Durant - Best FT season ever?

[Hobo4President]

Yes, Durant had one of the best FT shooting seasons of all time.

[CzBoobie]

If you want to know how good Durant is in clutch situations, you can check that via 82games.com. Durant made 49 of 58 (84.5%) in those clutch situation. Still good, but obviously not as crazy as Nowitzki who missed just two free throws in 4th quarter and overtime during the season and has 98 FT% in clutch situations.

I don't think those clutch numbers are updated, they still have last update of 12/09/2009.

[Ming Kong!]

Mark Price was 2135/2362, .904 for his career. In 1998-98 he made .948 of his shots, 3.9/4.1. Yes I know it was much fewer attempts, but even for his career he was a much better FT shooter. Just cause one doesn't shoot as much doesn't mean he wasn't a better FT shooter.

[mysticbb]

I don't think those clutch numbers are updated, they still have last update of 12/09/2009.

Well, they were updated in 2010 for sure, 40 close games until the 12/09/2009? Common sense. ;)

Anyway, I used the data updated on 4/06/2010.

I changed my mind on that. FTM/G adjusted for league average ft% and fta will give me a list like this:

Code: Select all

Rk  Player              Season      Age Tm     
1.  Kevin Durant        2009-10     21  OKC    23.28
2.  Kobe Bryant         2006-07     28  LAL    18.58
3.  Kevin Martin        2007-08     24  SAC    18.11
4.  Dirk Nowitzki       2009-10     31  DAL    18.07
5.  Kevin Martin        2008-09     25  SAC    17.99
6.  Adrian Dantley      1983-84     27  UTA    17.77
7.  Kobe Bryant         2005-06     27  LAL    17.73
8.  Rick Barry          1966-67     22  SFW    17.65
9.  Oscar Robertson     1963-64     25  CIN    17.61
10. Jerry West          1965-66     27  LAL    17.56
11. Dirk Nowitzki       2005-06     27  DAL    17.16
12. Chauncey Billups    2009-10     33  DEN    17.01
13. Corey Maggette      2004-05     25  LAC    16.98
14. Tiny Archibald      1974-75     26  KCO    16.97
15. Dirk Nowitzki       2004-05     26  DAL    16.74
16. Michael Jordan      1986-87     23  CHI    16.73
17. Tiny Archibald      1972-73     24  KCO    16.28
18. Oscar Robertson     1966-67     28  CIN    16.26
19. Dirk Nowitzki       2006-07     28  DAL    16.24
20. Jerry West          1966-67     28  LAL    16.18


Durant is far and away ahead of everyone else. Well, it can be argued that in todays league especially perimeter players have an advantage to go to the line while it was in earlier years the big guys who got the fta. Thus a straight linear adjustment for fta can give a somewhat wrong impression. BUT an adjustment is necessary, because without that adjustment 15 of the Top20 FT seasons would have happened between 1957 and 1969 while just 110 of all 973 datasets (player seasons in the Top500 All-Time ft% and ftm) are from that timespan. What is the reason? A big influence by the ftm and back in the days there were just way more fta available. In 1967 for example it was 36.3 fta per game and team, today it is 24.5.

And overall Durant is sooooo much better than everyone else, that the answer to the op-question is YES!

[jax98]

Durant's free throw shooting this season is some of the best this league has seen. Volume plus the pure efficiency is a combination that shouldn't go unnoticed.

I do see the argument people are making about Nash, Price and Nowitzki. But to shoot 840 free throws in a season, instead of over X amount of years, is way more tricky. You have to step up every single night and make them.

So best or not, it's damn impressive. In fact, Durant just had a flat-out impressive season. I've found myself go back to his profile and look at his age. 21 and to score that amount of points on that efficiency.. Crazy. Just crazy.

[I Never Lied]

Very impressive. I hate the way Durant gets FTs though, he picks up so many garbage, ticky tack, flopping fouls. He would otherwise be a fun player to watch, but his ugly, flopping, throwing himself into defenders style makes him almost unwatchable for me. Reminds me of other skinny floppers like Kevin Martin, Manu Ginobili or Chris Bosh (although I actually like Bosh, probly just cause I'm a Raps fan though). All of these guys are constantly jumping into defenders, or swinging their arms into defenders arms, then flailing about like they've been shot. It's effective in the NBA, but it's not pretty basketball, if you played like this in a pick up game or any sort of rec league you'd just be a huge douche. To me players should be trying to score, and if a defender fouls them by being too aggressive, fair enough, but too often guys like Durant, Martin, Manu, Bosh, etc. aren't even looking to hit a shot, they're specifically going for the foul. That's not basketball, that's just abusing the rules. It's hardly the players' fault, if the game is called this way you may as well abuse it, but I really think the NBA has to change the way they call games. Too often a defender is just going up for the block, not jumping into the offensive player at all, the offensive players flings himself into the defender then flails out his arms, and somehow that's a foul on the defender.

