If healthy, Where will KD rank in all time scorring?

Scorers? MJ first and Wilt second. After that there is a discussion. Kareem is up there too.

 

He should be able to get as high as #2 all time. Kareem just had way too long of a career, so he'd be unlikely to pass him.

 

Kareem didn't get into the league until he was 22, Durant had already scored 6000 points by the time he turned 22.

Likewise Kareem's scoring average really fell off in LA. From age 28-35 he "only" averaged 25 PPG. For the sake of this poll we are assuming health, and I think KD is gonna continue to average close to 30 over that same stretch.

Now Kareem did play a long time, scoring 5000 points after turning 38, but I think Durant's young start will offset that and he will hang around if he gets close, so again assuming health I think he will be number one. Kobe may hang around inefficiently chucking and pass Kareem first, but I expect Durant to pass him too if he does.

If we are talking PPG, 3rd is the best he can do, but I assuming we're talking overall points.

 

Oops, I misread the question. I don't think he will bypass Jordan or Kobe. He's too concerned with his efficiency to chuck like those two did.

 

Chuck? Jordan's career FG% is 50.. as a 2 guard

 

Westbrick is messing with Durant's scoring average.

 

You are right. Jordan was not a chucker. However, he did shoot about 22 shots a game during his career while Durant only took 21 shots a game once. I don't think Durant will ever take the volume of shots needed to pass Kobe and MJ.

Kobe on the other hand is a certified chucker.

 

Why would he need to pass Jordan and Kobe, on what list are they the leading scorers?

Durant gets plenty of points without chucking, he's gonna score more points than both of them.

 

He already lost time this year from an injury. And also from the lock out. And there will probably be another lockout (because apparently there is just not enough money to go around)

So I'm not sure that right there is about a seasons worth of games missed.

 

He is at 15,000 already? That's so crazy!

He is barely 26. He still has probably 7 more years of high level production left in him. Taking away the shortened season, he averages 2376 points per season, and if he keeps it up for 7 seasons, that over 16,600 more points. So at age 32, he could be over 31,000 points. (!!!)

Who knows how much longer he will play but he can get up to 35,000 to 36,000. Kobe will probably end at 34,000, so Kevin can pass him in around age 34. By the time he is done, he can be up to 2nd all time if he can pass Malone (36,978).

KD doesn't strike me as one of those guys plays forever to break a record so I don't think he will pass Kareem (38,387), but damn. He has the best chance of breaking it than anyone.

 

I think both LeBron and KD have a shot to reach no.2 or even possibly no.1, but it would take so much health and longevity...

We can discuss it more seriously when they are 33 or 34. If they are still healthy and going strong at that point, anything is possible.

I do hope I get to see someone break 40k mark some day.

 

I will personally be more impressed with Lebron hits 30k than Durant. For a guy to score that much while still having such a high number of assists over his career is crazy.

 

If healthy, also depends on desire, Durant may be done with basketball at 33 or 34

 

Durant scores his points in a kind of quiet way, which is good for the flow of the team but for pure dominance and scoring skill MJ is and always will be #1.
I have to say though in my opinion Durant is not even comparable to Jordan.

Even in the playoffs last season he was shut down by Tony Allen and slumping hard. He started deferring and was "used as a decoy."
He bounced back but I never saw Jordan get that frazzled before ever in the playoffs, and defenses were tougher back then too... much more contact, less bailout touch fouls for perimeter players and handchecking was allowed.
Everyone was geared to stop MJ back then. They knew it was coming but they couldn't do anything about it.

I don't want to say Durant is David Robinson to Jordan's Hakeem ( there isn't quite that much of a disparity) but you get my drift.