANT CLIMBS UP THE LADDER OF ALL-TIME BEST POINTS
Kevin Durant enters tonight’s game against the Hornets (7 p.m. ET, NBA TV) needing 33 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal (28,596) for eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
It is the latest move in a steady rise through the ranks of… pic.twitter.com/9RxrpiLLYS
— NBA (@NBA) March 15, 2024
But two of the four times Durant has led the league in scoring, he’s scored 28 points or fewer, so he’s not far off from reaching those numbers again. The league may have as many scoring stars as ever, but they still aren’t on Durant’s level when it comes to putting the ball in the basket.
If the Suns are going to win the title, Durant may need to have another superhuman offensive campaign. Plus, Durant shot 41.3 percent from three-point range last season. He only managed that feat twice before suffering his Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals — when he was more likely to play a full season — so there may be something there.
