Durant values shot selection more with Warriors than OKC
That Kevin Durant leads the NBA in scoring efficiency is no accident.
Durant has always been a hyper-efficient scorer dating back to his sophomore season, but his game has reached new heights this season. He's shooting an absurd 56.5 percent from the floor and 42 percent from deep for a true-shooting percentage of 67.9 that tops all NBA scorers.
Joining the Golden State Warriors' potent offense has forced Durant to be more selective with his shots.
"I look at it like, if I shoot 15-16 shots a night, 13 of 'em gotta be solid, and the rest can be some pull-up threes or fadeaways that I kind of work on that I wouldn't mind if I make or miss those," Durant told Marc Stein of ESPN.
"But I know what our offense is. So when I get those shots that I get, I know that I gotta be patient with 'em. And I know I also gotta be ... they're precious."
Sharing the floor with two explosive scorers in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry forces Durant to be more mindful of his usage. The five-time scoring champion is isolating less and passing more as he integrates himself seamlessly into Golden State's historically productive offense.
Or, in other words, the 28-year-old isn't always the No. 1 option like he was in Oklahoma City and thus his game has changed.
"I think I, my shots now, I value them a little more than I did before 'cause I might not shoot 30 shots whenever I want. And that's not a bad thing. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. That's just how we play here ... especially when you got two other guys on the perimeter that can go off and score 30 any night as well."