Which is stronger, Peak Leonard or Peak Durant? How big is the difference between the two?

Today, a top brother asked a very nutritious question. He said without bragging or slandering, which one is stronger, the peak Leonard or the peak Durant? How big is the difference between the two? I think this question is very worth a book. The two are super stars of the same era, and their positions are both mainly in the third position. When Leonard was at his peak, he was nicknamed "Car Jordan", and Durant was also "the strongest mercenary in history". The two are very comparable.

Since it is a peak season, it is necessary to find a peak season for the two as the basis for judging. Leonard undoubtedly has the peak season for his peak season should be the 2018-2019 season. He played 60 games in the season, with an average of 26.6 points per game as the second highest in his career (the highest career value is the next year, which is the first year of the Clippers, with an average of 27.1 points per game, but his attendance rate is not enough, and the shooting rate is relatively large compared to this year, so he will not make a choice). The most important thing is that Leonard led the Raptors to win the championship this year, and it was only after this year that Car Jordan's nickname was called up.

Durant's peak season was selected as the 2013-2014 season. He played 81 games in the season, and averaged 32 points per game as the highest value in his career. As for why he didn't choose the Warriors' two championships, because there are too many stars in the Warriors and cannot fully measure Durant's single combat effectiveness. There are three main judgments in the comparison: offense, defense, and organizational support. In order to more intuitively compare the technical and tactical characteristics of the two and the gap between them, we quantify the ability value with a full score of 10 points.

1. On the offensive end, there are mainly three-position evaluations, three-pointers, mid-range shots, and inside-line driving ability. First, look at the three-pointers. This evaluation is very easy because there is data as the basis.

Leonard's three-point shooting percentage was 37.1% in the season, while Durant's 39.1%, two percentage points, the gap is not only big or small, but it is not only quality, but also quantity. Even if you score 100% in a game, you can score 0.1 in one game, which is useless, so let's take a look at the comparison of the number of three-point shootings between these two people in the season.

Leonard's three-point shooting percentage was 26.6% in the season, and Durant's 29.3%. Leonard threw 112 three-pointers throughout the season, with a total playing time of 2,039 minutes, an average of one three-pointer every 18.2 minutes, while Durant threw 192 three-pointers. The total playing time of the season was 3,118 minutes, and a three-pointer every 16.2 minutes.

So you see that in terms of three-point shooting ability, Durant's three-point shooting ability is higher than Leonard in terms of quality, quantity, or the degree of determination to choose a three-point attack. The three advantages combined together cause Durant's overall three-point shooting ability to crush Leonard. Therefore, Durant's three-point shooting ability is 10 points.

Leonard originally wanted to give 7 points, but his three-point shooting this year is actually a year of poor shooting. In the past three years, Leonard's three-point shooting percentage has exceeded 40%. Considering this, he was given a score of 8 points.

Let’s look at the second ability value competition, China Investment.

In fact, these two are both famous CITIC experts in history, and they are ridiculously accurate. I will first use two examples to set the tone of the data, and you will know how outstanding these two people are in the CITIC field.

Twenty years ago, the CIIE master Kobe, in the field of free throw line to three-point line, the highest accuracy was 42.9%. The current CIIE master DeRozan, the highest accuracy was 42.1%, while Leonard's peak season accuracy was 44.0%, and the highest year was 51.5% in the third year of his career! Durant's accuracy in his peak season was 44.5%, and this value was slightly lower than his career average. The highest year was the first year he came to the Warriors, and he was terrifyingly 55.8%!

In terms of quantity competition, Leonard averaged 2.8 mid-range shots per game, and put on playing time. He averaged 1 mid-range shots per game every 12.1 minutes, while Durant averaged 3.2 mid-range shots per game in his peak season, and averaged 1 mid-range shots per game every 12.0 minutes.

