Rockets' Kevin Durant Ranks as League's Second-Best Long-Range Shooter

Kevin Durant is an NBA legend. He's had one of the greatest NBA careers that we've ever seen.

He's not exactly universally liked, but few have been better at what he does than he is. He's practically impossible to defend, because of his size and high release point. 

Not to mention the fact that he can get to his spots possibly better than anyone. And he's got wide shooting range.

He was the league's best overall shooter last season, by far. As a long-range shooter, he's also deadly, converting on 43 percent of his attempts last season -- his best since 2020-21. 

But he's not a 3-point specialist. Nor does he want to be. He's gone public about the fact that he still values the mid-range shot, which has become a lost art in the league today.

Until the playoffs roll around and a team needs a bucket. 

Speaking of needing buckets, the Houston Rockets didn't address their need for a pure 3-point sniper all offseason (even though Seth Curry is still on the market).

It's one of their few holes on the roster. 

But perhaps they did address it, by way of Durant. 

According to NBA Insider Ricky O'Donnell, Durant enters 2025-26 as one of the league's most elite shooters from distance, ranking second behind only Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. 

"On the brink of his 37th birthday, KD maintained his status as the game’s greatest all-around shooter last year. Durant ripped 43 percent of his threes for a hopeless Phoenix Suns team, and he’s about to step into a much better situation this season after being traded to the Houston Rockets. 

With a 7’5 wingspan, KD’s shot is virtually unblockable. He made 42.3 percent of his threes on “tightly guarded” attempts last year with a defender within four feet of him. Just about the only thing holding Durant back is his lack of volume: he only took six threes per game a year ago, which ranked No. 41 in the league. 

The future Hall of Famer prefers to work from mid-range, where he made 53.7 percent of his looks, which ranked in the 96th percentile last season."

Durant figures to draw double teams on a nightly basis, which will benefit a myriad of players on the Rockets (Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., etc). He's also underrated as a playmaker, as he typically makes the right reads as a passer, making it easy for teammates to play off of.