Chris Broussard says that Kevin Durant needs to start shooting more 3s, just like Steph Curry, instead of taking shots from the mid-range.
Over the 14-year long career Kevin Durant has had in the NBA, he has proven time and time again that he is not only a legit 3-level scorer, but is perhaps the greatest scorer in the history of the league. His 7-foot-tall frame coupled alongside guard-like abilities are what led to him being a 4x scoring champ in the NBA.
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His mastery over the mid-range is one of his most potent weapons to fall back on as he can essentially get this shot off over any player in the league due to his height and relatively quick release. Mix this in with a bevy of moves out of the post or possessing the handles to take his man off the dribble is why there have been constant debates on whether he’s better than LeBron James when it comes to being a pure scorer.
His willingness to drive shouldn’t take away from the fact that he’s more than capable of knocking down the 3 at a high clip. Chris Broussard narrows down on this point in a recent episode of ‘Speak for Yourself’.
Chris Broussard wants Kevin Durant to shoot more 3s.
In a game that revolves around spacing nowadays, having a 7-footer who can comfortably shoot 40% from beyond the arc feels like a cheat code of some sorts. Though Kevin Durant is a great shooter from 3, Broussard isn’t content with him attempting merely 5.6 shots from that range.
“Kevin Durant’s problem right now is that he doesn’t shoot enough 3s. He’s averaging 28 points on 55% shooting and 48% from three. He is such a midrange assassin that he doesn’t take enough from behind the arc. If Kevin Durant started shooting more 3s, around eight or nine a game, you will see his scoring average go up even more.”
Chris Broussard is essentially suggesting what Kevin O’Connor suggested Steph Curry do before he went on his torrid run in April; that being taking more shots from 3. Curry, prior to April, averaged around 11 shots from 3. in April, he averaged nearly 16 from that range, and upped his scoring average by a decent margin.
The reason as to why KD hasn’t taken more shots from 3 is because they have been missing their primary playmaker, James Harden, for quite some time. This has put a considerable amount of strain on Durant to create for his teammates, and faking the 3 to drive in collapses the defense immensely, creating open shots for guys like Kyrie and Joe Harris.
However, if Kevin Durant were to commit to shooting more of his patented pull-up 3s and working more on his dribble hand-offs from screens up top, he could attempt more 3s and knowing the Slim Reaper, he would maintain his ridiculous percentage of 48%.
