Is Kevin Durant the Second-Best Player on the Planet After LeBron James?
As of August 2023, many basketball analysts and fans consider Kevin Durant one of the top players in the NBA, often ranking him just behind LeBron James in terms of skill, versatility, and performance in crucial games.
Subjectivity of Rankings
Opinions can vary based on individual preferences, team performance, and recent statistics. Other notable players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Joki?, are also considered for the title of the second-best player. Ultimately, Durant is frequently viewed as the second-best, but rankings can be subjective and influenced by ongoing performances and achievements.
Current Advantage of Kevin Durant
At present, the only obvious advantage that Kevin Durant has over LeBron James is in terms of scoring titles. In every other metric, James holds more accolades.
LeBron James' Accolades
LeBron James has more MVP awards (4) than Kevin Durant (1), more Finals MVP awards (3), and more selections to All-Defensive teams (6). Additionally, he has more selections to the All-NBA teams (14) than Durant (8). In advanced categories, Lebron also holds a significant lead.
Statistical Analysis
Despite Durant's excellence, his best season (2014) stands out as a statistical marvel. During that MVP campaign, Durant led the league in numerous categories, including PER, offensive win shares, offensive box plus/minus, and VORP.
Kevin Durant's 2014 Season
In the 2014 season, Kevin Durant's performances were among the top twenty or so best seasons in NBA history. His statistics that year included a PER of 29.8, offensive win shares of 14.8, total win shares of 19.2, offensive box plus/minus of 8.4, total box plus/minus of 8.8, and VORP of 8.5. These were his career-highs.
LeBron James' Career Comparison
LeBron James, on the other hand, has sustained advanced stats at very high levels throughout his career. His career-highs in advanced categories like PER, offensive win shares, total win shares, offensive box plus/minus, and VORP are consistently higher than Durant's. In 2018, LeBron even showed his prime form by leading the league in VORP at 8.9.
Conclusion
While Durant had a stellar MVP campaign, LeBron James has maintained extraordinary performance levels throughout his career. Only 10 players in NBA history have had seasons equaling or surpassing LeBron's career averages in PER, offensive win shares, BPM, and VORP. This consistency over a long career is a testament to LeBron's exceptional talent and durability.
On the surface, calling LeBron underrated may seem inappropriate given his universal respect. However, the questions asked on platforms like Quora and the conversations surrounding NBA are a testament to the deep admiration and belief that Knightâs assessment holds significant weight.
As good as you think LeBron James is, he is almost certainly even better.