Per Game. You probably don't need me to tell you how impressive that is, but for some perspective: Durant is one of 81players who have attempted at least 15 shots from midrange through the first three weeks of the season. Kevin Durant has solidified his case for being the best mid-range When Stephen Curry broke Ray Allens 3-point record last week, the discussion was not just centered around Currys individual greatness as a shooter, but how he changed the game and ushered in the 3-point revolution in the NBA. The only thing keeping him from moving too far up or down this list is the lack of trips he'll be making to the line over the course of his remaining career. Find out more. Join our linker program. Through 26 games this season, Durant has been lethal from the mid-range. Kevin Durant rookie season stats Which team had the best regular season record in a season? Adrian Dantley* .6166: 13. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Harden has the third-highest career scoring average among active players (25.2). Drafted by Dallas in the 1980 draft, Kiki is infamous for demanding to be traded following the pick. This past season, he actually averaged more pull-up two-pointers than any other player in the league. Now that hes in Phoenix, the game plan wont change. Brooklyn is first in field goal percentage (49.3) and effective field goal percentage (57.3), fourth in 3-point percentage (38.8), seventh in 3-pointers made per game (14.1) and 10th in 3-pointers attempted per game (36.3). The NBA has evolved over the last decade to rely heavily on the three-point line. Per Basketball Reference, they've outscored opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions when Durant has been on the floor. He would go on to spend seven of his 13 years in the NBA with the Bullets. Calvin Murphy spent 13 successful seasons in the NBA with the Rockets; good enough to get him into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Nets are one of three teams with a pair of teammates ranked in the top 10 along with Phoenixs Chris Paul (and his deadly elbow jumpers) and Devin Booker, and Philadelphias Joel Embiid and Seth Curry. Like most active players on this list, Dirk's free throw percentage has progressively climbed over the course of his career. Kevin Durant 17-18 . This video cannot be played because of a technical error. He would go on to peak at a 95% rate for free throws made that year; the only time he exceeded 90% for his career. While he has had one of the best mid-range games of all time, it has gotten even better over recent years. Lineups The kicker is not a single one of them has made nearly as manyfrom that distance as Durant. Best Midrange Shooting Seasons Since 2013-14*, 1. Last week I published an article outlining the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. Jess is a baseball fan with Reno, Nev. roots residing in the Bay Area. Even though it was not the final nail in the coffin, that game was the turning point for the Miami Heat. Harris is second in franchise history in 3-pointers made (790) behind Jason Kidd (813). Kevin Durant's midrange game is the ultimate cheat code Not all of those are midrangers there's a decent amount of layups and 3s mixed in because, oh yeah, he's an effortless scorer from all three levels but a lot of them are. Even if everyone else in the league decided that they would only shoot at the rim or from beyond the arc, DeRozan would keep the in-between game alive. Millerlike many others on this listis one of the best shooters the league has ever seen. pic.twitter.com/grNC2nRgG5. Copyright 2020 www.TheComeback.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. In Durant's 14-year career, the lowest percentage of points from the mid-range was 15.8 percent in the 2016-17 NBA season. International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Kevin Durant is third in the NBA in shooting a career-high 47.2 percent from 3-point range. You can look at a shot chart fromKevin Durantfor half a second and see that he is absolutely brilliant from everywhere on the floor. A lot of (opposing) teams will live with it. In his primeand still to some extentPeja was lethal from both the charity stripe and long range. Small Forward, Power Forward, and Shooting Guard This would be the first of two great free throw shooting duos he formed over the course of his career. Find out more. Leonard, on the other hand, has far more similarities to Jordan and Bryant at least in terms of their preferred methods of attack. Malone peaked at the line about midway through his career shooting 91.7%. Him shooting the lights out from midrange is a testament to that. At one point during the 1996 NBA season, Terrell hit 67 straight free throws in a single month. His most memorable streak clocked in at 43 consecutive free throws made. This was the same season he had the lowest usage percentage in his career. One key stat that must be noted when looking at this top 10 list is age, as six of the top 10 players in mid-range field goals made per game are in their 30s (DeRozan, Durant, Aldridge, Paul George, Curry, Paul), with two over 35. September 29, Perhaps some stability in his health would have allowed him to consistently improve and maintain stronger averages. Harris also holds the fourth (183, 2018-19) and fifth (172, 2019-20) places on that list. But yet since. But whats crazy is that, per ESPNs Kirk Goldsberry, an astonishingly high 95 percent of his mid-range looks have been contested over the course of the past eight seasons. But yet since 2013-14, Durant is still the most efficient player in the league from this zone. This rule came about as a result of the massive max contract he signed that he never managed to fulfill due to injury. Kevin Durant has averaged a win percentage of .628 in his career. Hes the greatest midrange shooter ever, Redick added. It's almost like if all else fails, Durant knows he can just rise up. Can Seth join his older brother this season? Instead of 1,000 free throw attempts, these players are judged on a minimum of 2,000. He's also doing it. But at the same time, the mid-range game is not going to go away any time soon thanks to the style of play from several stars around the league. Shoots: That lack of wear and tear could theoretically allow him to go harder in the playoffs. Chris Paul 14-15 .. 