Comparing the Postseason Stats and Resumes of Kevin Durant and LeBron James

Kevin Durant and LeBron James are not all that different.

Both are irreplaceable in their own right, play alongside superstar-laden supporting casts and have become NBA playoff staples.

There’s an art to shining brightest on the league’s most pressure filled stage and—choking jokes aside—it’s an art each has come to master. Championship or not, against nearly all other postseason performers, Durant and James stand superior. 

But how do they stack up against each other?

Generalized Stats

This year marks Kevin Durant’s third trip to the postseason.

Thus far, he has posted a career playoff average of 27.4 points, eight rebounds, 2.9 assists, one steal and 2.9 turnovers on 44 percent shooting per game.

LeBron James, on the other hand, in seven trips to the playoffs, boasts a career average of 28.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists, one block and 1.7 steals on 46.3 percent shooting from the field per contest.

By comparison, though, through his first three postseason appearances, James averaged 28.1 points, 7.1 assists, eight rebounds, 1.6 steals and 4.2 turnovers on 43.4 percent shooting per game.

The stat lines are nearly identical until you reach the assists column, where James simply trumps Durant with his unmatchable facilitating.

However, there’s much more to this matchup than we see here.

Usage

For the first time in his postseason career, LeBron James is averaging less than 40 minutes per game, courtesy of multiple Miami-inflicted blowouts.

That said, there’s still plenty of time for him to continue his playoff trend of playing 40-plus minutes per game. He is currently at 43.2 for his career.

Kevin Durant is no stranger to staying on the court in the postseason either. He’s averaging 41.2 minutes per game compared to James’ 44.5 at this point in his career.

Again, we see similarities, but as both players have been so imperative to their respective team’s success that they often find themselves on the floor for 90 percent of the game.

But they have to begin to separate themselves eventually, don’t they?

Jaw-Dropping Performances

To date, in 32 postseason games, Kevin Durant has posted a 40-point outing once to go with 10 double-doubles.

Heading into Thursday night’s game against the Pacers, LeBron James has seen the light of 102 playoff games, posting 40 or more points 10 times to go along with 40 double-doubles and seven—yes, seven—triple-doubles.

Through his first three postseason experiences, though, James scored 40 or more points 4 times along with 18 double-doubles and three triple-doubles.

Durant’s jaw-dropping resume is impressive, but James has proven able to take games over on both sides of the ball in ways and at a frequency that Durant hasn't.

Postseason Record

Kevin Durant has a career playoff record of 19-13 compared to LeBron James' mark of 63-39.

If we scale James' sample size down to his first three postseason appearances, though, he has a record of 26-20, a winning percentage of .565 compared to Durant's current stamp of .595.

Though Durant can still see a maximum of 14 more games this year, he is on pace to finish out his first three postseasons with a better winning percentage than James.

As if that weren't enough, including this year, Durant has led the Thunder to two Western Conference finals appearances in his first three playoff years. James only led the Cavaliers to one Eastern Conference finals during his first three.

That said, he reached the NBA Finals that year, a feat Durant is still looking to accomplish.

And once again, the track records are uncannily similar, aren't they? 

Championship Rings

By postseason standards, no one statistic or resume inclusion stands out or means as much as the number of championship rings an athlete possesses.

As of right now, Kevin Durant and LeBron James each have zero.

Durant has come up empty-handed in two-full tries to James’ blank docket of six. Though the league MVP has had more opportunities, Durant has arguably had a better supporting cast earlier in his career.

And yet despite the advantages in complimentary talent or years spent in the league, neither player has been able to get over the championship hump.

Who Has the Postseason Edge?

While we made reference to the “championship hump” in the previous slide, for Kevin Durant it’s more like a molehill.

This is only Durant’s fifth season in the NBA and just his third time in the postseason. He plays alongside perhaps the deepest supporting cast in the league, yet the Thunder are still young and given a pass to a certain extent.

The “championship hump” for LeBron James, on the other hand, is more like a mountain.

With nearly 10 years of experience and the greatest batch of athletic abilities under his belt, coming out ringless in six tries has been considered inexcusable. And if he makes it seven, you can bet that notion reaches the realm of unforgivable.

But at the same time, Durant has luxuries that James didn’t always have.

Durant has essentially started out with Russell Westbrook at his side, while there has only recently been a Dwyane Wade to assist James.

LeBron takes over the game in ways—specifically defense---in which Durant doesn't. He has literally carried a team to the Finals on his own.

Then again, though, Durant has exhibited awareness well beyond his years. He’s more personable, coachable and accepting of his teammates than James was at 23.

In an ideal world, one or the other would have James’ dominant two-way impact along with the social acceptance of Durant. But that’s not the case.

So, who’s the better postseason performer?

That remains to be seen, as the only dose of reality that can truly separate Durant and James has eluded both.

If and when either of them win a title, then perhaps we'll know.

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