Kevin Durant Just Scored 21 Points With 1 Dribble...

So Kevin Durant scored 21 points in 19 minutes against the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns preseason game the other night. And even though 21 points in 19 minutes is kind of a crazy stat line, what really caught me was the fact that he only took one dribble for those 21 points. When I saw that, I knew that I had to take a look at it, break it down and watching it, going through it. Obviously, Kevin Durant is one of the best scorers of all time, and we know that he has a deep bag and he's able to score in a myriad of different ways. But, but the simplicity that he shows in this game specifically is something that you're going to be able to take and apply to your own game. And I think it really goes to show you that if you want to be an elite scorer, having the ability to be super efficient is maybe the most important thing. And he puts it on full display right here. So we'll dive into it, find some takeaways that you can add to your own game to become a better scorer. Right, before we hop into it, make sure you click the top link in my description down below to get my free basket Masterclass. It's an hour long. We dive into so many different keys that are going to help you to score more points, create more plays for your team, and overall become a way more successful players. Top link down below. Let's hop into it. So starting off right here, this is actually like probably the toughest shot that he took or that he made this game right here in terms of just like sheer difficulty and sheer risk to reward. When I say that we have to look at the shots we take as like a risk to reward type of scale. So obviously when we talk about reward, the highest reward you can get is three points, right? A three pointer is worth, worth 50% more than a two pointer is worth. So that's the highest reward. So when we talk about like a lower reward shot, that's any sort of two, right? But then we have to also weigh the risk. So the risk on a layup is very low because it's an easy shot. The risk on a shot like this is a lot higher and the reward is not that high. So that's why we would consider this for most players, not a great shot. Obviously when you're one of the best players ever, you can turn up and rise up over anybody and still feel the comfortable doing this. But this is probably the one shot that he took. This game where you look at you and say like, okay, probably, probably not a shot that most players are going to take, but obviously it's Kevin Durant, so he can still put that ball in the basket. So we're going to point out a lot of this stuff, but he hit a lot of catch and shoot threes here. He was 8 for 12 overall, believe he was 4 for 6 from 3. And obviously in this situation right here, Brad Beal rejects that screen. We have that help defender tag in right here, leaving KD wide open. So what Brad Beal does right here is he essentially gets really in this situation. He almost has three guys guarding him. So we have all that attention focused on here, drawing that defender in right there that allows Kevin Durant to be wide open. So we'll see this coming from kind of different angles here. We talk catch and shoot threes. I think where a lot of players get, get hung up. And the reason why they don't shoot that well in games is because they don't work on the different types of catch and shoots enough. You're going to see here that at least half of his catch and shoots are not coming from a straightforward angle. A lot of times when players work on their catch and shoot, it's pass coming from like under the basket where they're facing straight at the rim the whole time. Then they get the games and they're expected to hit different types of shots. This one coming from more of a side angle where now he has to turn and do a little bit of lateral movement into a shot right here. And this is an important thing to be able to work on right here. And you'll even see he's not fully like, this isn't an uncontested shot. He hasn't even really got up into his shot here. And the defender is already in his space. Now obviously he's going to rise up and get it over him. You're not going to block this. But it's still, it's still contested. He's got a hand in his face right here. So there goes the other point, which is not only is it important to be able to make catch and shoot threes, like that's the most important thing in the game of basketball is can you hit a catch and shoot three? Can you make it when you're a little bit contested as well right here, obviously when you're one of the best scorers of all time, that that's something that you can do. Here we just have another simple running in transition. Okay? Nothing, nothing fancy about it. Obviously there's a dunk here but just being out or getting out early and running gets you easy buckets right there. Don't even need a dribble for it. So domino's falling, some driving kick opportunities right here. And boom, that leads to another almost, almost the same type of shot that he just got earlier coming off this little side angle. And again, this isn't really an uncontested shot for him. It definitely is. Like he probably didn't even see this defender right here. But you still gotta be able to get that shot off knowing there's a defender closing on you right here. And just a point to make right here. This is what we call dominoes. Playing in dominoes right here, okay? Create or making the dominoes fall. So we have defender helping in. Ball handler sees this, so he kicks it over to the corner. And now we'll see how that works. We have this close up that we attack. And as we do that, what that's going to require is his entire defense to rotate. So this guy is going to rotate, which means that this guy is going to have to rotate down, meaning that theoretically he's going to have to rotate over. He's going to have to rotate over and. And now we're playing 5 on 4 basketball because KD is going to end up being wide open once this ball gets swung back over to him here. So keeps going, ball gets kicked. Like I said, we have that whole defense rotating over. And that's what leads to this shot right here is being able to play in dominoes. So attacking closeouts, drawing in defenders, and at the end of the day, again, super simple. Can you consistently make this catch and shoot shot right here? Another one a little bit more, a little bit tougher of a shot. But again, we see a different type of catch and shoot here. So now we're not coming from a standstill anymore. Now it's, hey, can I make this catch and shoot? 