Kevin Durant's 2013 NBA season

 

Every once in a while it's important to stop and take a look at some of the more underrated seasons throughout the NBAs history. Typically when a player averages 28 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting and makes All-NBA first team while leading his team to 60 wins that's the type of season fans can't stop talking about..but that's the exact opposite for Kevin Durant's 2012-13 NBA season. LeBron James in 2013 had a season so extraordinary that it basically just takes all the attention away from the great season KD had. So much so that whenever fans bring up 2013 almost all the time it has something to do with LeBron. And rightfully so because this is the year LeBron would supply us with one of the greatest MVP season ever. But almost ANY other year Durant would have won MVP. So let's put the fact's in the same phycinity and shine some light on Kevin Durant's 2013 NBA season. 

Durant in 2013 would put up numbers that are simply unheard of from a player that is only 24 years of age. During the season Durant would launch stats of 28.1 PPG, 7.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists, on 51.0% from the field. Kd technically didn't lead the league in scoring because that title belonged to Carmel Anthony. But Durant only averaged .6 less points but played 14 more games. Durant averaged 28 points on 50/40/90 shooting which is truly all time type of extraordinary. In fact, only 3 other players in the entirety on NBA history have ever done that. And after 81 straight games of humiliating NBA defences Durant finished 2nd in MVP voting.

Durant would also notch great great impact numbers all across the board. KD 2013 impact stats:

28.3 PER (2nd)

18.9 WS (2nd)

29.1 WS/48 (2nd)

9.3 BPM (2nd)

8.9 VORP (2nd)

But these stats weren't going to waste as this would result in the OKC thunder having a 60-22 record which was 1st in the western conference and 2nd in the whole NBA. Theres more to it though because this type of consistent production from KD would lead the the thunder being 1st in Off RTG, 1st in Net RTG, 1st in SRS, 1st in PPG.

Durant would bump up his play in the NBA playoffs as well. During the 2013 NBA playoffs Durant would lead the NBA in scoring with 30.8 PPG, while grabbing 9 rebounds a night, dishing out 6.3 assists, and had a box plus minus of 9.3. Unfortunately mainly due to Westbrooks injury the thunder were not able to make the NBA finals for the 2nd consecutive year. Westbrook would be active for the first 2 games vs the Houston Rockets but missed the rest of the playoffs. 

And to cap it all off and to show just how good Durant was this season let's compare this non mvp season of Durant to some other NBA MVP seasons...

2013 KD: 

28.1 PPG | 7.9 REB| 4.8 AST| 51% FG| 41.6% FT| 90.5% FT| 60-22 record

2012 LeBron:

 27.1 PPG | 7.9 REB | 6.2 AST| 53.1% FG| 36.2% 3PT| 77.1% FT| 46-20 record

2008 Kobe:

 28.3 PPG | 6.3 REB| 5.4 AST| 45.9% FG| 36.1% 3PT| 84% FT| 57-25 record

1998 MJ: 

28.7 PPG| 5.8 REB| 3.5 AST| 46.5% FG| 23.8% 3PT| 78.4% FT| 62-20 record

1999 Karl Malone:
                                                                                                                                                                     23.8 PPG| 9.4 REB| 4.1 AST| 49.3% FG| 0.00% 3PT| 78.8% FT| 37-13 record