Stephen Noh is an NBA writer for The Sporting News. Along with the rest of his versatile game, his immaculate free throw shooting ranks near the top of his talents. Copyright 2020 www.TheComeback.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. MORE:How KD is helping Devin Booker reach a new level of superstardom. 13 of those 16 seasons were played with the Warriors. He was one of the most well rounded and complete players during his time. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. A lot of (opposing) teams will live with it. Career FT%: 89.4% (3,863 FTM / 4,321 FTA). However, he has played the game long enough to know when it feels like his shot is sinking particularly well on any given night. Asked about how he's handling the heavier minutes, Kevin Durant asked, "How'd I look tonight?" While teams know what to take away with DeRozan, there is no spot on the floor to try to force Durant to score he can simply do it from everywhere. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Per NBA Stats, he's isolating on 17.1 percent of his possessions. During that span he led the league in free throw shooting percentage on seven different occasions. Considering just how pretty it looks, its hard to blame him for wanting to take it as often as he does. All rights reserved. As opponents shift to drop coverage near the basket more and more often, Paul can dribble off the pick and either kick out to a shooter on the perimeter or just take the long two. He would repeat his Game Three performance and go on to miss one of his two shots failing to push the game into Over Time. At one point during the 1996 NBA season, Terrell hit 67 straight free throws in a single month. He's averaged 40.5 minutes per game in the playoffs in his career, and he's been increasing his workload even more over the past few seasons. You can look at a shot chart fromKevin Durantfor half a second and see that he is absolutely brilliant from everywhere on the floor. Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. Over his last eight games. This video cannot be played because of a technical error. While there is plenty of hand-wringing going on, there are a few reasons why his minutes might not be a huge issue. LaMarcus Aldridge,Tony Parkerand Shaun Livingston) would have likely made this list if they were active and had not yet retired. Career FT%: 90.4% (2,135 FTM / 2,362 FTA). DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant lead top 10 mid-range scorers | NBA.com A closer look at the top 10 mid-range scorers in the league this season. August 26, 2021- They were a devastating combo during their prime known mostly for scoring and little defense. Allen was originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1993 NBA Draft. Do you have a blog? There are good midrange shooters, there are elite midrange shooters and then there's Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant is shooting 71% on mid range jumpers so far (16-23ft His free throw shooting remained steady throughout his career never fluctuating too high or low from his career average. When Stephen Curry broke Ray Allens 3-point record last week, the discussion was not just centered around Currys individual greatness as a shooter, but how he changed the game and ushered in the 3-point revolution in the NBA. His defenders are assuredly still having nightmares about the hot streak and as the Suns look to defend their roles as conference champions, look for Paul to continue giving Phoenix an advantage every time he steps on the floor. In addition, Denver is in the middle of the pack at eighth for opponent 3-point percentage allowed (34.2%). The Nets are fifth in free throws made per game (18.3), sixth in free throw percentage (80.9), and eighth in free throws attempted per game (22.6). "Mike was simply a much-loved son, brother, grandson, and uncle who loved his dogs. Durant is putting up 29.1 points, 5.0 assists and 6.7 rebounds per contest. He also holds a playoff record of 56 consecutive free throws made. Joe Harris leads the NBA in 3-point percentage, shooting 48.3 percent for the season. Just missing the cut on several occasions to make the 50-40-90 club, it was only his sub 50% field goal shooting that kept him from joining the list. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Kevin Durant 6'9" big 34.5 years old Profile Positions On/Off Stats Game Logs Lineups Trends Filter Stats Offensive Overview The rest of this page is for subscribers only. Nicknamed "Hawk", he was a true iron man throughout most of his career. Kevin Durant has averaged a win percentage of .628 in his career. Durant is averaging just .9 fewer makes per game on 2.7 fewer attempts per game. Will the mid-range shot decline further, or will these players have proven that the mid-range shot still has value and inspire younger players to embrace the lava as well? That same pick was used by the Pistons to acquire Ricky Piercethe player preceding him on this list. That means that DeRozan may get a ton of open looks from the mid-range, and if we know him, hes going to take them. Durant has had 20 percent or higher in the percentage of points from the mid-range in 10 of his 14 seasons. