Student of the Game: Kevin Durant and reading the defense
Throughout his 16-year NBA career, Kevin Durant has climbed up the all-time scoring ranks and combatted many different defensive coverages along the way. At 34 years old, the Nets superstar is studying the next wave of the opposing team's defensive coverages on him. That's how he can see himself taking his play to an even higher level.
“I never know how opposing teams are going to guard me, what schemes they’re going to throw at me," said Durant following his 43-point performance in the win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. "Sometimes there’s some new stuff that I haven’t seen before. At this point, I’ve seen a lot of different coverages over the last couple of years. I’m trying to stay prepared for that. So that’s definitely how I can keep getting better; just reading the defense even more."
There aren't many other players in the league who study the game more than Durant. Over the last few seasons, opposing teams have been rightfully creative with their coverages on him. Some coverages were successful while others didn't go as planned. The most successful coverage on Durant, arguably the toughest coverage he faced night in and night out came against the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
The Nets superstar was swarmed on almost all of his touches in the post and at the top of the key. Although Durant averaged 26.3 points combatting the pesty defensive strategy, he had the worst playoff series in his career. He shot just 38.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-Point range to pair with 5.3 turnovers in the first-round sweep defeat.
The Celtics switching defense revived the strategy in the fourth quarter of their latest matchup after Durant got going in the post. Boston commonly shaded him middle to take away the driving lane, hoping Durant falls into the aggressive double-team. In fact, that fourth quarter stands as the worst offensive rating of the short season.
Before going back to what worked, Durant thrived in single-coverage, like most of the league's greats. He targeted mismatches and Boston's weakest defenders.
There is rarely to never a full game Durant doesn't see a handful of double-teams thrown his way on the catch. In Brooklyn's win over the Pistons on Sunday night - a night the Nets superstar scored a game-high 43 points - Durant evaluated the adjustments the Pistons were making on the defensive end.
"I feel like those threes at the end of the third, they didn't know what they wanted to do on their coverage," said Durant on the Pistons' defense. "Whether they were gonna play in the drop, trap the ball, or just switch it. I felt like they were indecisive a bit and I was able to get free on some of those 3-Pointers."
Like most teams, Detroit resulted in swarming both Durant and Kyrie Irving to attempt the stars to get the ball out of their hands and/or force turnovers in the fourth quarter. Durant explained how the team is still touching up possible alignments after defenders run and jump him.
"The full-court, they made some good adjustments; running guys at me and Kai, and we had to make the right decision," Durant said postgame. "Yuta [Watanabe] hit a big three in the corner. We generated some good looks. We're still working on that: when teams run and jump us, what's our alignment after that and how we're gonna make plays after that. That's more so what I've been focused on."
Under Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, the team has done a solid job mixing Durant's touches to keep the defense thinking. The head coach wants to make teams pay for sending doubles, hoping the open shooter off a swing or a catch can make the shot or cuts down the middle amongst other options. Of course, different variations of screens, pin-downs, and Durant getting the ball on the move instead of a stagnant position are certainly in the cards.
The superstar forward, who is having his best defensive season as a Net, also spoke about how he plans to watch more film on players he's guarding.
“My next step is to maybe predict what’s coming next from the defensive side of the ball and watch more film to see the tendencies on who the guys I’m guarding," Durant said. "Try to be focused every game, try to stay in it, and be locked in every game. That’s a battle in this league, especially traveling so much, back-to-backs. I’m trying to be on point every possession.”
Durant is averaging 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 0.7 assists in 36.7 minutes this season.
