Kevin Durant: Predicting the OKC Thunder Star's Stats for the Next 5 Seasons

Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant is one of the top five players in the NBA, and at only age 22, it’s scary to think about how good he can become.

Durant is one of the best shooting forwards in the league, and is always among the league leaders in free throw percentage.

He became the youngest scoring champion in league history in 2010, and won the scoring title again last season.

For Durant to become a complete player, he must improve his defense. That means helping the Thunder more in rebounding, blocked shots and steals.

Let’s take a look at what Durant’s stats might look like in the next five seasons and if he can keep his league leading scoring average.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA and Oklahoma City Thunder featured columnist at Bleacher Report, follow him on Twitter for NBA & Thunder news and analysis. Follow @NicholasGoss35

2011-12 Season: Durant’s Scoring Goes Down While Teammates Imrpove

Kevin Durant averaged 30.1 points per game in 2010, and 27.7 points per game in 2011. Both were good enough to win the NBA scoring title.

Durant’s dip in scoring last season was not because he regressed as a player or he played poorly for long stretches, it was due to teammate Russell Westbrook’s emergence as a superstar.

Westbrook rose his scoring average nearly five points from 2010 to 2011, and also took more shots, thus eliminating scoring opportunities from Durant.

As Westbrook improves and teammate James Harden receives more minutes, I expect Durant’s scoring to go down a bit further.

Look for Durant to average 25 points per game next season, while his rebounding totals hover around seven per game.

2012-13 Season: Rebounding Becomes a Strength of Durant’s Game

As Durant’s game evolves, he will become a stronger player, and his rebounding numbers will improve.

Durant is 6’10”, and with some added muscle, he will be able to grab rebounds as well as a power forward.

He averaged just under seven rebounds per game in 2011, and that number is likely to go up as he becomes a better defender.

Durant will see his rebounding averages rise to about eight rebounds per game over the next two seasons, and it will help him add more than scoring to the Thunder attack.

2013-14 Season: Durant Becomes a More Consistent Outside Shooter

One part of Kevin Durant’s game that is inconsistent is his three-point shooting. He has a great stroke from the outside and can knock down shots from beyond the three-point line, but he does so at an inconsistent rate.

In 2009 Durant shot about 42 percent from the three point line, and his percentage dropped in each of the last two seasons.

Durant finished 2011 with a 35 percent three-point field goal percentage, down 7 percent from 2009.

Durant will learn to shoot more consistently by perfecting his jump shot in the summer, and working hard before and after games like Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen does.

Shooting is all about repetition, and perfecting Durant’s awkward shooting form is crucial to his future success as a shooter.

Durant will improve his three-point shooting percentage to about 40 percent in 2014.

2014-15 Season: Defense Is No Longer a Liability for Durant

Defense is not something Kevin Durant does well, and it may even be the weakest part of his game.

He is a very long player, and has the reach and length to bother players, but he is not as quick as most NBA small forwards.

Many players can easily use speed and quickness to blow by Durant on the perimeter.

In 2010 Durant had 122 steals, but in 2011 he had only 88 thefts. During that same span, his blocks fell from 84 to 76.

Durant has the biggest quality necessary in becoming a good defender, work ethic.

His willingness to work hard and improve his game in the summer when most players are lounging on the beach makes me believe that Durant will dedicate himself to becoming a better defender over the next few years.

Look for Durant to raise his block totals to 100 in 2015, and his steals totals will also eclipse the century mark.

2015-16: Durant Becomes the Total Package

By the end of the 2016 season, Kevin Durant will be the complete package of offense and defense. His all-around ability will make him the best player in the NBA, and he might already have a few championship rings.

He’ll be 28 in 2016, and will have the professional experience and maturity to help him succeed.

By this time Durant will realize that scoring less is best for the Thunder, who should have several players capable of scoring at least 15 points per game in 2016.

Durant will also become a better rebounder by 2016, as he gets stronger and more physical in the paint. He also will improve his defense and his blocks and steals will rise to what they were in 2009.

In 2016, five years from now, this is what Kevin Durant’s per game averages will look like:

25ppg, 8.5rpg, 5.5apg, 1.4bpg, 1.3spg.