Saturday, August 14th, 2010 at 10:36 am  |  38 responses

Coach K: Durant Too Unselfish

Coach Krzyzewski said after yesterday’s practice that Durant is passing up too many shots. From the Associated Press: “Kevin Durant is too unselfish. That’s the one criticism U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski has of the Oklahoma City Thunder forward so far in the Americans’ preparations for the world championships. He’s watched Durant pass up too many shots. A team’s best player can’t do that. Krzyzewski freely bestows that distinction on the 21-year-old Durant and is confident the other players on this young squad agree. It’s hard to argue, considering Durant last season became the youngest to win the NBA scoring crown. ‘They look to him all the time,’ Krzyzewski said after Friday’s practice at the New York Knicks’ training facility. ‘They’re OK with Kevin shooting. If he misses, they want him to shoot again. They know. They’ve seen it.’”

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  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.14 at 10:41 am
    man kd is just such a humble guy.. he is the nba scoring champ yet he is passing up shots to give other players on the team the chance to shine.. as much as i love this attitude kd is gonna have to start shooting more if usa wants to win the gold

  • Dacre Posted: Aug.14 at 10:49 am
    He’s getting THEM confident so they can ROLL on the world stage. It’s okay coach, if/when Durantula needs to get his deuce on, it’ll come.

  • Don Posted: Aug.14 at 10:51 am
    I pretty much agree with this statement concerning Kevin Durant. Not to say that it’s a bad or negative sentiment, but there are many times where I have personally felt that Durant could serve more justice in being “aggressive” in his offensive approach.

  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.14 at 10:55 am
    ^Don..
    i agree he is kinda soft.. if was he was more aggressive he could probably get more oppurtunities to score or to draw defenders away from teammates to create space and dish out to them.. but then again maybe being aggressive would be a good thing for him to do for his body is rather frail and he could easily be injured if he tries to get to physical

  • @coachbarry18 Posted: Aug.14 at 11:19 am
    Listen all – it was a PRACTICE. I haven’t met too many players yet that treat a practice like a game. KD is young, and a nice guy I hear, but I’m sure he knows what he’s capable of. Let’s wait until after the first game to see how he gets it done. Also, we coaches all play little mind games and use diff motivational strategies. I’m guessing coach K is using a public venue to send messages to his team for very specific reasons. Bottom line KD is a team player, a great player and will surely dominate at World’s – not just in scoring, but across the board, including intangibles such as leadership, motivation, hustle and D. Good luck boys! Go easy on Canada for me – haha.

  • Hussman25 Posted: Aug.14 at 11:19 am
    ^^Soft as a knife. Hello scoring champ?

  • NotebookNick Posted: Aug.14 at 11:43 am
    You can’t be the NBA scoring champ if you’re soft. He might be the nicest guy in the league, but he’s not soft.

  • LDR4 Posted: Aug.14 at 11:48 am
    He knows that he is going to be forced to pass in the Worlds with all the attention defenses will pay to him.

  • riggs Posted: Aug.14 at 11:50 am
    you will see a different KD versus france coach.

  • Harrell Posted: Aug.14 at 12:21 pm
    Well if he wants to dominate a game he’ll have to hit them weights..or eat em like dwight and bron did have u seen them bastards?

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Aug.14 at 12:50 pm
    Durant is a talented baller, but he lacks that killer instinct, and he’s just so frail looking compared to some of the more elite small forwards in the NBA, such as LeBron, Carmelo, and Artest.

  • Robb Posted: Aug.14 at 1:27 pm
    KD may be skinny but he’s not soft! he plays hard, he goes hard to the rim when he has too, but he has more offensive weapons. I’d rather have a strong minded frail looking guy like Durant than a soft minded strong looking guy like LBJ.

  • James Posted: Aug.14 at 1:27 pm
    He lacks a killer instinct? Please search “KD brings OKC back’ on Youtube. That was one of the best clutch performances of the season! Plus, the guy shot the most free throws in the league last season, so he’s not afraid to put his body on the line.

  • slamfan4life Posted: Aug.14 at 1:52 pm
    More selfish? Did anyone else see the scrimmage game a few backs? Dude chucked shots like no other, sure he scored but this is TEAM USA….he needs to be where he was at the scrimmge game in terms of shooting cuz I dont want USA to lose to some shitty team

  • James Posted: Aug.14 at 1:55 pm
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLMRpPkIpRg ,KD scores 15 in the final 3 minutes in a road game vs the JAZZ!