Whether it is quality or quantity, Durant is slightly better, but in fact, using their respective peak seasons, comparing the two's central shot abilities, it is unfair for Durant. Leonard developed a stable central shot ability in the third year of his career. Since then, his central shot ratio has basically been around 33%. Durant's best skill in the first entry into the league is China Investment. His central shot ratio exceeded 50% in the first two years of his career, and his shooting percentage is good.

But then scientific basketball emerged. After scientific analysis, the area of ​​mid-range shots was recognized as the area with the lowest scoring efficiency. Therefore, almost all the stars in the era began to gradually reduce the proportion of mid-range shots, and Durant was the same. By his peak season, that is, the 2013-2014 season, his mid-range shots were only 33%, but he still maintained a very high efficiency.

So to sum up, Durant's ability in this field of CET is worth 10 points and Leonard has 8 points. The third dimension of the offensive end is the ability to rush at the basket.

Leonard's peak season had a shooting percentage of 70.1%, averaging 3.3 goals per game, scoring one goal per 10.29 minutes on average, while Durant's shooting percentage was 79.8%, scoring one goal per 10.21 minutes on average, with the two being almost the same in terms of quantity, but Durant's slightly beaten in terms of quality..

It is worth noting that there is actually another important indicator to evaluate a player's basket killing ability, that is, the number of free throws, because many attacks at the basket will be converted into free throws. Of course, mid-range shots, three-pointers, and execution fouls will also have free throws, but there are not such detailed technical statistics. Moreover, the number of free throws in the subsequent events is relatively small, so we will put them in the number of free throws at the basket.

Leonard's free throw shooting percentage in his peak season was 85.4%, while Durant's peak season was 87.3%, and Durant's slight lead in quality. Moreover, looking at the careers that the two players have completed, Durant's free throw shooting percentage is about 90%, while Leonard's 85%. The difference is not big, but it is not small. What is the comparison in quantity?

Leonard made a total of 364 free throws in the 2039 minutes of his peak season, and averaged one point at the free throw line every 5.6 minutes. Durant made a total of 703 free throws in the 3118 minutes of his peak season, and averaged one point at the 4.4 points.

From this comparison, we can see that Leonard is slightly inferior to Durant in quality when attacking this field at the basket, but the number gap is relatively large, so Durant scored 10 points and Leonard scored 8 points.

Three-pointers, mid-range shots, and rushing ability at the basket Durant scored 10 points, while Leonard all scored 8 points, totaling 24 points (including a friendly point on the three-pointer), and the two sides were one level apart.

30:24, this score is very consistent with the offensive comparison between Durant and Leonard. The difference between the two sides is one level. Durant's offense at the peak is 360 degrees ignoring the angle of view, and the TOP level in history. In terms of offense alone, Durant is more efficient than Kobe, Anthony, Iverson, McGrady and other offensive masters, and has stronger destructive power. To be honest, even if Jordan comes, Durant is not a false offensive. In NBA history, no outside star with a name can be said to be able to stabilize Durant in offense!

In comparison, Leonard's offense is much inferior and can be considered an excellent level, but there is still a gap from the top. From the basic data, Leonard's career has only 13 years, and only three seasons have averaged more than 25+ points per game. In addition to the rookie's average of only 20.3 points per game in his first year, Durant's score has exceeded 25+ in all 16 seasons. He only has four scoring points in his hand. And after Durant left the Thunder, he has not pursued these things, and he has given them to others (such as Anthony).

The high-level data of the two-man peak season, with offensive efficiency of 100 rounds, Durant scored 124 points, and Leonard scored 119 points.

2: A competition between the two sides' defensive abilities.

Offense belongs to Durant, so the defense field seems to be Ka's home court. After all, Ka's holding two DPOYs in his hand. He is the only two outside player in NBA history with two DOPYs. The first is Sidney Moncliff from 1982 to 1984.

