He would mark a career high while with the Indiana Pacers playing under Larry Bird; he hit 93.9% from the line that season. Kevin Durant has solidified his name as one of the greatest mid-range shooters of all-time showcasing, even now in the 3-point era, how the mid-range shot can be extremely useful He said he actually started using it while he was recovering from an injury because he didnt want to put pressure on his sore left foot. Durant probably isn't going to shootthiswell from midrange for the entire season, but again, it's not like this is new territory for him. Career FT%: 90.4% (2,135 FTM / 2,362 FTA). Kevin Durant & Chris Paul Have Strong Words About Russell Westbrook DeAndre Jordan leads the NBA in effective field goal percentage (77.2) and true shooting percentage (75.6). But its also been successful as his mid-range jumper has been between ten to thirty percentage points better than his shots from long distance in each of the past five seasons, per Cleaning the Glass. According to NBA.com, over two-thirds (68.2 percent) of his shot attempts this season have come against tight coverage, meaning a defender is within two-to-four feet of him. Durants 62.2 % field goal percentage on two-pointers this season is his career-best, and with the way his body is, hes able to make those types of shots look like layups. SOUND ON to hear Booker mention KD's gravity. (Error Code: 102006) 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. This team has championship aspirations, and those role players simply haven't been good enough to give the starters long stretches of rest. In fact, Paul actually recorded one of the most efficient seasons from mid-range of any player in the past 25 years. Considering the prowess that both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have in the pick and roll, defenders are going to have to lock in on their two-man game. shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. Just missing the cut on several occasions to make the 50-40-90 club, it was only his sub 50% field goal shooting that kept him from joining the list. I wish I could've played all 48.". Besides being one of the most promising young talents the NBA has seen in years, Durant is primed to challenge every single player on this list for dominance. Jordan is the NBAs all-time career leader in field goal percentage (67.4) and among active players is second in total rebounds (9,855) and fourth in blocks (1,466). 52.6 FG%2. There's no reason to think he won't continue his supremacy at the charity stripe and eventually surpass the current No. NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for True Shooting Pct. www.TheComeback.com is a sports fan website and is in no way affiliated with any professional sports team, league, or its Properties. He was one of the most well rounded and complete players during his time. Durants 55.3 field goal percentage is also a career high. With his game still going strong, he may continue to add notches to his belt. He joined Terrell Brandonanother sharpshooter from the lineon the Timberwolves from 2000 to 2002. Nash's form is impeccable and his demeanor unwavering. The three-time All-Star followed that up with 45 points on a cool 62 . DeMar DeRozan (29) is the closest to him, followed by Paul George (28),Trae Young (26) and Dejounte Murray (26). He also accounted for 36.8 percent of the Suns' total rebounds. Last season, he made the 19th most field goals from midrangedespite playing in only 35 games, doing so at a50.6 percent clip. Durant has grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game in his past 10, which is 0.2 less than his average for the season. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Kevin Durant - Basketball-Reference.com Career FT%: 89.5% (2,214 FTM / 2,475 FTA). 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. Drafted by Dallas in the 1980 draft, Kiki is infamous for demanding to be traded following the pick. Lue is exactly right considering when postseason play came around, Leonard was unstoppable from mid-range. Watching more NBA records. So, what has Durant been doing when he's not using offensive possessions? Thats one of the reasons why Clippers coach Ty Lue allows Leonard to fire away from mid-range as often as he sees fit (via ESPN): I think its a lost art. He would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA as a small forward. Retired champion John Salley gave predicted that the Phoenix Suns will reign over the Boston Celtics in June. This would be the first of two great free throw shooting duos he formed over the course of his career. Star athlete killed in brutal mass stabbing in England, Vikings send clear message to Kirk Cousins, Damar Hamlin charity hit with horrible accusations, Sports world reacts to massive playoff result, NFL world mourns sudden death of stars daughter, Star recruit ripped for racial slur during draft. As a counter to that article, I've compiled a list of the 20 best free throw shooters in NBA history. The Finals Stat: Game 3 Kevin Durant leads the Warriors from outside | Sporting News. Now that hes in Phoenix, the game plan wont change. Mahmo Abdul-Rauf - Career FT%: 90.5% (1051 FTM / 1161 FTA), Scott Skiles - Career FT%: 88.9% (1548 FTM / 1741 FTA), Darrell Armstrong - Career FT%: 87.1% (1463 FTM / 1679 FTA), Michael Williams - Career FT%: 86.8% (1545 FTM / 1780 FTA), John Long - Career FT%: 86.2% (1814 FTM / 2104 FTA). Durant's 37 field goals from midrange are the most in the league by a pretty large margin. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Thanks for signing up. One of Allen's legacies will always be the infamous "Allan Houston Rule". However, Nash tops that club having reached it a record five straight seasons. When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant, they took a gamble. 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). Durant's 55.3 field goal percentage is also a career high. Per Basketball Reference, they've outscored opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions when Durant has been on the floor. Durants move to the Suns was completed on Thursday which sent Mikal Bridges,Cam Johnson,Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and additional draft compensation to the Nets. 500 non-paint 2s, 57 qualifiers pic.twitter.com/BENKPI2XgU, Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) December 1, 2020. In Chicagos win over Los Angeles on Sunday, DeRozan finished with 38 points, with half of them coming in the fourth quarter one layup, one driving runner in the lane, five free throws and five mid-range jumpers. Small Forward, Power Forward, and Shooting Guard Last week I published an article outlining the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. His success rate on those looks? Chris Paul 14-15 .. 50.44. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Do you have a sports website? He then went berserk in the playoffs, connecting on 55.3 percent of his middies despite the pesky P.J. With the conference semifinals set, let's take a look at the best player in each of the 8 first-round series. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Durants midrange jumper game got a shoutout from former NBA player JJ Redick. Kevin Durant attended National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland and Texas. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Data Provided By Monty Williams has not trusted his bench, and so all of the big four starters Durant, Booker, Ayton and Chris Paul have had to play a lot. The analytics behind this evolution make sense; if youre going to shoot a 2-point shot, you want the highest percentage shot possible (dunks, layups and shots near the basket). NBA Twitter reacts to Jayson Tatum's 55-point All-Star Game: 'Steph doesn't show up one time and Tatum breaks the record', Jimmy Butler's injured ankle looking visibly swollen following Game 1. Kevin Durant (Additional Stats) - NBA player profile - WhatIfSports Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. NBA rankings: These players are the best mid-range shooters - HoopsHype 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. Leonard called the late Bryant one of his mentors and had the opportunity to work out with the five-time NBA champion.