Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs

[sir G Wallace]

I havent watched OKC games but why is this so? As good as he has been shooting this year he should shoot more. So why is he averaging only 16.6 shots a game? Is it due to a bad reason or good?

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/stats/_/i ... vin-durant

[reapaman]

Well check the name of the guy on his team shooting more than him (at 38% FG I might add) and you got your answer.

[tsherkin]

Ibaka is shooting more, but Durant and Westbrook are both shooting less. Martin has replaced Harden's shooting volume. Westy is still over 30% usage, but Durant's down under 30%.

Their pace is about the same as last year, +0.3 possessions per game.

They taking 73.4 FGA/g, which is about 6 shots per game less than the previous season. That right there is maybe part of it.

[sir G Wallace]

Well check the name of the guy on his team shooting more than him (at 38% FG I might add) and you got your answer.

Yeah I know. I wanted to hold back on pin-pointing Westbrook because I havent watched OKC games much at all. As efficient as Durant is at what he does, Westbrook is holding him back from performing to his utmost potential. The longer Durant spends his career with Westbrook the greater negative effect it will have on Durant's individual accomplishments.

[tsherkin]

Westbrook isn't the problem. He's shooting less than he was the previous season, and a lower usage rate. He's not stealing shots from Durant.

He's shooting too much, sure, but he's not causing issues for Durant any more so than usual.

[PeteW]

Is it just me or is Durant trying to be like Lebron and be an all round better player and passer? Assists and defense is the only thing separating the two.. and Lebron is that guy standing in his Durants way of winning MVPs and championships..

Oh having Westbrick on your team cant help too much.

[tsherkin]

Is it just me or is Durant trying to be like Lebron and be an all round better player and passer? Assists and defense is the only thing separating the two.. and Lebron is that guy standing in his Durants way of winning MVPs and championships..

They're asking him to handle more and, like last season, he's turning it over a lot. He's currently setting a career-high in TOV%, which is a hair shy of 3% worse than his previous high.

[Stat Padder]

He is stat padding rebounds so he does not get transition buckets anymore

[CB-Blazer]

He is also averaging career highs in assists, rebounds, TS% and Block%.

Looks like the Thunder want him to become a more rounded player.

[Massamba]

KD made a choice. Have the Kobe Bryant approach to the game or LeBron's. He chose LeBron James.

[OKCThunderUp35]

Not westbrook really, Westbrook will break out of this slump from today (30 pts 12-22 FG, 7 AST, 1 TO)

Westbrook has been decent

[CB-Blazer]

KD made a choice. Have the Kobe Bryant approach to the game or LeBron's. He chose LeBron James.

This comment has so much fail in it,

[Woodsanity]

Westbrook has increased his assists rate. He is taking less shots and getting more assists. His shots are just not falling.

Yea Durant is aiming to be a more complete player.

[This IsMy House]

KD made a choice. Have the Kobe Bryant approach to the game or LeBron's. He chose LeBron James.

This comment has so much fail in it,

I dont think so, from the past couple games I've seen from KD hes been playing a lot like LeBron with the penetration and kicking it out and moving the ball around. He has even said he wants to get his assists up this year.

[I_Socrates]

KD made a choice. Have the Kobe Bryant approach to the game or LeBron's. He chose LeBron James.

This comment has far too much truth value.

Fixed that right up for you!

Once Durant get's used to his new role as an all-around player than simply a scorer, that team will be better off. It won't take too long, I can see him excelling in the role a month or two before the playoffs. He's smart, he has the skills and he has the scoring so teams have to respect that. Let's not forget LeBron finally made it by fixing the flaws in his game (too much shooting, not enough posting). With Durant, it's a similar situation. He's only been looking to score, which is not bad because he's the best scorer in the game, but when he's a threat to create for others, you have to respect him even more. Then when he's locking his man down, rebounding and running the fast break, you just have nothing you can do.

The knock on Durant has always been that he's not yet a complete player, and when he's attempting to do that, you're going to knock him for not shooting enough?

It'll all come around as the season goes on, they will learn to use Martin more effectively (he's looked good already, but can be used better), Durant will have an improved all around game, and hopefully Westbrook will be hitting shots at an unreal clip, because that's the only way OKC is going to win anything.

As great as Durant as, Westbrook is the key now. You know Durant is gonna get his, it's whether Westbrook will be chucking even if he's not hitting.

I've never had a problem with how much Westbrook shoots; when you're a scorer with that mentality, you're bound to shoot a lot, especially when only 3 guys on the entire team can consistently put the ball in basket. It's the type of shots you take and whether you continue to chuck em up even when you're missing far more often than hitting, which Westbrook does at times.

I dislike Westbrick, I do not have anything against Westbrook, and neither should any fan that has watched OKC play. Without him on top of his game, that team isn't winning anything, doesn't matter if Durant scores 50 or 100. Kobe was scoring 81 points but his team wasn't winning jack, it's a team sport and you need more than one option to succeed in this sport.