Race for MVP | Kevin Durant, insane efficiency

Basket USA has been serving you for over a decade Top 5 Candidates for the “Most Valuable Player” trophy (MVP)”. This week, where the lawsuit will be recalled Kevin Duranthis recent appearances with Brooklyn have hardly gone unnoticed.

Riding a nine-game winning streak, atop the Eastern Conference podium, the Nets are truly the most in-form team in the league today. A power surge to put to the credit of “KD”, ideally backed by Kyrie Irving and the excellent leader of the New York collective.

Kevin Durant, who has been athletically impeccable since the beginning of this season, stands today as one of the legitimate candidates for the title of MVP 2023.

His record overall (22-12) is essentially the same as that of Jayson Tatum (24-10), Giannis Antetokounmpo (22-11) or Nikola Jokic (21-11). Statistically, he averaged 30.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 blocks, nothing to envy his opponents. Visually, this sense of power he exudes in attack, especially at mid-range (57% success rate with 7 attempts per encounter), is delicious to watch.

Simply put, the Brooklyn winger is therefore part of a class of forwards where no shot is bad, and at 34, he’s playing possibly the best basketball of his career on both wings. Or, at any rate, the most effective.

Diabolical and Address History

The proof is that Kevin Durant, confident in his strengths and a master of his game, is shooting 56% (career high), 37% on 3-pointers and 93% (career high) on field goals. ). Given the Nets’ dominance of the game (32% of the franchise’s offense ends in a “KD”), he certainly loses 4 possessions per game<, but those wastes are largely offset by his diabolical address and even history. Already, the 2014 MVP is on track to become the first player to average at least 10 points (he's at 30…), shooting at least 55%, 35% from 3-point range and 90%. throws He is also on track to become the fourth player in history to average at least 30 points while shooting at least 55%.

30+ point average season best shooting percentages

57.7% – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970/71)
57.4% – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971/72)
57.0% – Adrian Dantley (1981/82)
56.3% – Kevin Durant (continued)
56.2% – Karl Malone (1989/90)

In terms of advanced stats, what Kevin Durant has to offer so far is also impressive. Illustration of her looking effective field goal percentage (eFG%) and above all on him true draw percentage (TS%).

With an eFG% of 61%, “KD” disappeared like that on the basics “Curry-esques” because only Stephen Curry scored at least 30 points. effective field goal percentage at least 60%. And when it comes to that true draw percentageAt 67%, even a Warriors point guard has never hit that mark in the past…

Best eFG% in a 30+ point midseason

63.0% -Stephen Curry (2015/16)
62.5% – Stephen Curry (continued)
61.0% – Kevin Durant (continued)
60.5% -Stephen Curry (2020/21)

Best TS% in a 30+ point midseason

67.3% – Kevin Durant (continued)
66.9% -Stephen Curry (2015/16)
66.8% – Stephen Curry (continued)
65.5% -Stephen Curry (2020/21)
65.2% – Adrian Dantley (1983/84)

Suffice it to say that Kevin Durant is on pace to have one of the best seasons in history in terms of efficiency, while unlike Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Karl Malone or even Adrian Dantley in his era, his game is not. Leans only inside as he attempts almost 5 3-pointers per game.

However, like (if not better than) Stephen Curry, his shooting quality and ability to get into his preferred positions regardless of the type of defense against him allows “KD” to not waste much offensive ammunition. Especially since his profile makes him a difficult player to defend given his size, mobility and ball skills.

It is no coincidence that he is still considered by some to be the best striker in history. Top 15 goalscorers of all time…

Race for MVP 2023: Our Top 5

1 – Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
Assessment: 24 wins, 10 losses – 1st in the East.
Matches: 32 out of a possible 34 are controversial.
Statistics: 30.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 4.1 pds, 1.2 int, 0.9 ctr and 2.7 pdb in 37 minutes.
Percentages: 48% shooting, 36% 3-pointers and 86% shooting.

2 – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Assessment: 22 wins, 11 losses – 2nd in the East.
Matches: 28 out of a possible 33 fought.
Statistics: 31.2 pts, 11.2 rebs, 5.1 pds, 0.9 int, 0.9 ctr and 3.8 pdb in 33 minutes.
Percentages: 54% shooting, 25% 3-p and 64% shooting.

3 – Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
Assessment: 21 wins, 11 losses – 1st in the West.
Matches: 29 out of a possible 32 are controversial.
Statistics: 25.4 pts, 11.0 reb, 9.4 pds, 1.5 int, 0.7 ctr and 3.6 pdb in 34 min.
Percentages: 62% on field goals, 34% on 3-pointers and 79% on field goals.

4 – Kevin Durant (Nets)
Assessment: 22 wins, 12 losses – 3rd in the East.
Matches: 33 out of a possible 34 argued.
Statistics: 30.0 pts, 6.6 reb, 5.3 pds, 0.8 int, 1.5 ctr and 3.5 pdb in 36 min.
Percentages: 56% on field goals, 37% on 3-pointers and 93% on field goals.

5 – Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
Assessment: 18 wins, 16 losses – 7th in the West.
Matches: 31 out of a possible 34 are controversial.
Statistics: 32.8 pts, 8.3 reb, 8.7 pds, 1.7 int, 0.5 ctr and 3.7 pdb in 37 min.
Percentages: 50% shooting, 36% 3-pt and 74% shooting.

Notes : Ja Morant (Grizzlies), Joel Embiid (Sixers), Devin Booker (Suns), Zion Williamson (Pelicans), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Damian Lillard (Blazers), Domantas Sabonis (Kings)…

Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) : An equation that allows you to calculate the global address of a player or team, given that a 3-point shot is worth 1.5 times more points than a 2-point shot. The calculation formula is as follows: eFG% = ([tirs réussis + 0.5 * tirs à 3-points réussis] / shot attempt) * 100.

True Shooting Percentage (TS%): whom’effective field goal percentage, this equation allows us to calculate the global address of a player or team, this time taking free throws into account. The calculation formula is as follows: TS% = (scored points / 2 * [tirs tentés + 0.44 * {lancers-francs tentés}]) * 100.