At 38 years old, Kevin Durant is still considered to be one of the top players in the NBA. Last season, he earned an All-NBA Second Team selection and finished in the top five in total points scored.

Durant’s longevity has made him a key component of the Houston Rockets’ offense, which has translated to a 7-1 record this season. In the latest episode of Mind the Game, LeBron James praised a recent play that Durant made against San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

“His shot making. His efficiency is crazy… He uses his dribbling ability and his quick-twitch punches to back the defense up just a little bit. I saw one move he had against [Victor Wembanyama], in the game when the Thompson twin made that unbelievable block. [Durant] had a double cross against Wemby. He shot-faked, and Wemby was right there, and he gave a little slight fade and shot it over him. I was like, he’s probably the only guy in the league that could probably make that move versus Wemby.”

Is Scoring Volume An Issue?

The Rockets’ victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night sparked commentary about Durant’s role with the team, as the 16-time All-Star had attempted just six shots over 33 minutes. This was the fourth time in his NBA career that he had attempted six or fewer shots in a game.

From a broader perspective, Durant is currently averaging 20.8 points per game. This strays away from the usual for the two-time NBA champion. Aside from his rookie year, he has averaged at least 25 points per game for a full regular season.

Despite Durant’s unusually low shot volume, a big takeaway is that the Rockets defeated the Celtics by a 16-point margin. With Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, and Jabari Smith Jr. all showing the ability to rise to the occasion, it is likely that Durant’s starring role could be reduced depending on what is working well situationally.

Smith has served as an example of how individual momentum can shift from game to game, as he had a 30-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder before recording 14 points against the Celtics.

Overall, there has yet to be a game in which the Rockets have lost due to Durant falling short of his typical scoring performances. As long as Houston continues to find a winning formula, it is hard to dispute Durant taking more shots for the sake of a better stat line.