50.44. He has shot 184 shots from the mid-range this season, hitting a ridiculous 104 of them. The Nets are fifth in free throws made per game (18.3), sixth in free throw percentage (80.9), and eighth in free throws attempted per game (22.6). Stats Notebook: Kevin Durant on pace for his best offensive year ever However, it could also easily be attributed to his free throw shooting. Occasionally, just for good measure to show his versatility, he would even hit a jumper on the move after an off-ball screen. * Indicates member of the Hall of Fame. 50.35. His best season will most likely be as a member of the Seattle Supersonics where he managed to shoot 91.6% from the line. Durant is one of two Nets to rank in the top 10 in mid-range scoring as LaMarcus Aldridge ranks sixth with 2.7 mid-range field goals made per game. Taking away his seven PPG from free throws, mid-range jumpers account for 35 percent of Durant's scoring. He also accounted for 36.8 percent of the Suns' total rebounds. It's not ideal, but Williams has figured out a way to lessen the strain on Durant a bit. NBALeaguePass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial). In fact, Bryant was Leonards mechanical model when he built out his game during his early days with the Spurs. Of his many skills, his stroke from the line is one of the best in NBA history. Stephen Noh is an NBA writer for The Sporting News. That's the best chance that the Suns have to win it all. Is Kevin Durant or Carmelo Anthony the Better Pure Scorer? Durants midrange jumper game got a shoutout from former NBA player JJ Redick. Per NBA Stats, he's isolating on 17.1 percent of his possessions. In his first season in Chicago, mid-range shots have accounted for 29.8% of his points his highest mark since he last led the league in mid-range buckets during the 2016-17 season (4.2 per game). One of Allen's legacies will always be the infamous "Allan Houston Rule". Kevin Durant /// Stats /// Cleaning the Glass !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? Jeff was always known for his strong shooting touch and head-to-head match-ups with Michael Jordan. MVP!I created a short animation of the famous Sombor Shuffle move by Nikola Jokic.The most beautiful sports story is written a mile high. The fantastic two-man game Jokic has shared with Jamal Murray, who will miss most if not all of next season due to the guards injury, has predictably propelled the Nuggets to great heights over the past few seasons. Durant is averaging 5.0 assists per game, which is pretty standard for him in recent years. To tie a bow on it, Durant has the handle to do stuff likethis on the regular: The combination gives Durant the tools to torch teams inisolation, off of screens, out of pick-and-rolls and in the post. Aside from his 5 all-star appearances, he will best be known for his adept touch from the line and two Olympic gold medals; one with the 1984 amateur team and the other on the "Dream Team". To determine which players are fighting the hardest to keep the mid-range game alive in the NBA, we looked at three factors and then compared how each individual performed relative to the league average in the same span (dating back to 2018-19): It is worth mentioning that longtime NBA fixtures who recently stepped away from the game (e.g. Kevin Durant's midrange game is the ultimate cheat code. His inclusion in the 50-40-90 club frequently mentioned on this list is proof of that. Kevin Durant was drafted by Seattle SuperSonics, 1st round (2nd pick, 2nd overall), 2007 NBA Draft. While there is plenty of hand-wringing going on, there are a few reasons why his minutes might not be a huge issue. Jamal Murray Drops 34 PTS In Nuggets Game 1 Win - Facebook Once the playoffs arrived, however, the tune changed and Durant averaged a league-best 5.3 pull-up two-pointers nearly one more per game than any other player in the postseason. Their seventh man, Bismack Biyombo, was almost out of the league a year ago. August 26, 2021 That same season Ricky got into the record books by recording the second longest consecutive free throw shooting streak at 75 made. Over his last eight games. Even so, one individual has single-handedly kept the mid-range alive. Or as he explained: if my middy workin then thats where Im goin for dinner.. Heres what happens when hes doing the Sombor Shuffle: After facing up his opponent on the block, the big man fakes a drive with his left foot then swiftly takes a one-dribble fadeaway jumper off his right foot. His numbers helped him earn entry into the All NBA second team . But due to defenders now focusing more on guarding the rim and the perimeter, there is more space to operate off ball screens from the mid-range. Data Provided By It certainly worked in the postseason as he hit eight consecutive mid-range jumpers in less than ten minutes against the Denver Nuggets. In fact, nobody in the entire league has. Aside from his smooth jumper, he was always known to be a great free throw shooter. Each