Iguodala: KD 'has been holding back' so far with Warriors
Nothing should instill fear in the hearts of 29 other NBA teams more than realizing four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant could actually play better than he currently is for the first-place Golden State Warriors.
Veteran Andre Iguodala certainly believes that to be the case.
"KD has been just about as good as you can possibly be (but) I don’t think he's really scratched the surface as far as what he can do," Iguodala said following Golden State's win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, according to USA Today's Sam Amick. "He's kind of holding back on everyone else, so I'm looking forward for him to step on that pedal as we continue."
There was obviously going to be a period of integration for Durant joining a roster coming off a 73-win regular season and already bolstering the talents of three All-Stars. Dropping the first game of the season in a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs wasn't the ideal start, but since that time, the Warriors have looked seemingly unbeatable with a 16-1 record.
"The Chef" Stephen Curry is the one with the back-to-back Most Valuable Player trophies on his mantle, yet a legitimate argument can be made that Durant has been Golden State's best and most important player all season. In 18 starts, the 28-year-old is putting up 27.1 points (seventh in NBA) on 57 percent shooting (sixth) from the field and 44.2 percent from deep (12th), along with 8.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks.
"I'm telling you, he’s got a crazy arsenal," Iguodala added. "He's one of the best scorers of all time as far as finding a way to score. It's (like) peeling layers - it's kind of like an onion. It's crazy. It's amazing. You guys will see it, and you'll enjoy it … I think sometimes he's trying to make sure he doesn't shoot too many shots, but we're trying to let him know that it's impossible for him to shoot too many shots."
The sinuous ball movement in the Bay Area has been a breath of fresh air for Durant, as it was clear he wasn't too thrilled with continuing to be at the mercy of Russell Westbrook with the Oklahoma City Thunder and whether or not he'd receive the rock. That problem hasn't presented itself in his new home, as Durant is of the mindset that whoever is taking the most shots or putting up the most points doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
"I try to think about so much when I'm playing, but sometimes you've just got to say 'Forget it' and just go," Durant admitted. "Who cares who shoots? Our offense is so free-flowing that the ball is going to find the open guys. If you move, you get open, you're going to get shots. Some nights I might have it, some nights Steph might have it or Klay (Thompson) might have it, but I don't think any one of us really cares if someone shoots more shots than us."