Kevin Durant’s MVP case for the 2022-23 NBA season

We’re far enough into the NBA season for award talk to begin picking up steam, and as with any year, folks are hotly debating the Most Valuable Player honor. There are a number of distinguished candidates carrying their teams and accumulating statistics across the league, but the Nets’ Kevin Durant has his own strong case building.

Looking at Durant’s basic counting stats, few can match his production.

He’s averaging 29.9 points to go along with 6.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Few come close to those numbers, as only Luka Doncic is ahead of Durant in all three categories.

What’s even more impressive is his efficiency. Durant is hitting a ridiculous 62 percent from inside the arc, 36 percent from three-point land, and 93 percent from the free-throw line. Despite his MVP-level volume, his true-shooting percentage is eighth highest in the league, with only Nikola Jokic and role players ahead of him.

His strong shooting percentage from inside the arc is remarkable given the degree of difficulty on those looks. Durant is the constant focus of collapsing defenses and thrives on tough mid-range shots to find space.

The fact that he can bury those kinds of looks, fading away, off the dribble, or even over two defenders at such a high rate is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan never eclipsed the two-point shooting mark Durant is scoring at right now over a full season.

As indicated by his assist numbers, Durant is doing well to leverage the defense’s attention which has allowed his teammates to get great looks. His big frame makes it tough to crowd his eye-line or deflect his passes, though he’s done so to others.

The offensive end has arguably been secondary in Durant’s impact on winning. He’s been a staunch free safety on defense for Brooklyn, using his athleticism to cover a ton of ground and cause havoc. Durant has swatted 1.6 shots per night and looks very…