Kevin Durant is arguably the best player in the league and for good reason. The one-time MVP has already compiled an NBA resume. With how well Durant has played up until the end, he’s making a case to win the sophomore MVP award. Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum are still the favorites to take home the award, but Durant is starting to climb the ladder, especially given how dominant the Brooklyn Nets have been lately. Per Vegas Insider, Durant has +700 odds to win the award. The four players currently ahead of the two-time champion in hits are Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Jayson Tatum. Regardless, Durant has the ability to become a favorite before the regular season ends.
Kevin Durant making a strong case for the 2022-23 NBA MVP
Kevin Durant’s season so far
Once again, Kevin Durant is having another fantastic campaign heading into his 13th All-Star appearance. So far, KD is averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. The four-time scoring champion is shooting an effective field goal percentage of 60.9 percent, a career high so far this season. On top of that, Durant’s advanced numbers are also impressive. He has a player efficiency rating of 27.1 so far. He also has an average box plus/minus of +7.3, a win-share total of +6.4 and a true shooting percentage of 67.5 percent.
Not to mention, he’s becoming the true leader of this young Brooklyn Nets team. Just what the team needed after a dysfunctional start to their season over the winter with all the drama surrounding them with the KD trade rumors and the Kyrie Irving drama. He is leading by example and is infectious to the fans. Players like Seth Curry, Yuta Watanabe, and Patty Mills have stepped up in many ways. While these players are very talented in their own right, there is certainly some connection to the team’s improved production over the last month combined with KD’s high level of play.
KD’s numbers compared to other MVP candidates
We’ve already seen how well Kevin Durant is performing. What about other candidates? Giannis is currently averaging 32.0 points, 5.2 assists and 11.8 total rebounds per game. The Milwaukee Bucks are third in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum has the Boston Celtics in first place in the league. Meanwhile, Boston’s small forward is averaging 30.7 points, 8.2 total rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
We would be remiss not to mention the two-time MVP. Jokic has led the Nuggets to the best record in the Western Conference while currently averaging nearly a triple-double with 25.3 points, 9.5 assists and 10.8 rebounds per game. Like Luka Doncic, he is doing everything he can to keep the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference playoff picture. After a slow start to the regular season, they jumped all the way up to fourth place in the West. Doncic is currently averaging a career-high 34.0 points to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists. As one can see, KD has a lot of competition for this year’s MVP. However, with the way Brooklyn has played of late, he will continue to climb the MVP ladder.
