Kevin Durant's 5 best seasons in the NBA based on player efficiency rating

Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are in first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 13-5 record. The Nets are currently on a three-game winning streak and Kevin Durant has put up a league-leading 28.5 points per game.

Player efficiency rating (PER) is a metric coined by John Hollinger of The Athletic. It takes into account a player’s contribution on the field and puts it into one number that can be used to compare players’ output. Early in the 2021-22 season, Kevin Durant ranks 6th in PER with a 27.6 rating. Nikola Jokic is the league leader in terms of efficiency with a 35.3 rating.

Throughout his career, Kevin Durant has been an efficient player, ranking 8th all-time on the player efficiency rating leader board. His career average is 25.3. Take a look at his 5 best seasons in this regard (minimum 50 played games).

#5 2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder – 26.2

The 2009-10 season was a statement season for Kevin Durant. He was just 21 years old and his numbers were elite. He led the league in scoring with an average of 30.1 points per game, putting up a total of 2,472 points. His player efficiency rating of 26.2 was third in the league, behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Kevin Durant had a breakout season, leading the league in field goals and free-throw attempts as well. In the post-season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were beaten 4-2 by the season’s NBA Champions – the Los Angeles Lakers.

#4 2016-17 Golden State Warriors – 27.6

In the 2016-17 season, Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors through free-agency. Immediately, he started making an impact, scoring 27 points and 10 rebounds in his first game. He missed 20 games of the season, suffering from a Grade 2 MCL sprain. He finished the regular season averaging 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Durant put up a high player efficiency rating of 27.6 that season, playing 62 games.

The Golden State Warriors finished the regular season on top of the Western Conference standings and secured home-court advantage. Sailing through each round with 4-0 wins, the Warriors faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Cavaliers were ousted in five games and Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

#3 2015-16 Oklahoma City Thunder – 28.2

In 2015-16, Kevin Durant returned from injury and put up a robust regular season with his partner, Russell Westbrook. The Oklahoma City Thunder finished 3rd in the Western Conference through the regular season, winning 55 games. Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game, and his player efficiency rating for the season stood at 28.2. Only Stephen Curry had a higher rating than him, at 31.5.

In the playoffs, the Thunder beat the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs before losing out 4-3 to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

#2 2012-13 Oklahoma City Thunder – 28.3

The 2012-13 season was one of the Oklahoma City Thunder's best regular seasons. They finished on top of the Western Conference standings with 73.2-win percent. Kevin Durant contributed with 28.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He also led the league in FT% at 90.5.

Kevin Durant’s player efficiency rating of 28.3 was second only to the season’s Most Valuable Player, LeBron James, who boasted a PER of 31.6. The Thunder beat the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, but fell 4-1 at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies in the following round.

#1 2013-14 Oklahoma City Thunder – 29.8

Kevin Durant was the league’s leading scorer in the 2013-14 season, averaging 32 points per game. In 14 regular-season games, he scored 40 points or more. Kevin Durant added to his prodigious season with a career-high 54 points against the Golden State Warriors. With a player efficiency rating of 29.8, he led the league and it was also his personal best PER in a season.

Rightfully, Kevin Durant was chosen as the league’s Most Valuable Player at age 25. In the playoffs, the Thunder made it to the Western Conference Finals, beating the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers on the way. Greg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs put an end to their season over six games and just like that Kevin Durant’s dream season was over.