Kevin Durant is averaging 26.5 points per game with a true shooting percentage of 66.7 for the Golden State Warriors. That’s enough to impress Jerry West, a team advisor, but not quite enough to satisfy him.
He thinks Durant should shoot more.
As West said, per the Orange Country Register‘s Mark Whicker:
Jerry West, adviser to General Manager Bob Myers, had his eye on Durant for more than a year. He was charmed then and is over the moon now.
“I was watching him work the other day, and I told him I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody more professional,” West said. “He’s absolutely a joy to be around. He’s just so efficient. He does so much more than score points. In fact, I think he should probably shoot more.”
West went on to compliment every other aspect of Durant’s game, so rest assured, he is wowed by the 2013-14 MVP. But he also may have a point.
Durant’s 26.5 points per game are slightly below his career average of 27.4, and his 16.9 field-goal attempts are a personal low, while also 2.1 shy of his career average of 19.0. So, yeah, he could stand to shoot more.
But where are those extra shots coming from? Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are both attempting more, so maybe they could sacrifice one or two per game. That would be terrifying for the rest of the league.
None of this, of course, actually matters. It doesn’t even register as a champagne problem. The Warriors look unbeatable, and Durant’s transition into their offense, as a scorer who isn’t making a ton of sacrifices, has been seamless. Golden State can’t ask for anything more.
