With the Nets losing 112-116 to the Celtics in G4, they were swept out in the first round of the playoffs, the first time in kevin Durant's NBA career that they were swept out in the series. In this series, Durant's inability to turn the tide is impressive, and many people think that Durant has fallen significantly, but many people ignore that Durant still has new career highs.
In this series, Durant's offensive efficiency is indeed not high, averaging only 8.0 shots per game on 20.8 shots per game, and shooting only 38.6% from the field. You know, Durant's playoff shooting percentage throughout his NBA career reached 47.6%, and he also shot 51.4% in 12 playoff games last season.
Although Durant's shooting percentage in the first round of the playoffs this season is far from the 54.6% shooting rate in the first round of last season's playoffs, this is not the lowest shooting rate in Durant's NBA career in the first round of the playoffs. Durant, who played in the playoffs for the first time in 2010, shot just 35.0 percent from the field in the first round and only 36.8 percent in the first round of the playoffs in 2016 (his last season with the Thunder).
In this series, Durant's average of 26.3 points per game is not very low, and he is averaging 5.0 points per game than another Nets "giant" Kyrie Irving, and they are already the only two Nets players who average at least 15.0 points per game. Durant averaged 25.0 points per game in the first round of the first playoffs of his NBA career with only 35.0 percent shooting, compared to 21.0 points per game in the first round of the 2017 playoffs.
Durant's offensive lethality is still there, and durant can get 9.5 free throws per game in this playoff, which is the second time since 2013 that Durant has averaged no less than 9.5 free throws per game in the first round of the playoffs. In the case of several positions, Durant's average rebounds per game in the first round of this playoffs are not the fewest in his career. It is worth mentioning that Durant's average of 6.3 assists per game in this series is the highest in 11 first-round series since his NBA career!
Durant's first career sweep is indeed disappointing, considering that in the NBA general manager survey before the start of the season, the Nets won more than 80% of the vote and eventually won the championship, and in the case of Irving, there is no place for Durant to have a hard place except for his mouth. However, it is not that Durant does not have super scoring ability, judging from the record number of assists, he just wants to lead his teammates, which is the innate defect of the lineup really can't move. I believe that the 33-year-old Durant's winning window is not completely closed!