week, well take a look at some notable statistics and rankings compiled by the Brooklyn Nets in our weekly Stat Survey. His highest percentage was in his rookie season with the Seattle Supersonics, when 30 percent of his points came from the mid-range. This Yugoslavian sharpshooter has made a career on his precise shooting touch. His midrange jumper is the ultimate safety blanket. "Heartbroken for Shaq Barrett and his family, dont know what else to say.". Durant has averaged eight PPG from the mid-range this season, accounting for nearly one-third of his total scoring numbers. While it helps that many defences are geared towards giving up the midrange nowadays, most players with the size to contest his jumper don't have the speed to keep up with him off the dribble and most players who have the speed to keep up with him off the dribble don't have the size to contest his shot. Kevin Durant's minutes have garnered increased scrutiny and for good reason. Having split time between the NBA and ABA, Rick has accrued a lot of time at the line. He also holds a playoff record of 56 consecutive free throws made. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. He was one of the most well rounded and complete players during his time. While Durant has long been a midrange assassin, he's kicked his efficiency from that distance to a terrifying level to start the 2021-22 season. easymoneysniper, (Durantula, KD, Slim Reaper, Easy Money Sniper, The Servant, Green Room), Position: Durant hasn't looked too fatigued in those minutes either. He ranks No. . While with the Portland Trailblazers, he would earn the honor of having the highest career free throw percentage for the franchise at 88.1%. Do you have a sports website? Spin: Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim. At age 34, Durant is averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on a per 75 possession basis (the best way to adjust for minutes and pace across the board). Over the last 25 seasons, 1700 different times that a player has taken at least 250 mid-range jumpers in a season theres been three times that a player has shot over 55 percent, Redick said on The Old Man and the Three podcast. During a playoff duel in 1994, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman shared their admiration towards the toughness and dirty tricks of John Stockton. Kevin Durant leads the Warriors from outside - Sporting News Durantula, KD, Slim Reaper, Easy Money Sniper, The Servant, Green Room are nicknames for Kevin Durant. Dominique Wilkins said the Clippers helped David Robinson score 71 points to win the 1994 NBA scoring title. Durant has been absolutely incredible this season from the mid-range showcasing he might be the best to do it from that position. Im a firm believer in, why not work on what teams are giving up? Every team wants to give up the mid-range shot, the mid-range 2s, and why not continue to work on the shots that teams are giving up When you see, even in late-game situations in the fourth quarter, the mid-range shots are what wins the games. Butler said that he thinks Mournings comments were spur of the moment and that he didnt really mean them, claiming he isnt anyones hero, Smith declared that the Warriors outing in Game 6 was one of the worst he has ever seen from them, and he doesnt know if they will be able to bounce back in Game 7. Overall, Jokic is among the leagues most lethal threats to drop step after a post-up or take a hook shot from the elbow. Outside of perhaps Robin Lopez, nobody in the NBA has been more effective or productive from the short mid-range over the past few seasons. But what's crazy is that, per ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry, an astonishingly high 95 percent of his mid-range looks have been contested over the course of the past eight seasons. Kevin Durant Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Phoenix Suns Forward Kevin Durant Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. Besides his long range, Reggie made a living off shooting from and getting to the line; he was easily one of the best at drawing fouls. DeRozan is a player known for his success in this range, making Durant's numbers even more impressive. There's no reason to think he won't continue his supremacy at the charity stripe and eventually surpass the current No. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Kevin Durant (Additional Stats) - NBA player profile - WhatIfSports Kevin Durant and the Top 20 Free Throw Shooters in NBA History Part of the 3-point revolution is that young players entering the league are more focused on the three than they are the mid-range shot. According to Durant, there is no reason to ever forgo something that isnt guarded to force something that is less guaranteed at the rim or at the three-point line. Initially drafted by the Clippers in the 1988 NBA draft, Hersey would then go on to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. DeMar DeRozan WENT OFF for 19 PTS in the 4th vs. the Lakers pic.twitter.com/C11TO9RNFE. Career FT%: 88.3% (3,143 FTM / 3,559 FTA). News: 3 hours ago Durant ended with 29 points (12-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 . If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Though he no longer qualifies among the league leaders after missing Brooklyns last 13 games, Hardens 10.9 assists per game would be second in the league. But just as impressive as his passing is his shooting. Durant is playing with a lot of talent in Phoenix, and the offensive burden that he has to carry is lower than at some of the other stops in his career.
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