When talking about the greatest one-on-one perimeter defenders, those tough-minded guys you loved having on your squad to take on the deadliest opposing offensive players, Shane Battier 's name is not mentioned as much as it should be.
Battier, even though he never got the individual recognition of Defensive Player of the Year, was a vital part of several teams with his defense-minded approach that allowed other players to save their energy on that side of the court to be ready for offensive duties.
However, as good as he was in that often thankless task, Battier says there is one guy he was never able to affect. And that guy is none other than Kevin Durant , for many, the purest scorer the Association has ever seen.
"Those high volume scorers, we knew they were getting up 25 rips. You know, the best you can do is just battle them, make their catches hard, push them out as far as you can, and make shoot over the top," the two-time Champion pointed out in his recent appearance on "Hoopin' N Hollerin'" podcast.
For Battier, the equation is pretty simple. The best offensive players in the league will bring it every single night. They are not scared of shooting 20+ times to get their buckets, and the only thing one can do is make it as hard as possible on them by being physical, learning their favorite spots or go-to moves to try to get them out of their comfort zone. Unfortunately for the defenders, more often than not, it is almost like a band-aid on a bullet wound… And Battier isn't afraid to say it like it is.
After all, he was drafted in 2001 and played until the 2013-14 season, a time in the NBA where guys like Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, and even Allen Iverson dominated the scoring columns every single night. However, while he admits he had his fair share of success with others, Durant always remained that uncrackable enigma for him.
And he most certainly is not the only one.
"Like KD, KD is the one guy that I don't think I affected. I thought I could influence Kobe and where he got his shots, but, like KD just shot over me like I wasn't there. KD was the one guy I just think I hadn't had much success," Battier added with a laugh. "They are some of the great scorers of our era, and that was the fun part for me, man. My job was to make these guys work."
Durant, with his 6'11" frame and freakishly long arms, was a nightmare for many who tried themselves in this role. With the skills of a guard, KD can easily take slower defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim, while smaller defenders almost can't contest him with his high-arching shot that was smooth as butter.
After all, Durant is a four-time scoring champion, and just recently he passed the great Michael Jordan as fifth on the all-time scoring list. Battier took immense pride in his defensive assignments; however, he worked on a different approach. He never studied film as much as his peers; rather, he knew the percentages of every type of shot his matchups took in their careers. It was based on mathematics, but unfortunately, against someone of Durant's caliber, math simply wasn't enough.
Related: "Accumulating stats is not a bad thing"- Kevin Durant shuts down stat-padding criticism
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
