Kevin Durant has solidified himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history. If he were to retire today, he would be a first ballot Hall-of-Fame player without question. He has soared up the scoring ranks and even has two championships under his belt. However, there are a few things that he hasn’t accomplished, which are still on his mind.
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Coming into the NBA in 2007, it was clear that Durant had elite scoring skills. However, as he evolved and developed as a player, he began to shape other aspects of his game, specifically on defense.
Despite Durant’s thin frame, he has never been an abomination on defense. For the most part, he has been able to hold his own on the defensive end. Once he got to the Golden State Warriors, he showcased the extent of his defensive prowess.
The 6-foot-11 forward never became a defensive anchor, but surely wasn’t someone to take lightly. He was able to record 7 blocks on two separate occasions with the Warriors, which remains his career high. However, Durant still aims to reach a greater number.
“I need to have a 10-block game before I retire,” Durant said in a conversation with Hakeem Olajuwon for Boardroom. “That was always a dream of mine.”
Golden State’s system allowed him to be more active in the paint. It also didn’t hurt to have Draymond Green as a primary defender, while Durant roamed around. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have that luxury anymore.
Unlike some of Durant’s past few teams, the Rockets have an All-Star big man in Alperen Sengun. Albeit Sengun isn’t a defensive specialist. His presence alone makes it difficult for Durant to find spots on the court where he can impact defensively through blocking shots.
Olajuwon laughed during Durant’s comments, but couldn’t relate. Defense was the NBA legend’s calling card. Olwajuwon averaged 4.6 blocks in a single season and even achieved 12 blocks in a single game twice.
Now that Durant plays for the Rockets, he could certainly call upon the Rockets legend for help. However, Olajuwon kept it quite simple in how he was able to thrive defensively.
“I enjoyed that part of the game more than anything else,” Olajuwon said.
People don’t quite shed light on the art of shot blocking anymore. It has become sort of an afterthought, considering the NBA has drifted into offensive-centric play. Even Durant can attest to the impact a dominant shot blocker can have on the game.
“Those shot blockers [like Dwight Howard] are one of the scariest things in the game,” Durant proclaimed.
We don’t see many shot blockers like that, with Victor Wembanyama being the exception. Hopefully, the league begins to witness a resurgence in that archetype in the near future.
