Golden State Warriors Roster Rankings: 2. Kevin Durant

It’s never easy to pick between two former MVP’s, but Steph Curry’s overall impact is slightly better than Kevin Durant’s which slides Durant to number two in the rankings.

Kevin Durant is having another fantastic season as he’s put up 26.6 points per game while dishing 5.3 assists and grabbing 6.8 rebounds. He’s always been one of the most efficient players in the league and he’s continuing that this year with a true shooting percentage of 64.6% while shooting a career-high 43.6% from three, and he has a player efficiency rating of 25.9.

One of Durant’s biggest improvements this season has been his rim protection as he’s blocking a career-high 1.9 shots per game, which is the third-highest number in the NBA. While he’s blocking a lot of shots his defensive real plus-minus is -0.63, which ranks 61st among small forwards.

That overall real plus-minus number really captures why Curry is more valuable to the Warriors than Durant is. Curry ranks third in the league with an RPM of 5.90 while Durant ranks 28th with an RPM of 3.28.

Real plus-minus is similar to on/off numbers, but they take into account the players you are surrounded with and the level of competition. Curry’s shooting totally transforms how opponents defend the Warriors, and Durant’s game doesn’t do that to the same level even though he’s an incredible player.

Almost every team in the league would gladly build a team around Kevin Durant, and he’s been an extremely valuable player for the Warriors while Curry has been struggling with ankle injuries this season.

Next: JaVale McGee Has Earned His Spot in the Starting Lineup

Here are the other Warriors players that have made an appearance in the rankings thus far:

More from Blue Man Hoop