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. As the years went on and he got better and his free throw percentage would steadily climb and eventually peak at 91.9% during his 2002-03 season. us, High Schools: Find out more. Kevin Durant Game by Game Stats and Performance | ESPN www.TheComeback.com is a sports fan website and is in no way affiliated with any professional sports team, league, or its Properties. Kevin Durant | Phoenix Suns | NBA.com KDTrey5 Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? For the last three seasons, its been KD. He averaged 28.4 points per game in the first round, shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. Luckily it wasn't a name that was too widely used around the league. Durant finishes: "I missed a lot of time this season, so I want to be out there every minute. But due to defenders now focusing more on guarding the rim and the perimeter, there is more space to operate off ball screens from the mid-range. A closer look at the top 10 mid-range scorers in the league this season. Career FT%: 88.3% (3,143 FTM / 3,559 FTA). Durant has had 20 percent or higher in the percentage of points from the mid-range in 10 of his 14 seasons. Jordan is the NBAs all-time career leader in field goal percentage (67.4) and among active players is second in total rebounds (9,855) and fourth in blocks (1,466). Reggie Miller* .6139: 15. His three NBA MVP awards and three NBA Championships is proof of that. Instead of 1,000 free throw attempts, these players are judged on a minimum of 2,000. This is the second longest streak for the Cavaliers and one feat Lebron James must have envied during his time there. . The kicker is not a single one of them has made nearly as manyfrom that distance as Durant. During his tenure in the NBA he made a name for himself at the charity stripe. This is why you'll see players perform, at times, bizarre routines before attempting free throws. Harden has the third-highest career scoring average among active players (25.2). He's the only player to have. Its been the driving force to what has allowed him to average at least 20.0 points per game for seven seasons in a row. Joel . Kevin Durant essentially carried his team, in the style of LeBron James, to a Game 3 win in Cleveland. Mark has spent the majority of his 12 years in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. (Error Code: 102006) Already a member? He has the 11th-highest career scoring average among active players (22.8). Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Chris Paul 14-15 .. 50.44. And their ninth man, Damion Lee, barely played for the Warriors during their multiple years in the playoffs. At age 34, Durant is averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on a per 75 possession basis (the best way to adjust for minutes and pace across the board). Jeff was always known for his strong shooting touch and head-to-head match-ups with Michael Jordan. Its one of his go-to moves for late-game heroics and game-winners. Kevin Durant Stats, News, Bio | ESPN Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. Kevin Durant has solidified his case for being the best mid-range Put it all together and his massive size and his insane footwork, as well as the supremely high release point on his jumper, makes his mid-range an absurdly tough shot to defend. Once the playoffs arrived, however, the tune changed and Durant averaged a league-best 5.3 pull-up two-pointers nearly one more per game than any other player in the postseason. All columns may be sorted by clicking the column name. Miller had a trademark move that he always used to get the attention of the refereeshe would kick his legs out in order to force contact on the opposing defender. He also assisted on 162 connections to his teammates from the mid-range, per PBP Stats, which trailed only Russell Westbrook for the most in the NBA. Kevin Durant Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Phoenix Suns Forward Kevin Durant According to NBA.com, he has made wait for it 59.7 percent of his shot attempts from midrange to start this season. You can see just how much the shot frustrated even a former Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green. Originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 draft, Pierce would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA. Monday, May 1st vs Click to login It includes: Shot chart Shooting stats by location Foul drawing stats Defense and rebounding stats Try Insider stats free for one week, Larry Brown never got confused about whos who on the 2004 Detroit Pistons roster. Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and the need to redefine "mid-range" SOUND ON to hear Booker mention KD's gravity. With seconds left in Game Three of the Finals, he missed one of two free throw shots that would have tied the game. Kevin Durant and the Top 20 Free Throw Shooters in NBA History You're either creating a dunk, or a wide-open three: pic.twitter.com/LcUSkgrPEy. He gets the honor of being considered the greatest free throw shooter in the history in the NBA. But just as impressive as his passing is his shooting. Thats one of the reasons why Clippers coach Ty Lue allows Leonard to fire away from mid-range as often as he sees fit (via ESPN): I think its a lost art. Golden State's star sharpshooter enjoys another historic moment, which also set his playoff career high. This isn't an offensive stat, but Durant is even grabbing a career-high 8.5 rebounds per game. Kevin Durant 15-16 . Harris is also fifth in total 3-point field goals made (200). He was joined on the Rockets by a player much higher on this list. Its easy to quantify success when a 7-footer is constantly recording triple-doubles, which is exactly what he does. Join our linker program. He joins former teammate Dirk Nowitzki on this elite list along with several members of the 50-40-90 club. This future Hall of Fame talent is the greatest German National to play in the NBAwhich technically isn't saying much because of the competition, but an impressive accolade nevertheless. Kevin Durant was sensational for OKC that season, as he averaged 28.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 5.0 APG, while shooting 50.5% from the field. He ranks No. Aside from the rather unsanitary practice of licking his finger tips before shooting, he could always be counted on to make his free throws. But as noted by Jonathan Tjarks, the evolution to eventually step beyond the arc more often even if he wasnt hitting them was inevitable for DeRozan so he could serve as a better floor spacer (via The Ringer): There was never any mechanical reason that DeRozan couldnt take 3s before. In Chicagos win over Los Angeles on Sunday, DeRozan finished with 38 points, with half of them coming in the fourth quarter one layup, one driving runner in the lane, five free throws and five mid-range jumpers. However, we'll only be counting his 10 years in the NBA. Each week, well take a look at some notable statistics and rankings compiled by the Brooklyn Nets in our weekly Stat Survey. Bill is the first player in the NBA to hit 50 consecutive free throws. However, Nash tops that club having reached it a record five straight seasons. Durant's usage percentage is at 23.8 percent, way down from his career playoff average of 30.8 percent. Career FT%: 89.5% (2,214 FTM / 2,475 FTA). Through 26 games this season, Durant has been lethal from the mid-range. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. He would go on to peak at a 95% rate for free throws made that year; the only time he exceeded 90% for his career. Chris Paul midrange is absolutely Insane , Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) June 14, 2021. That is absurd, considering he has a career average of 27.2 PPG. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Kevin Wayne Durant Having split time between the NBA and ABA, Rick has accrued a lot of time at the line. Or as he explained: if my middy workin then thats where Im goin for dinner.. However, he was mostly limited to mid-range jumpers and daggers from the line. Hes also doing it with tight coverage in most scenarios which will add a thorn in the side of defenses. The analytics behind this evolution make sense; if youre going to shoot a 2-point shot, you want the highest percentage shot possible (dunks, layups and shots near the basket). He has shot just 34 percent from beyond the arc this season, highlighting the importance of a step inside the three-point line. If youre going to move away outside the paint and from the basket which generally leads to lower shooting percentages its better to shoot a 3-point shot for the reward of the extra point for each make rather than a long 2-point shot. So, what has Durant been doing when he's not using offensive possessions? "Heartbroken for Shaq Barrett and his family, dont know what else to say.". In his primeand still to some extentPeja was lethal from both the charity stripe and long range. . Data Provided By Chris Paul adds in: "Talk to 'em." It's not ideal, but Williams has figured out a way to lessen the strain on Durant a bit. Price will also go down as the one Cavalier to leave Cleveland and make his way down to Florida without being hated. DeMar DeRozan has ranked in the top five in mid-range field goals made in eight of the past 10 seasons. pic.twitter.com/grNC2nRgG5. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. While it helps that many defences are geared towards giving up the midrange nowadays, most players with the size to contest his jumper don't have the speed to keep up with him off the dribble and most players who have the speed to keep up with him off the dribble don't have the size to contest his shot. It was a vintage performance of Durant-on-Twitter and he uttered an unforgettable one-liner about the role of graphs in sports. 