But one thing I have to say is that in the NBA, it is customary to not be valued. DPOY's comparison at the superstar level can only be considered a small prize. For example, the first place in the NBA mentioned above and the only outside player Sidney Moncliffe who won DOPY twice, besides Leonard. In addition to these two DPOYs, he has five All-Stars, five Best Teams, and five Best Teams, but because he has no top honors such as scoring champion, MVP, championship, etc., he retired in 1991 until almost thirty years later in 2019.

Therefore, there are only two comparisons on the defensive end. One is the comparison at the data level, including basic data and advanced data, and the other is the number of rebounds. In terms of basic data, Leonard completed a total of 106 steals and 24 blocks in his peak season, with a total of 130 defensive effective data, with an average of every 15.68 minutes, while Durant completed a total of 103 steals and 59 blocks, with an average of every 19.25 minutes.

It seems that the gap between Durant and Leonard is obvious, but in fact it is not the case at all. Durant at his peak was also a big gate on the outside. His height, wingspan and physical fitness are naturally the model of a top defender. Durant back then could be said to be the most defensive player who can play on the offensive end and the most defensive end.

Therefore, in terms of high-level defensive data of both sides and defensive efficiency of 100 rounds, Leonard lost 105 points, while Durant lost 104 points, which is even better than Leonard!

But it has to be said that Leonard this year is also a bit special. Because he wins the championship, his experience is mainly on the offensive end, and the defensive end is a bit slack. His normal defensive efficiency of 100 rounds is between 96-100, which is better than Durant, but it is not so high that he has a very big gap with Durant.

Comprehensively judged the defensive ability of the two, Leonard scored 10 points and Durant scored 8 points. In terms of rebounding, Leonard can catch a rebound every 4.58 minutes, including one frontcourt rebound every 15.77 minutes, Durant will win a rebound every 5.15 minutes, and one frontcourt rebound every 53.22 minutes. The gap between the two is still quite obvious. In comprehensive comparison, Leonard will score 8 points and Durant will score 6 points.

The third point of organizational support capabilities.

Leonard gave assists every 10.24 minutes in his peak season, while Durant had 7.00 minutes. The difference between the two was obvious. In fact, Leonard's entire career was not a very clear offensive organizer. After he was trained by the Spurs, he was the core of the offense and defense, and the organization could not be related to him. The number of assists in his career was lower than 4.0 for a long time..

But Durant is different. At first, he was the same core of the outside attack like Leonard, but after playing for a few years, Durant's style of play began to change. In 17 seasons, he has been more than 5.0 assists per game for nine years. In the Warriors system, Durant can even temporarily act as the inside free throw line to support. In fact, if you say how good he is to organize, it may not be necessary. It is entirely based on his strong offensive appeal and bringing excellent offensive space for his teammates. However, whether it is the White Cat, Black Cat, being able to catch the mouse is a good cat. In terms of organizational support, Durant scored 8 points and Leonard scored 6 points.

Comprehensive comparison of the two, with a full score of 60 points, Durant scored 50 points slightly better than Leonard's 48 points.

The two men have their own strengths in their peak periods. Durant is more good at attacking. When he joins a mature team, he can rely on super attacks to raise the team's upper limit, while Leonard is an offense and defense combination. With him, it is equivalent to having cores on both ends of offense and defense, which can support the team's lower limit.

Of course, there are always people who say that Leonard's upper limit is also very high in the year of winning the championship. In fact, this year's luck is too great. If you analyze it carefully, the value is obviously low.

However, you need to note that although the gap between Leonard and Durant at the peak was not very big, the problem is that his peak period was too short, which can be said to be a flash in the pan. After the Raptors played well for a year, they had been watching the wall for five years due to injuries for a long time, and Durant was very good at physically. Although he suffered two major injuries in his career, he was still at the peak level like nothing happened. This is the biggest difference between Leonard and Durant.

Okay, that's all the content of this article. What are the comments of Durant and Leonard by the top brothers on the list? Let's discuss it together in the comment section. I feel that Fireworks is well written. I hope to get a small like + attention for encouragement. Thank you! Fireworks will continue to output high-quality original content to everyone.