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Kevin Durant's Shooting Volume is Going Down
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- Kevin Durant's Shooting Volume is Going Down
Kevin Durant's low shot volume has become a major talking point around the NBA early this season.
Despite his reputation as one of the most dominant scorers in the history of the NBA, he is averaging only about 12.25 field goal attempts per game this season for the Houston Rockets . This is a massive drop from his career norm of 18.6 field goal attempts, and his lowest output since his rookie season.
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In his most recent game against the Boston Celtics, he took only six shots and just nine attempts against the Oklahoma City Thunder previously. After the Boston game, Durant got into an argument with a report about his low shot volume. When asked about his shot volume, he replied:
"Why does that matter to you? We won the game. Why are you singling me out?"
Surface-level box scores might suggest an underutilization of an all-time offensive talent. However, a deeper look into the tactical context shows that Houston's strategic deployment of Durant is intentional, highly efficient, and driving elite winning results, as Houston has only lost a single game this season (7-1) across the regular season and the NBA Cup.
Rather than leaning on Durant to carry a heavy, isolation-heavy scoring load night in and night out, head coach Ime Udoka has re-architected the offense around dynamic hubs like Alperen Şengün.
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When Alperen Şengün, Fred VanVleet, or Jabari Smith Jr. initiate the offense, the ball moves rapidly through side-to-side swings, quick hand-offs, and high-post reads. However, when possessions funnel directly through Durant, that fluid motion often grinds to a halt.
As a generational isolation scorer, Durant naturally operates with a deliberate, high-dribble tempo. He surveys the defense, probing for his spot, and backing down defenders to create mid-range angles.
Teammates who were previously making dynamic cuts or spotting up tend to turn into spectators, watching Durant work. Against aggressive defensive schemes, holding the ball allows opponents time to reset their matchups, bring weak-side help, and force late-clock hero shots.
When teams double-team Durant, his tendency to hold the ball rather than make immediate, quick-hitting kick-outs can lead to stagnant possessions and costly turnovers. Because of this, Houston's offense is much more fluid and effective when he is off the ball.
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Durant is taking better shots in this new system, and his field goal percentage has benefited from it. He is averaging 53.1% from the field and 40.7% from the three-point range.
With the success that Houston is achieving, I expect his low-volume shooting trend to continue through the rest of the season. However, this raises the question: will Durant be comfortable and able to be a leader in this new role?