10 of Bill's 11 years in the NBA were played with the Boston Celtics. The three-time All-Star followed that up with 45 points on a cool 62.1 . Drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1971 draft, Mike played 11 seasons in the NBA. Kevin Durant is playing big minutes in NBA Playoffs, but Suns fans Dirk is the first member of the 50-40-90 club on this list. Mullin's free throw shooting remained fairly steady over the course of his career. Only four Chris Paul (64.3 percent), Seth Curry (65.7 percent), Nikola Jokic (68.8 percent) and LaMarcus Aldridge (78.6 percent). Durant is averaging 5.0 assists per game, which is pretty standard for him in recent years. KD leads the pack with 57%. The curve has flattened over the past three seasons as some players and teams still see value in the mid-range shot. I look at it like, if a team will live with that, why not try to figure out how to master that? Kevin Durant - NBA player profile page from WhatifSports This guard was drafted to Washington in1983 when they still were named the now ironic Washington Bullets. When factoring that in, he may be the one who wears the crown as the true king of the in-between game. Durant is one of two Nets to rank in the top 10 in mid-range scoring as LaMarcus Aldridge ranks sixth with 2.7 mid-range field goals made per game. Kevin Durant has a true shooting percentage of 61.9 in his career. Kevin Durant's midrange game is the ultimate cheat code While that seems like a waste of his talent, it's been very effective in opening up the floor for Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. You already knew that a list about modern mid-range shooters is going to start with DeMar DeRozan. Kevin Durant.6187: 11. 1988 It certainly worked in the postseason as he hit eight consecutive mid-range jumpers in less than ten minutes against the Denver Nuggets. In his first season in Chicago, mid-range shots have accounted for 29.8% of his points his highest mark since he last led the league in mid-range buckets during the 2016-17 season (4.2 per game). Growing up in Los Angeles, DeRozan didnt have access to cable television. His output is nothing to scoff about either as he made 2.9 pull-up two-pointers per game this past season, which trailed teammate Kyrie Irving (3.0) for the most in the Eastern Conference. Durant hasn't looked too fatigued in those minutes either. Kevin Durant is playing big minutes in NBA Playoffs, but Suns fans shouldn't be concerned about his workload, How KD is helping Devin Booker reach a new level of superstardom. Kevin Durant attended National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland and Texas. Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, That's about the same number as Tobias Harris. But his best attack has been his self-created Sombor Shuffle. Durant ended with 29 points (12-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Besides his long range, Reggie made a living off shooting from and getting to the line; he was easily one of the best at drawing fouls. NBALeaguePass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial). For those unfamiliar with this club, it is an exclusive list of players to shoot at least 50% on field goal attempts, 40% from three point range, and 90% from the line in a single season. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. To determine value added from downtown, you perform two. Do you have a sports website? Newlin's free throw shooting would peak at 88.8% during the 1980-81 NBA season in which he spent with the New Jersey Nets. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. Throughout his career, he bounced around to several different teams. Still, his free throw shooting has remained strong. ", DeMar DeRozan's midrange mastery transforming Bulls in crunch timehttps://t.co/LxDjZcyKo2, Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 21, 2021. The league-average percentage from beyond the arc is 35.8 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.com, and that helps out Durant. Durant only played in 47 games during the regular season. During a playoff duel in 1994, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman shared their admiration towards the toughness and dirty tricks of John Stockton. Kevin Durant's Scoring Brilliance Has The Brooklyn Nets Surging - Forbes So not only has Durant been the league's most prolific midrange scorer so far this season, but he's been one of the most efficient. Best Midrange Shooting Seasons Since 2013-14*, 1. Some might hate it, but Devin Booker high pick & rolls with Kevin Durant in the weakside corner are a nightmare for defenses As the chart above indicates, the percentage of all field goal attempts from the mid-range has dropped from 30.3% to just 13.1% over the past decade as more and more players try to extend. There isn't any player in the league that even comes close to touching Durant's mid-range success. Hersey never shot under 83% from the line over the course of his career. He is also fourth all time in career 3-point percentage (43.89) a shade ahead of Nets legend Drazen Petrovic (43.74). Suns stars Kevin Durant and Chris Paul went off about . While with the Portland Trailblazers, he would earn the honor of having the highest career free throw percentage for the franchise at 88.1%. Some of the best players will tell you that repetition is the key to having success at the line. Ranking Kevin Durant's top 5 NBA seasons based on field goal percentage While Durant has long been a midrange assassin, he's kicked his efficiency from that distance to a terrifying level to start the 2021-22 season. According to NBA.com, over two-thirds (68.2 percent) of his shot attempts this season have come against tight coverage, meaning a defender is within two-to-four feet of him. As a counter to that article, I've compiled a list of the 20 best free throw shooters in NBA history. Honorable Mention: Kevin Durant 1 of 21 Elsa/Getty Images Career FT%: 88.2% (1599 FTM / 1812 FTA) Besides being one of the most promising young talents the NBA has seen in years, Durant is. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Durant has a natural size and length advantage over most defenders. Career FT%: 87.7% (2,973 FTM / 3,390 FTA). What will happen when the players on this list eventually exit the league? Just barely reaching the criteria for this list is Terrell Brandon. Lineups Durant is playing with a lot of talent in Phoenix, and the offensive burden that he has to carry is lower than at some of the other stops in his career. Chris Mullin was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1985. Want to guess how many of those players have converted their midrange jumpersat a higher rate than Durant? However, his bread and butter would always come down to his free throws. Joel Embiid, one of the best players from the mid-range this season, has shot eight percent less than Durant on 1.2 fewer attempts. Durant's 62.2 % field goal percentage on two-pointers this season is his career-best, and with the way his body is, he's able to make those types of shots look like layups. When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant, they took a gamble. According to Durant, there is no reason to ever forgo something that isnt guarded to force something that is less guaranteed at the rim or at the three-point line. They're minus-17.2 points per 100 possessions in those Durant-free minutes. After three seasons with the Pistons, he would then go on to join the New York Knicks where he is most often associated; he would spend 12 years as a Knick. Harris is second in franchise history in 3-pointers made (790) behind Jason Kidd (813). Shot charts are via Positive Residual. Kevin Durant's Recent Stats In his past 10 games, Durant is averaging 25.2 points, which is lower than his mark for the year (29.1). Over his last eight games since returning after missing 23 games, Durant is shooting 65.4 percent overall and 61.3 percent from 3-point range while averaging 24.4 points in 25.2 minutes per game. Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim. NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for True Shooting Pct. Kevin Durant /// Stats /// Cleaning the Glass With Stephen Curry recently breaking the NBA's 3-point record, it's time to examine other key milestones. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); By Bryan Kalbrosky | Breaking down the Golden State-Los Angeles matchup with 3 things to watch, 1 X-factor and a series prediction. Great gem @jj_redick pic.twitter.com/RR2oO8DbmR, andrew leezus (@AndrewLeezus) February 13, 2023. While he is one of the best at the line, he may perhaps be best remembered for his misses at two crucial junctions during the 2006 NBA Finals. Playing a ton of minutes in the playoffs is nothing new for Durant. Influences such as Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving have displayed the skills that new-age players aspire to have. Career FT%: 90.3% (2,577 FTM / 2,853 FTA). They would be the converse of the inept free throw shooting duo of Ben Wallace and Dale Davis. . 2022-23 Kevin Durant NBA Player Stats - Lineups Aside from his smooth jumper, he was always known to be a great free throw shooter. He previously led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage during the 2018-19 season (47.4). Kevin Durant was drafted by Seattle SuperSonics, 1st round (2nd pick, 2nd overall), 2007 NBA Draft. Kevin Durant Career True Shooting | StatMuse Finds his spot and rises up. Kevin Durant leads the Warriors from outside - Sporting News But at the same time, the mid-range game is not going to go away any time soon thanks to the style of play from several stars around the league. 2022-2023 Game Log National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, Kevin Durant & Chris Paul Have Strong Words About Russell Westbrook 50.35. Data Provided By Dominique Wilkins said the Clippers helped David Robinson score 71 points to win the 1994 NBA scoring title. News: 3 hours ago Durant ended with 29 points (12-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 . Even so, one individual has single-handedly kept the mid-range alive. shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Career FT%: 87.3% (1,784 FTM / 2,043 FTA). At his current pace of 3.1 3-pointers per game, Harris would make 25 more 3-pointers this season, which would give him 815 as a Net and put him atop the franchise list. A ridiculous 57.3 percent. Please check your email for a confirmation. In fact, Bryant was Leonards mechanical model when he built out his game during his early days with the Spurs. James Donaldson.6177: 12. Efficiency-wise, he has been outstanding, shooting 57 percent from the mid-range. Kevin Durant was born in Washington, District of Columbia.