  • Cole Posted: Aug.14 at 2:01 pm
    Ron Artest is not an elite small forward. Being strong doesn’t make him an amazing basketball player. When Kevin Durant got drafted everybody said that he wouldn’t do good because he can’t bench 185. Look where Greg Oden is, then look at KD.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Aug.14 at 2:07 pm
    Durant has killer instinct? That’s like saying David Robinson had killer instinct. lol

  • James Posted: Aug.14 at 2:22 pm
    @IAMORANGE4EVER, did you watch the video?

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Aug.14 at 2:51 pm
    @James: Which “video” are you referring to?

  • iHATEkobe Posted: Aug.14 at 3:34 pm
    I like when great players like Steve Nash and Kevin Durant are as humble as the worst players on a D-League team! Not like the guy on my name…

  • kwame Posted: Aug.14 at 3:47 pm
    yea durant should be waaay more agressive…i mean he only avg 30 pts…he’s cleary not agressive enough

  • Ryan Posted: Aug.14 at 3:51 pm
    @Cole: U are exactly right Ron Artest aint no elite small forward. Any and everybody would pick Durant over him.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Aug.14 at 4:05 pm
    @Robb in which way is Bron soft minded. Scoring ur teams last 30 points is far from being soft-minded to me. Anyways maybe KD needs to enroll into the Kome Bryant school of “Shot Jacking”. Kome is the master of ignoring wide open teammates and shooting with 2-3 guys on him just to get all the glory.

  • Jray Posted: Aug.14 at 5:35 pm
    Of course kobe gets thrown/bashed into a conversation nothing to do with him! I forgot I was on slamonline for a minute

  • CHIEF Posted: Aug.14 at 5:57 pm
    Yeah JRay it always devolves into the kobe/bron, haters/lovers coming out to verbally ejaculate over the conversation turning it into a heated debate with no point.
    Team Jordan

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Aug.14 at 6:17 pm
    The reason Kome’s name is in this conversation is based solely on the fact that the article has to do with someone needing to be more selfish and take more shots. Who better than the greatest “shot-jacker/ballhog” of our time; Kome to show KD the path to the Black Hole universe.

  • Robb Posted: Aug.14 at 9:59 pm
    @JTaylor21 scoring your teams last 30 points doesn’t necessarily mean that you are strong minded. You are strong minded when you control the pressure during the playoffs, executing, focusing, making free throws and basically winning when it matters. Lebron is soft minded, he’s very talented, he’s a freak athlete, he’s got great court vision etc, but he doesn’t have “it” and he’s gonna prove that next season. You don’t have to believe me now, just watch.

  • Young C Posted: Aug.14 at 10:09 pm
    I’m hearing Kobe and LeBron’s name in a post about Kevin Durant and Coach K. Am I missing something?

  • Feez2 Posted: Aug.14 at 10:51 pm
    Lebrons soft minded? I don’t even think that deserves a in depth response so I won’t give it one. To the real thing, durant is just trying to Get his teammates involved. Team USA basketball isn’t about being selfish most of the times. Since this team lacks the talent the Olympic squad had durant needs to be agressive. However if he passes up shots in 2 yrs at the olympics for better shots he will be seen as a team guy. Maybe durant feels this team has enough for him to play unselfish ball. Just some perspective.

  • Dynamo Posted: Aug.14 at 11:26 pm
    Soft? Didn’t he average around 10-11 free throws a game. You need to take contact to average those numbers, right?

  • hoodsnake Posted: Aug.15 at 6:30 am
    Ask KG about that “Michael F*cking Jordan” comment he made when they lost to KD’s OKC squad.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Aug.15 at 9:47 am
    Bottom line, Durant needs to hire Oliver Miller to be his dietician.

  • CHIEF Posted: Aug.15 at 11:56 am
    Coach K lost his mind and is talkign about cutting Gerald Wallace. No respect of his opinion before, he was building some respect from me for a while, now he’s a joke. Sam Mitchell for USA coach.

  • kundai Posted: Aug.16 at 8:11 am
    i actually would think he would pass alot. But i respect the guy for doing opposite. He does shoot a little too often at OCK but i think he knows its not just about him.

  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.16 at 12:28 pm
    u guys are morons.. with the exception of JTaylor21

  • Coney Islander Posted: Aug.16 at 3:13 pm
    The only thing soft about KD is his shooting touch. His shot is the only one I’ve ever seen that goes up, in, and through to the ground while still rotating. SMH

  • c_cantrell Posted: Aug.18 at 3:26 pm
    ^coney islander..
    then u just dont see much

  • SLAM ONLINE | » Where’s The Love? Posted: Sep.17 at 12:00 pm
    [...] out to Kevin Durant. From day one, it was clear: He had to be the guy. Coach K had to ask him to be more selfish. With all the pressure on him, he stepped up. Big time. And when it counted most, is when he was at [...]

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