NBA Draft: Top 30 draft steals in league history
Pick Analysis. Kevin Durant. 149. Scouting Report. Small Forward. 2nd Pick: 2007. 15. player
Best NBA Draft steals of all time: Kevin Durant, OKC Thunder (Sonics)
It may be hard to argue that the second pick in an NBA Draft is a steal.
However, when you are able to select Kevin Durant without the No. 1 pick, it should be considered highway robbery. Especially when you consider that Greg Oden, the player selected before Durant, played a total of three seasons in the NBA.
While Durant’s career — and legacy — has come under scrutiny since his surprising 2016 free agency decision to join the 73-win Golden State Warriors, there is no denying his sheer talent.
His career shooting splits are a staggering 49.3 percent on field goals, 38.1 percent from the 3-point line and 88.3 percent from the free throw line, all while generally seeing the opposing team’s best defender each game.
While he has a slender frame, Durant has also been a well above-average defender during his career as well, averaging 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals during his NBA tenure.
Durant’s list of accolades is impressive: 10-time NBA All Star, nine All-NBA selections, 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2013-14 NBA MVP, two NBA Finals and All-Star Game MVPs, four-time scoring champion and two NBA titles.
His story still isn’t complete.
Barring a major injury or change of heart, it’s possible to believe that Durant can play another five or six years in the NBA, which would make his career even more decorated.
He is a sure-fire first ballot hall of famer and a generational talent, second only to LeBron James during his career.
It’s hard to say that the second overall pick in any draft is a steal, but like with many things in his career, Durant is the exception.