LOS ANGELES – The Suns’ newest star player has appeared in exactly eight regular-season games and two NBA playoff games. That might not be a lot of time for a player to adjust to a new franchise, let alone become comfortable with teammates. But Kevin Durant has become accustomed to the mercenary role.
In Oklahoma City, Durant played with two ball-dominant point guards (Russell Westbrook, James Harden). In Golden State, Durant played with two elite NBA shooters (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson) and two elite defenders (Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala). In Brooklyn, Durant teamed up a dynamic playmaker (Kyrie Irving), briefly reunited with another point guard (Harden) and briefly paired with a versatile forward (Ben Simmons). No wonder Durant has harbored little concern on how he can ensure strong chemistry with the Suns’ aggressive scorer (Devin Booker), intense point guard (Chris Paul) and athletic big man (Deandre Ayton).
“Playing with guys like Steph and Klay and Russ and Kyrie and James, all of that stuff has prepared me to play with guys that can do multiple things out on the floor,” Durant said following practice on Wednesday. “But the common denominator is all of those guys are efficient players.”
The common denominator also points to Durant, who has spent his 16-year NBA career taking pride with both his scoring and efficiency. The Suns (1-1) enter Game 3 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday (10:30 p.m. ET, TNT) with Durant averaging 26 points on a 50% clip. In the eight regular-season games he played with the Suns, Durant averaged 26 points on a career-high 57% mark.
“I’m much more than a scorer. So I think I’ve always evolved. If I’m handling the ball and don’t score in that possession, it still feels like I created a lot of stuff for my teammates,” Durant said. “I can definitely take my shots like I normally do. But with the attention I get on the defensive side of the ball, I have to figure what my looks are and how I approach each possession. It’s been fun. It’s always been a mental game.”
Kevin Durant has excelled in that mental game through two NBA championship runs, two Finals MVPs and 13 NBA All-Star appearances. He has climbed to 13th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (26,892) and counting. Even with becoming saddled with various injuries since fracturing his right Achilles tendon during the 2019 NBA Finals, Durant has stayed consistent since with his scoring and efficiency.
Evolution of Kevin Durant
Consider that his points per game with Brooklyn in 2021-22 (29.9) and 2022-23 (29.9) exceeded his career average (27.3). Consider that he has surpassed his career average in shooting percentage (49.9%) for the past 10 seasons.
“Playing with guys that are efficient and make quick decisions, it doesn’t have to be my turn or your turn. The flow of the game is going to dictate how we’re supposed to play,” Durant said. “It’s not a conscious effort that, ‘We got to get Book the ball now or get KD the ball now.’ The energy and the flow of the game will dictate that.”
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Durant’s former and current teammates have often remarked that he is easy to play with because of the mindset he described. When Durant learned about his teammates’ observations, he resisted the temptation to praise himself.
“It won’t sound genuine coming from me,” Durant said, chuckling. “I just really think you got to ask people that have played with me and coaches that coached me on how they really feel. I don’t want to speak up on myself like that. You just ask my teammates and whoever I played with how they truly feel and you get their answer.”
Suns coach Monty Williams gladly answered that question for Durant.
“He has a humility about the work,” Williams said. “It’s almost like he’s afraid of not being good and he’s trying to prove it all the time. Then you complement that with the talent.”
With Durant listed at 6-foot-10, 240-pounds, Williams observed that Durant has the length and athleticism to “shoot like Ray Allen, Larry Bird and Steph.” The Suns said that Durant ranked first in the NBA this season in pull-up shooting points (11.7 per game) and second in shooting percentage (24.8%). And in their first five games together, Durant and Booker combined for 290 points. In the Suns’ Game 2 win over the Clippers, a similar development happened between Booker (38 points) and Durant (25).
“If you’re efficient, you can work with another player,” Durant said. “If there is a guy that is an inefficient basketball player, you’re going to take up a lot of the possession and that might bog down your offense a bit.”
Kevin Durant vs. Russell Westbrook
Kevin Durant insisted that description did not describe Westbrook, who currently plays with the Clippers. Durant also disputed former Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins saying on ESPN that Durant and Westbrook tried to outdo each other in practices both with scrimmaging and being the first player to arrive at the facility.
“It wasn’t competition with any of teammates. It was more picking their brain and vice versa and coming together on the court and making it work,” Durant said. “I guess it’s part of me and Russ: ‘Let’s figure out some competition between them and beef between them.’ It’s more admiration than anything.”
That explains why Durant has relished Westbrook’s defensive intensity when they have matched up so far in the series. Following Game 2, Durant and Westbrook embraced each other off the court. Since then, Durant has rewatched game footage in hopes to make adjustments to ensure he plays more efficiently.
“You just appreciate guys who play extremely hard and push you to be better and push you to figure out ways to be better,” Durant said. “A couple of those blocks, I took my mind off of for a split second. He comes flying out of nowhere and gets a block. I’m just being more patient and understanding that people are going to get their hands on some basketballs when they’re playing against me. Just don’t get discouraged and keep playing.”
Mark Medina covers the NBA for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.