If not for a scary mid-season MCL sprain, Kevin Durant would have been in the league MVP conversation and the Nets likely would have had an easier playoff road than a first-round matchup with the Boston Celtics.
Durant was sensational for the Nets in the early part of the 2021-22 regular season, and had Brooklyn near the top of the Eastern Conference prior to his absence.
His missed time meant that he wasn’t eligible for awards like the scoring title, but Durant just missed becoming the first Nets player in franchise history to average 30 points per game for a season.
Here’s how Durant’s 2021-22 regular-season stats compared to his career-bests in each category.
Kevin Durant’s points per game: 29.9 (4th in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 29.9 points per game
Career-high: 32.0 points per game (2013-2014 MVP season with Thunder)
Kevin Durant’s rebounds per game: 7.4 (45th in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 7.4 rebounds per game
Career-high: 8.3 rebounds per game (2016-17 season with Warriors)
Kevin Durant’s assists per game: 6.4 (23rd in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 6.4 assists per game
Career-high: 6.4 (2021-22 season with Nets)
Kevin Durant’s field goal percentage: 51.8% (21st in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 51.8% from the field
Career-high: 53.7% from the field (2020-21 with Nets and 2016-17 with Warriors)
Kevin Durant’s 3-point percentage: 38.3% (52nd in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 38.3% from three
Career-high: 45.0% from three (2020-21 with Nets)
Kevin Durant’s steals per game: 0.9 (150th) in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 0.9 steals per game
Career-high: 1.4 steals per game (2012-13 and 2009-10 with Thunder)
Kevin Durant’s blocks per game: 0.9 (46th in the NBA)
2021-22 average: 0.9 blocks per game
Career-high: 1.8 blocks per…