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Hall of Famer in the making?
Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
Other rookies would have been shattered in a situation like Durant’s early time in Seattle. They would go looking for excuses; hoping for next season; or even going at it with the coaching staff. But not Durant. When it came down to basketball, there was always one constant for Durant – hard work.
“Kevin and Jeff (Green) knew as rookies that they could not know all the answers to the questions that would arise on the court,” recalled Carlesimo about his two first-rounders. “They knew that they had a long way ahead of them to become consistent NBA players. They knew how important it was to work on your own game and working hard with the assistant coaches. They watched a lot of video with the coaches.”
If Carlesimo was in his Seattle office late at night, he would often still hear dribbling in the practice gym. “The chances were pretty good that it was Kevin wanting to take a couple hundred extra shots,” joked the former coach. “You can’t teach that dedication. You can force a player to do something like that but they have to want it. He has the same enthusiasm that Magic Johnson did. Many of the greats had that love for the game.”
But Durant had another model when it came to his passion for the game – namely the other Kevin. “Kevin Garnett is great for the game. He shows his emotion every night – even though he has played in the league for ages. He is a champion, an MVP and been an All-Star many times. But he still works continually on his game. And he has the fire that very few have,” said Durant. “He loves the game. I have a lot of respect for him and watch a lot of videos of his. And I hope to one day lead my team to a championship as well.”
The extra work and increasing experience helped Durant over the course of his rookie season. In the last month of the 2007-08 season, Durant averaged 24.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 46.1 percent from the field. “There are a lot of veterans who I observe. LeBron for example has a good jump shot off his dribble. I also watch guys like Michael Redd, Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce. I learn a lot just by watching them,” the Thunder star said. And besides Redd, all of those players are small forwards.
When Scott Brooks took over the head coaching post in Oklahoma City, the first thing he did was send Kevin Durant back to his traditional small forward position. And that turned out to be the most important decision in Durant’s career thus far. “I think the three is my natural position. I feel more secure as a small forward, also because I am able to defend other threes,” said the relieved Durant. “Hopefully I can be more of a 4-3 than a 3-4 – more a guy who starts in the post and then later moves outside. I want to play like Kevin Garnett, who can use his long arms to control both ends of the court, blocking shots and getting into the passing lanes.”
The heads in Oklahoma City and Thunder fans would have nothing against that. They also wouldn’t argue with the prognosis of San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich. The championship-winning Spurs boss is not known for praising players lightly. But even the old school teacher sees something special in Durant. “Kevin Durant is a potential Hall of Famer. He has the passion. He works hard. Actually he can’t be stopped because he can score in so many different ways,” explained Popovich. “He will complete his game soon. Right now he’s just scratching the surface.”
Just like many of the critics were doing a year ago in their criticism of Durant.