3 sprinting in transition. Another type of catch and shoot shot is really important players to be able to work on. And there's the one dribble right here coming off of it of a closeout. So probably in this situation, for 99% of players, they're going to take another dribble. Obviously like KD is, is different where he somehow is able to get this and get the and one off. Well, I don't even know how he put this ball in here. But what I love about this too is just him making a quick, what's called a 0.5 decision, which just means that within half a second of him having the ball in his hands, he's doing something because he has a defender closing out to him. So he knows that that's the best time to drive the basket is when that defender's momentum is coming towards him. And the only way that you're going to be able to exploit that momentum is by going right away. So he senses that immediately on the cat it's ripped through and he's able to beat his defender, get downhill. What we see is a shoulder to chest advantage right here. So what I mean by that is when he, when he immediately rips through, he sees, okay, shoulder his shoulder to defenders chest right there. Whenever you have that, that means that you've won like you're going to win on this drive. If you just continue to go, right? If you just put your head down and go, you're either getting fouled or you're scoring or both of them, which is what we see right here. So we immediately make that 0.5 decision right here. And that 0.5 decision is what's going to lead to us getting that shoulder to chest advantage. And then again, most players, you're probably going to take one more dribble here, right? I would say for the majority of players, take a second dribble, be able to get a little more on balance, a little bit closer. But when you're seven feet tall and super athletic, you know, obviously the rules don't necessarily apply the same way to you right here. But a lot of really good concepts we see on just this simple play. So here we are with more of a transition look and KD gets to what I would call a 45 cut, which just means that he sees, okay, his defender all of a sudden gets so caught up in this ball screen action. So we have all this action happening over here and he sees, okay, this guy's going over the top. They're playing an over and drop, meaning this ball screen, the handler's defender is chasing him over the top and the screeners defender is waiting right down here in this drop trying to take away a potential drive and also being able to step out and get a hand up to, to take away that potential three right there. Okay, but this defender is still kind of getting sucked in with this gap. Help worrying about what's going on here. Probably worried about this defender not being able to get over the top and this guy getting right about here and pulling that three. So as KD sees that, he sees that defender is starting to step in right here and all of his focus is on what's going on with the ball here. He recognizes that he has no idea where on earth KD is going. This is the perfect time for what's called a 45 cut. All 45 cut is, is just a cut from the wing to the basket, right? We're calling like a 45 degree angle. So splitting the the corner and the top here. So 45 cut, he's just going to cut right down to the rim. And it work. It works really well when you have a teammate who's driving in from the opposite side. So this ball screen was up in the slot here. Now we're getting kind of a downhill drive coming from the right side. Katie cuts with that 45 go from the left side. And when you have this defender so focused on stopping this drive, it again means that we're playing in advantage basketball. So right now let's count it. Here we have two Suns players. Refresh that. Here we have one and two, and then we have one, two, three right here. So that means everywhere else we are three on two. And the one guy that they're gonna leave right here is one of the best players on the planet. And he recognized that. And, and I think where a lot of players mess up here is they think that, oh, you know, I'll just hang out out here. And they don't recognize these opportunities for these easy cuts to easy buckets. Right here, which he gets with his 45 cut, we see one of the best scorers ever, who has the deepest bag, who can get a bucket any way he wants to, whenever he wants to, playing simple basketball, making it easy for himself. And this is stuff that every player can do. We're just seeing one of the best of all time do it. So another catch and shoot three. But I again want to go back to the point of look at how he gets to this three. Look at how he gets to this catch and shoot. Okay, so books in the post. And the first thing that we see actually is really interesting books in the post here. And KD is actually going to almost 45 cut again here to start. Because this is also a great opportunity to look for 45 cuts when the ball is in this like short corner or mid post right here. Because you're going to have so much defensive attention a lot of times on what's going on here. So just a little duck in here to see if you have it. If the health defense is good and paying attention, you might not. Right? Which is kind of what we see right here. So Katie kind of ducks in right here. Okay, this guy doesn't lose him, whatever. So now you're going to see, look at this now he, he backpedals to get behind the line here. His momentum is now taking him backwards into this catch and shoot three. So again, so many players are like, oh, I'm shooting 500 shots a day. But are you working on different types of ways that you're getting into your catch and shoots? So we've obviously seen the coming up the side movement where it's like an extra pass or coming from, he's in the corner, the pass comes from the, the wing or he's in the wind, the passwords on the top. That's one way we saw the transition where you're sprinting into it. We've seen just the standstill catch and shoot. And then now we have a backpedal into a three here. So our momentum is taking us backwards. And if you want to be a great shooter, you got to train all those types of catch and shoot shots if you really want to be great here. Okay? And he makes it look so simple. I think the biggest takeaway from this for me is that again, this is one of the best scorers to ever touch a basketball. And he is so okay with not getting into his bag and saying, you know what, I'm going to take what the defense gives me. I'm going to play efficient basketball, I'm going to play easy basketball. And because of that, that's how he's able to score 21 points in 19 minutes right there. Using one dribble. The game can become incredibly simple and when you're good enough, incredibly easy. When you understand these concepts, when you understand how to, you know, utilize 45 cuts, how to run in transition, and then also recognizing opportunities to attack closeouts, make those point five decisions, take advantage of defenders, momentum, all this stuff, super simple stuff that you can add to your game. And if the best player in the world who can get a bucket any way he wants to is doing these little things, these simple things, then that should let you know how crucial it is that that's one of your main focuses as well as doing these little things and being elite at them. That's what leads to super efficient scoring performances like this. That's what's going to lead to ultimately the most consistent performances that you can have as a scorer right here. So hopefully it gave you some insight. I know I really enjoyed watching this because of just the simplicity and seeing all these concepts that anybody can take and apply to their own game. Like I mentioned earlier, Click the top link down below to get my free Basketball IQ Masterclass. Going to help completely change the way that you play the game and make you the most successful player that you can be. Going to help you to score more points, create more for your team. And like I said, completely free. An hour long, we dive into a lot of stuff we talked about and even more so go check that out. Appreciate you for watching. Talk soon. Peace.