Oklahoma City’s most talented hoop artist is looking to join a very exclusive group: the 50-40-90 club.
Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki, and Steve Nash make up this club of players who have achieved 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 90% at the freethrow line for a full season.
That achievement is looking more possible this campaign, as Durant is starting the season off on a statistical tear. He’s already over 50% from the field, 44% from three, and is just under 90% at the charity stripe.
Those are actually his percentages after they had taken a recent dip. Durant’s most recent game against the Pacers was a rare downturn for the otherwise spectacular forward. Nonetheless, according to Darnell Mayberry, of NewsOK, Durant’s early production is pretty remarkable:
“…just being in range, even if it’s still early in the year, is an achievement in itself. It speaks to Durant’s continuous development and illustrates how far he’s come since being widely considered a chucker as a rookie.”
As his shooting efficiency continues to raise itself to the levels of his 50-40-90 peers, Durant has continued to provide across-the-board contributions. He’s at 27 ppg so far this season, but is also handing out over 4 dimes, a block, a stea, and over 8 rebounds per contest. More from Mayberry:
“I think we’re just seeing him put it all together right now,” said Kevin Martin, who’s no stranger to scoring efficiency but never could quite crack the club.
Durant’s ability to hit that mark is unquestioned. He has all the hooping talent in the world. Whether he gets to that point (and whether or not it sparks the Thunder to a title) remains to be seen.
Mohamed Abdihakim is a journalism student at Florida Atlantic University. He is a Phoenix Suns fan, who is not prepared for the possibility of Nash winning a title in a Lakers jersey. Mohamed is also a contributor at “Les Snobs”. Interests include International basketball, Mad Men, and blues music. Nearly all stats are credited to Hoopdata or Basketball-Reference.
Twitter handle: @Abdi_hakim
