NBA

Interviews Aren't the Only Thing KD Has Gotten Better At

LOS ANGELES -- If Kevin Durant seems a lot smoother in interviews these days, you can give partial credit to a video review session with his mom.

"My mom did a great job," Durant said. "She never had to talk to the media but she was a great speaker. I remember one time she played a clip for me, she watched it and she told me what I had to do."

Moms can do just about everything, but part of their job description entails helping their children to become self-sufficient and even self-critical. Durant didn't need Wanda Pratt's assistance to analyze his 43 percent field goal percentage as a rookie.

"When I look at tapes from last year and I see some of the shots I took, I would ask myself, 'Why?'" Durant said.

"Now I'm just being more patient. Knowing that the game, if I don't get a shot here, if I don't get a shot there, it's going to come back around to me. My teammates do a great job of looking for me. If I make a couple of shots in a row, they always make sure I get another shot. It's been fun this year. I'm just looking forward to getting better."

Maybe then he can even be an All-Star. He's making every other logical progression you could expect from a second-year player, taking his Rookie of the Year-winning numbers of 20.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and adding five points and two rebounds to the averages. Most of all, he's a better shot-taker and shot-maker.

Durant's at 48 percent this season. For a little perspective, Kobe Bryant has taken 13 seasons to get his field goal percentage to a similar number. Durant's 3-point percentage has gone from 29 percent as a rookie to 42 percent this year.

"I just told myself, every day come in and work hard," Durant said. "I think I've been taking that good approach. Hopefully I'll continue to do that."

You have to remind yourself that Durant's only 20 years old. He's a second-year pro with an older brother who's a senior in college.

He'll get better. It's a given. The question is, what heights will he hit? Can he achieve that exalted single-name status.

His coach, Scott Brooks, thinks Durant is halfway there.

"He does a lot of things that all the great offensive players do," Brooks said. "I keep challenging him: rebounding and defending is what makes special players special. The Kobe Bryants and LeBron Jameses, they do it at both ends of the court."

Durant wasn't at his best in a loss to the Lakers Tuesday night, but overcame a slow start to score 31 points with 10 rebounds and four steals. Near the end of the game, Bill Simmons (who came out to Staples Center because he has Durant on his must-see-live-list) text messaged me to say "Durant is the new Ice Gervin or Alex English -- he's always gonna get his 30 to 35 even if he doesn't have it going."

At this rate Durant will be more English than Gervin. Gervin had the distinctive game with that signature finger roll. (And he had the iconic poster on the frozen throne with the silver basketballs).

English slipped through the league at the height of its popularity, emerging practically unnoticed. He was the league's most prolific scorer during the 1980s. Not Bird or Jordan or Olajuwon. He was the first player to ever score 2,000 or more points in eight consecutive seasons. Not Wilt or Kareem. And yet ...

I was at an All-Star weekend party in 2000 and English was standing next to Buck Williams. A top 10 scorer and a top 10 rebounder in the history of the NBA. It was clear from their height that they were basketball players, but the person next to me had to ask, "Who are they?"

I could see the same thing happening to Durant in retirement, unappreciated for his ability to score so much among the best players in the world.

To get burned into more memory banks his team will have to win more, enough to get into the playoffs, enough to earn him consideration for the All-Star Game ... unless he starts putting up numbers so large he has to be chosen.

He'll be in the rookie-sophomore game and the new H-O-R-S-E contest, something which he hasn't had any time to practice for. He's been working so much on shooting good shots that his trick-shot arsenal is limited.

At this rate it won't be long until he's in the weekend's showcase game, not one of the gimmick events. And if he ever does become more famous, there's always mom to help him with his public appearances.