Kevin Durant joins LeBron James as the two only active players with 10,000 made field goals.
Kevin Durant has continued to make history during his time with the Phoenix Suns. When Durant was traded to the Suns, he made his presence known immediately. It’s not often a franchise can acquire a generational player. In his second full season with Phoenix, he made history once again. Durant became the 16th player in NBA history to eclipse 10,000 made field goals. He and LeBron James are the two only active players in the league with that record.
The Slim Reaper is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. Also, he’s shooting over 53.4% from the field and 46.2% from three. The efficiency is through the roof, as it usually is. It’s important to remember that Durant suffered an Achilles tear roughly five years ago. Since that incident, it looks like he hasn’t lost a step.
During his time with Phoenix, he’s shot a career-best 42.6% from three on a career-high 5.4 attempts per game. Although they utilize him more at the power forward position, it has paid dividends for the 2014 MVP. The extra spacing, in addition to exploiting a mismatch, is truly remarkable.
Now, in a revolutionized offense, Durant is having an easy time getting baskets. While he still has his tough isolation buckets, he’s being put in a position to score with ease. From curl plays, floppy sets, and continuous off-ball screens have enabled KD to score almost at will.
Can Kevin Durant keep making history with the Suns?
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As long as he keeps playing, it’s almost guaranteed. However, achieving the seventh-most points of all-time might have to wait until next season. Durant is over 2,000 points away from that record. While he could reach that milestone, it might be unattainable. On the other hand, Durant can easily surpass 30,000 points by the end of the year. He could even do it by the end of November.
In the home opener against the Dallas Mavericks, Durant reached the 29,000-point milestone dominantly. He scored 31 points and hit Luka Doncic with the “too small” gesture. Funny enough, Durant also gave a five-word response of “I got more to do” after that game. He’s certainly delivered because after that game, KD scored 21 points, and currently has 21 in this game.
His efficiency, and head coach Mike Budenholzer’s implementation of the three-ball can make feats like these a common theme. As KD is one of the best scorers in the league, the new-look Suns offense has done wonders. Regardless, there’s a lot of the season left to go. Durant and the Suns will look to continue their win streak against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Miami Heat before hitting the road.