Recently, two-time NBA champion Hakeem Olajuwon gave an interview to NiceKicks.com on the re-release of his DR34M sneakers and high-end fashion line. He also said that Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant could benefit from some Dream training. When asked about the prospect while on his overseas promotional tour for Nike, Durant left open the possibility for a Dream – KD session.
Here’s what Dream said about Durant in the interview (as transcribed by The Oklahoman).
“(He’s) very skilled, but doesn’t take advantage of his height in the post,” Olajuwon said. “He’s much taller than most of the guys who guard him. He’s got all the outside game, but now he needs to take them in the post. In other words, there’s something for everybody.”
In Barcelona for the last stop on his Nike promotional tour, Kevin Durant spoke with NiceKicks.com at the only House of Hoops store in Spain. They asked him about Olajuwon’s comments, and here’s what Durant said, as translated by Fernando Martin:
“I don’t know. At this point there’s only one Hakeem Olajuwon. I don’t know how much he can really help me but of course I watched him as a kid and I watch films of him now. I just try to take some stuff out of his game and put it to mine’s, but it’s so hard to try to be like Hakeem Olajuwon. But I’m up for anything. I’m looking forward to learning from anybody, so… We’ll see”.
Last season, according to Synergy Sports, Durant averaged 1.04 points per possession (PPP) on 247 post-up possessions that ended in a FGA, TO or FT’s. That number of post-ups comprised a little over 10 percent of Durant’s offensive possessions. Durant shot 51.8 percent in the post, and his PPP was the 7th best post-up scoring rate in the entire league.
So yeah, as Durant said, it’s hard to be like Dream, and he can offer a lot of players pointers on the post, but maybe he should stick with helping Griffin. Blake spent a much larger percentage of his time in the post last season than Durant, but with diminishing returns.
Griffin’s post play comprised 35.3 percent of his offensive possessions ending in a FGA, TO or FT’s. But while he spent a much larger time on the block than the nimble, three-point shooting Durant, he only scored .88 PPP on all those attempts. That was the 48th best conversion rate in the league from the post last year. While that’s not terrible, the Dream could probably provide Griffin a lot more help with scoring in the post, where Blake spends a lot more of his time.
Do you think KD even needs Dream’s tutelage?
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