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Durant: DeRozan has the best footwork in the league

Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is already one of the best scorers in the history of basketball, but he's still looking to improve.

One of Durant's current muses is Toronto Raptors All-NBA guard DeMar DeRozan, who finished as a top-five scorer last season. Durant is paying close attention to DeRozan's phenomenal footwork.

"DeMar DeRozan's probably got the best footwork I've seen in a long, long time," Durant said on the Bill Simmons Podcast. "I've been trying to watch him to see how he does it.

"He's just way more athletic than I am first of all, so his body can move a little different, but his pace is amazing. He's a guy I've been studying lately just because of his footwork. Every time I see him I'm just looking at how his body, his footwork. I think that's where I can get better."

DeRozan is something of an unconventional shooting guard since he doesn't rely on his jumper to succeed. Instead, the three-time All-Star primarily works as a slasher off a high screen, and occasionally as a post-up bully against smaller defenders.

He led the league in points per possession off post-ups for players that appeared in at least 64 games, according to NBA Stats. DeRozan's efficiency on the block is readily evident in the video below. He's extremely adept at using slippery fakes and delicate footwork to get off his shot in tight spaces.

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