As soon as Kevin Durant steps one foot in the gym, he becomes the most lethal offensive weapon in the building. On the heels of his third consecutive NBA scoring title, Durant is continuing his assault with Team USA basketball as they prepare for the 2012 London Olympics. He has become USA's offensive focal point on a team with the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant. Surprising to the casual NBA fan? Maybe. Surprising to the diehard Thunder fan? Not at all.
I'm sure all sports fans have been there before. You're sitting around the poker table or at the bar when a heated debate breaks out over which player or team is historically better than the other. There is usually no give and take to these conversations as both parties will argue until they turn blue in the face over which player was a better scorer, rebounder, or defender. These conversations typically end with no decided winner, and opinions are merely reinforced. However, statistics provide particular bench marks that allow debates to take shape based on particular advantages and disadvantages with regard to numbers. If only it were that easy.
In his rookie season with the Seattle Sonics, Durant showed the type of potential that if tapped, could open the box for one of the most prolific offensive players in basketball history. As the second overall pick in the 2007 draft, Kevin entered the league with massive expectations after being named the first ever freshman AP College Basketball Player of the Year. In his only season as a Sonic, KD averaged 20.3 PPG in 80 games. Over his next four seasons, Kevin averaged 25.3, 30.1, 27.7, 28.0 for a career average of 26.3 PPG in just five total seasons. In total, this equates to 9,978 points. He has done all of this before the age of 24. That one tiny piece of information is something that should not be overlooked. Durant scares the hell out of every NBA coach or opposing player that draws the assignment of Durant. The fact that Durant has not even touched his prime yet should scare them to the point of running in the opposite direction.
Analysis of the top-5 scorers all time will help Oklahoma City fans predict or project where Durant may land on that list once his illustrious careers comes to an end. As of 2012, the current top-5 stands as follows: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), Karl Malone (36,928), Michael Jordan (32,292), Wilt Chamberlain (31,419), and Kobe Bryant (29,484). Durant, as mentioned before, sits just under the 10,000 point mark with a total of 9,978 heading into the 2013 season. By adding up the total number of points these Hall of Famers have amassed over their first five years in the league, it may become easier to see how prolific Durant actually is.
Adbul-Jabbar spent his first six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, the first five of which he totaled 12,262 points. Kareem averaged 30+ plus points in three straight seasons from 1971 to 1973, his highest average coming by the tune of 34.8 PPG. The runner-up to the all-time scoring leader, Karl Malone, amassed 10,116 points during his first five seasons in the league. Comparatively, Malone was off to a slower start, averaging just 14.9 PPG in his rookie year and topping the 30-point average mark in just one of his first five seasons. Michael Jordan, the most iconic figure the NBA has ever seen, took a slightly different path to his stardom. The third overall pick in the 1984 also came in with high expectations as the best wing player. In his second season, Jordan went down with a foot injury that sidelined him after just 18 games. However, the following season would allow fans to see the type of career Jordan aspired to have. He averaged a ridiculous 37.1 PPG, scoring 3,041 points in 82 games. His five-season total would end up being 11,257 despite missing almost an entire season. When looking at Wilt Chamberlain's first five years, it is hard to believe that any player in the history of the NBA would ever be able to touch these marks. In his first five years, Chamberlain's averages are as follows: 37.6 PPG, 38.4, 50.4, 44.8, and 36.9 for a whopping total of 16,303 points. Most would ask why, then, is Chamberlain only fourth on the all-time list. Wilt only played 14 NBA seasons, the last two being below average according to his standards. Finally, the only player currently playing in the NBA that makes it on the list is Kobe Bryant. NBA fans know that Bryant loves to rip the heart out of opposing fans. If you're a Lakers fan, you love him. Everyone else, not so much. Kobe's path to this list was akin to most other players of the NBA. Bryant had to take his fair share of lumps early on, but most were aware of his enormous potential as a prolific scorer. He averaged 7.4 PPG, 15.4, 19.9, 22.5, 28.5. Bryant made steady improvements to his scoring from year to year, perfecting different aspects of his game every summer. His total number of points scored turned out to be 6,178.
Now, after digesting all of those numbers, the final step is to look at how Kevin Durant has progressed offensively through his first five years in the league. Durant has never finished with an average below the 20-point mark, even as an 18-year old rookie. He has racked up 9,978 points. This total puts him fourth among these players, just out of the reach of Malone. Obviously, Durant has some work to do if he wants to reach the pinnacle of scoring in his profession. KD, however, has a slight advantage over these prolific players in that his game has the potential to become more well-rounded than any of the previously mentioned. Durant is deadly from beyond the arc. He can shoot the midrange shot in his sleep. His ability to slash to the rim is made available by his length and superior athleticism. He has the knowledge, length, and high release point to become an excellent back-to-the-basket player as well. However, it will be no easy feat.
Historical context must be taken into account when considering this argument. Durant is developing his game during a time in which the popularity of basketball is at at all-time high. Recent years, and close calls during international play, have shown that the rest of the world has caught up to the skill-level and talent of the NBA. Instead of being the only shark in a tank full of goldfish, Durant has grown up in a time where you have to duke it out with fifteen other hammerheads. The two players that represent the first scenario are Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. They played during a time in which basketball was not very popular. The simple fact of being an exceptionally tall player would be extremely beneficial during this time. Couple that with superior athleticism, and you get absurd numbers like that of Chamberlain. Durant is also fortunate enough to be able to develop his game in a time where strength and conditioning has pushed itself to the forefront of athletics. It will be an extremely daunting task to top Chamberlain, Malone, and Jordan. But, if KD can stay healthy and continue to polish his offensive game, there is little reason to think he won't push his way near the top of the list.
Most importantly, however, is the fact that four out of the five players that top the all-time scoring list have something in their bag of accolades that Durant wants more than becoming the all-time scoring leader. An NBA title. Durant would throw all of these numbers out of the window in a heartbeat at the chance to reach the mountain top of an NBA championship.
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