Kevin Durant’s best 5 seasons

Table of Contents

Ah, Kevin Durant, one of the greats. No matter what corner of the basketball fandom you inhabit, chances are you've got something to say about the man they call KD. As transcendent a scorer as the NBA has ever seen, Durant's blend of size, skill, and pure scoring instinct is unparalleled. Today, we're pulling up our stat-stuffed sleeves and diving into the Durantian archives to rank his five best seasons. We're talking stats, we're talking impact, we're talking narrative arcs.

So buckle up, this is going to be a deep dive into the Durant wormhole.

5. 2010-2011: The Scoring Savant Emerges

Starting our countdown at number five, we land in the 2010-2011 season. Coming off a 50-win season and first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Lakers, the Durantula was locked and loaded to take the league by storm. With a scoring average of 27.7 PPG, KD led the league in scoring, dethroning King James himself.

A young 22-year-old KD was as smooth as a Sinatra ballad, a lanky scoring savant with a knack for pulling up and making your favorite defender look like a bewildered first-timer on a dizzying rollercoaster ride. With a usage rate of 30.6%, the Thunder entrusted him with the keys to the franchise, and boy, did he drive it. This season was about KD evolving into an offensive powerhouse and he seized it like Gollum snagging the One Ring.

However, this was also the year the basketball world saw Durant making the subtle pivot from mere scoring machine to all-around superstar. Averaging a then-career-high 6.8 RPG and 2.7 APG, Durant showcased dimensions to his game that were as intriguing as the latest Christopher Nolan movie. An intriguing season, but still, the best was yet to come.

4. 2018-2019: Warrior in his Prime

Fast forward to the 2018-2019 season. If the early Oklahoma City years were like the fledgling stages of a rock band honing their craft in a grimy garage, these Golden State days were the sold-out stadium tours, the billboard-topping albums, the rapturous adulation from all corners of the globe.

This season, KD averaged 26.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5.9 APG, a seemingly slight dip in raw numbers but don't let that fool you. It was like swapping out your Ferrari for a Lamborghini - yeah, you're still cruising in style. The stakes were higher, the spotlight brighter, and yet Durant thrived like a Chia Pet with unlimited water supply.

Sure, his usage rate was down to 29%, but his shooting percentages were as mouth-watering as a double-decker bacon cheeseburger (52% FG, 35% 3P, and 88% FT). This KD was more precise, more potent, and more terrifying than ever, slicing through defenses like a hot knife through butter on a Sunday morning. He was every bit the unstoppable force that the Bay Area had hoped for, a testament to his ability to adapt and thrive.

3. 2013-2014: The Slim Reaper Rises

Our third stop takes us to the 2013-2014 season, a campaign that saw Durant step up to the proverbial plate and knock it out of the park. Averaging a whopping 32.0 PPG, he led the league in scoring and captured his first and only MVP award. KD was a symphony in sneakers, an unstoppable force making sweet, sweet music on the hardwood.

Statistically, he was a beast let loose in a china shop, and the NBA was the china. On a 33.0% usage rate, he not only scored but also rebounded (7.4 RPG) and dished out assists (5.5 APG) like a seasoned Vegas card dealer. It was basketball artistry in motion, a season-long masterclass that left opponents and spectators alike gawking in wide-eyed amazement.

For many, this was KD in his purest form, the Slim Reaper in all his terrifying glory, a basketball wunderkind coming into his own. And yet, as we'll soon see, even this was just a glimpse of the greatness that was yet to unfold.

2. 2016-2017: The Dawn of a Champion

The 2016-2017 season, KD's first with the Warriors, comes in at number two. Durant took his talents to the Bay Area, much to the chagrin of OKC fans who reacted as if he'd announced plans to replace all pizza with cauliflower crust variants. But for KD, this season was all about transformation and evolution, much like a caterpillar turning into a jaw-droppingly beautiful butterfly.

He averaged 25.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 4.8 APG, with shooting splits (53.7% FG, 37.5% 3P, and 87.5% FT) that made the rest of the league look like kids struggling with their multiplication tables. His usage rate was down to 27.8% in the star-studded Warriors lineup, but KD was nothing short of phenomenal, a supernova in a sky full of stars.

This was also the season Durant captured his first NBA championship and Finals MVP. After years of knocking on the door, KD was finally in the promised land, and he didn't just step in - he barged through like a bull in a china shop. He was more than just a scorer now; he was a bona fide champion, silencing critics with a display as spectacular as the Northern Lights.

1. 2021-2022: KD's Magnum Opus

And now, the crowning jewel, the pièce de résistance: Durant's 2021-2022 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets. In terms of stats, KD was his usual, outstanding self. He put up 26.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 5.6 APG. But numbers alone don't quite capture the magic of this season.

Let's get one thing straight: this KD was more than just a player. He was a maestro conducting an orchestra, a captain navigating treacherous waters, a chef whipping up a Michelin-star-worthy feast. He was in the driver's seat of the Brooklyn juggernaut, and he drove that vehicle with the dexterity of a seasoned F1 racer.

With a usage rate of 31.3%, Durant was both the centerpiece and the glue that held the eclectic mix of talents in Brooklyn together. And when the spotlight was brightest, he performed like a virtuoso, his game as mesmerizing as a Mozart concerto. But above all, this season was about KD's resilience. Coming off a brutal Achilles injury that would've been a career death sentence in another era, KD was as unstoppable as ever, a testament to his indomitable spirit and insatiable hunger for greatness.

So there you have it, folks. Five seasons, five glimpses into the mind and game of one of basketball's all-time greats. From the sprightly scorer in OKC to the seasoned veteran in Brooklyn, Durant's journey has been a rollercoaster ride of highs, lows, and thrilling loops. His story isn't just about points or titles; it's about evolution, transformation, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. And that, my friends, is the essence of Kevin Durant.