Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs

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Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#1 » by sir G Wallace » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:43 am

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
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#2 » by reapaman » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:47 am

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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#3 » by tsherkin » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:49 am

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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#4 » by sir G Wallace » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:49 am

reapaman wrote: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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#5 » by tsherkin » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:52 am

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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#6 » by PeteW » Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:52 am

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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#7 » by tsherkin » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:02 am

PeteW wrote: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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#8 » by Stat Padder » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:07 am

He is stat padding rebounds so he does not get transition buckets anymore
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#9 » by CB-Blazer » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:11 am

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

Looks like the Thunder want him to become a more rounded player.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#10 » by Massamba » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:18 am

KD made a choice. Have the Kobe Bryant approach to the game or LeBron's. He chose LeBron James.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#11 » by OKCThunderUp35 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:19 am

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
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#12 » by CB-Blazer » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:20 am

Massamba wrote: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,
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#13 » by Woodsanity » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:20 am

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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#14 » by This IsMy House » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:25 am

CB-Blazer wrote:
Massamba wrote: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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#15 » by NashtyNas » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:34 am

CB-Blazer wrote:
Massamba wrote: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.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#16 » by Chosen01 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:49 am

Assist/TO ratio is pretty bad, haven't watched many Thunder games but I suspect he's trying to force the issue in terms of play making. You're either a very talented play maker from day one or not at least at the forward position(in most cases).

What Durant should be continually improving is his defense and his rebounding(which has improved).

I can see his peak being something like 28 8.5 and 4 50+% shooting which is still an amazing feat since only Oscar Bird,Wilt,Kareem,Malone,D-Rob were able to accomplish those numbers.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#17 » by CB-Blazer » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:50 am

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy Durant is working on his game. If that dude can learn to be a distributor, we are looking at a player that will rival Lebron for best player in the leauge.


However, Durant isn't even on Kobes level in terms of playmaking, so how is he modeling his game after Lebron?
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#18 » by GeneralNbaFan » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:50 am

His teachers told him to be a more complete player....but he should not force it!
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#19 » by bbms » Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:07 am

I don't think he's forcing the issue. He's been forced to work as playmaker because of Harden's departure. He's been asked to accumulate Harden's functions. That's why he has more the ball with him and why he shots less: off the dribble jumpshots are usually the worst shot possible.

He's much better working off the ball focusing only in scoring.
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Re: Durant Averaging Career Low FGAs 

Post#20 » by tsherkin » Mon Nov 19, 2012 3:15 am

bbms wrote:I don't think he's forcing the issue. He's been forced to work as playmaker because of Harden's departure. He's been asked to accumulate Harden's functions. That's why he has more the ball with him and why he shots less: off the dribble jumpshots are usually the worst shot possible.

He's much better working off the ball focusing only in scoring.


Yeah, Durant's because asked to work outside of his strengths too much, and it's a mistake. He's not good at this kind of on-ball work. He's dominating the boards, scoring with awesome efficiency (more so than usual)... And OKC is doing alright. They're on 57-win pace, they're 7th at either end of the floor, I dunno that's it a huge deal. It's aesthetically ugly, and he's being asked to do a little too much, but still.

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