K-Whistle

/rant

[TheKingOfVa360]

Well that just goes to show Durant is getting way too many calls.

[CzBoobie]

I don't think those clutch numbers are updated, they still have last update of 12/09/2009.

Well, they were updated in 2010 for sure, 40 close games until the 12/09/2009? Common sense.

I can see they changed it today, looks like up to date version. Btw, LeBron's clutch numbers are beyond ridiculous.

[Cthulhu]

The thing with Dirk though, is he also shoots A LOT of fts. It's not like Nash, Allen or Peja that shoot, what, 2-3 a game? Dirk shoots over 7 a game. So like I said, no, I don't see why him shooting an extra 2.5 fts a game would bring his % down a whole 1.5 points. Obviously what Durant did, getting to the line that much, is impressive though.

[fallacy]

The thing with Dirk though, is he also shoots A LOT of fts. It's not like Nash, Allen or Peja that shoot, what, 2-3 a game? Dirk shoots over 7 a game. So like I said, no, I don't see why him shooting an extra 2.5 fts a game would bring his % down a whole 1.5 points. Obviously what Durant did, getting to the line that much, is impressive though.

That's over 200 more FT's while maintaining a 90% average. That's much more impressive to me than what dirk did. You can say "what if" all you want, but the fact is that it didn't happen.

[ahonui06]

If you want to know how good Durant is in clutch situations, you can check that via 82games.com. Durant made 49 of 58 (84.5%) in those clutch situation. Still good, but obviously not as crazy as Nowitzki who missed just two free throws in 4th quarter and overtime during the season and has 98 FT% in clutch situations.

I don't think those clutch numbers are updated, they still have last update of 12/09/2009.

last update is 04/16/2010. DIRK is the most clutch FT shooter in the NBA this season. DIRK also has a higher "clutch FG% than Kobe, KD, or LeBron. DIRK also shoots clutch 3s at a 72% clip.

http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM

[ahonui06]

The thing with Dirk though, is he also shoots A LOT of fts. It's not like Nash, Allen or Peja that shoot, what, 2-3 a game? Dirk shoots over 7 a game. So like I said, no, I don't see why him shooting an extra 2.5 fts a game would bring his % down a whole 1.5 points. Obviously what Durant did, getting to the line that much, is impressive though.

That's over 200 more FT's while maintaining a 90% average. That's much more impressive to me than what dirk did. You can say "what if" all you want, but the fact is that it didn't happen.

The fact is that DIRK shot 586FT this season and made 91.5% of them. Thats better than KD's 90% with 840FT. I feel that if DIRK had shot 840FT he would have an ever higher FT%. Doesn't matter anyway because KD is just an average FT shooter in the clutch while DIRK is #1 in the NBA.

[CzBoobie]

If you want to know how good Durant is in clutch situations, you can check that via 82games.com. Durant made 49 of 58 (84.5%) in those clutch situation. Still good, but obviously not as crazy as Nowitzki who missed just two free throws in 4th quarter and overtime during the season and has 98 FT% in clutch situations.

I don't think those clutch numbers are updated, they still have last update of 12/09/2009.

last update is 04/16/2010. DIRK is the most clutch FT shooter in the NBA this season. DIRK also has a higher "clutch FG% than Kobe, KD, or LeBron. DIRK also shoots clutch 3s at a 72% clip.

http://www.82games.com/0910/CSORT11.HTM

I already wrote it's been updated today, at least the date they had there. You're way off with those Dirk's numbers, I have no idea where you see that in the link you provided.

[ahonui06]

I already wrote it's been updated today, at least the date they had there. You're way off with those Dirk's numbers, I have no idea where you see that in the link you provided.

The 72% 3 Point % was before the last game of the season. Now, DIRK is shooting 66.7% from 3 in the clutch. I'll revise my post and say DIRK is the most clutch star FT shooter since people like Aaron Afflalo and Dorell Wright shoot 100% in the clutch since they have probably taken 2 or 3 FTs in the clutch all year. And since the last game of the year DIRK now has a lower FG% than LeBron, but still higher than Kobe and KD.