Suns F Kevin Durant Embracing Defensive Challenge

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant has established himself as one of the top scorers to ever play the game.

Durant's ability to get a bucket from anywhere - in any fashion - has been well documented through a career that will see him inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame upon first opportunity.

Durant - 35 years of age - has taken on a new challenge late in his career in refining his defensive skills. Durant and coach Frank Vogel have been fairly vocal in Durant's defensive efforts - especially when it comes to guarding the other team's top scorer.

“Man, I really want to be all-around great at every area of the game, and the only way I can do that is if coach trusts me to be put in those positions,” Durant told Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.

“I can’t practice that if I’m not in those positions. I’m asking for those matchups, I’m asking him to be creative with me on the defensive side so I can just get better, growing my experience and what it’s like to be an all-around defender.”

There was hope that Phoenix would etch themselves as a defensive powerhouse in the league under the studies of Vogel, who is well known for having stout defensive-minded teams in previous stops.

That hasn't quite transpired in the desert, though Vogel has praised Durant for wanting a tough responsibility in stopping the other side's most prolific weapon.

“Kevin Durant right now is playing on an All-Defensive team level on that side of the ball," said Vogel earlier this month.

"It’s wildly impressive to myself and to our coaching staff, not only wanting to guard the other team’s best player, but doing a great job on those guys.”

You'll hear teams discuss the postseason and how it's a different game - teams know your sets, rotation patterns, nearly anything possible throughout a seven-game series that mostly sees wins and losses boil down to execution.

That's where a player - and mindset - such as Durant can pay dividends for the Suns.

More nuggets from Fischer on Durant's defensive prowess:

"While the 14-time All-Star has climbed to ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this season, he’s also blocked 43.3% of all shots he’s contested, according to Basketball Index, first among those who’ve logged at least 1,501 minutes. He’s doing all that while guarding Usage Tier 1 players, the most ball dominant in the league, 22.93% of the time — good for a career high."
"Durant ranks fifth in the NBA in DIFF%, per NBA.com, which means his opponents shoot 5.5% worse against Durant than compared to their season average. The only names above him are some of the sport’s most fearsome rim protectors: Rudy Gobert, Evan Mobley, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porziņģis."

The Suns return to action on Thursday against the Houston Rockets.