What subtle factors make Kevin Durant and Devin Booker such a great pairing offensively? In this enhanced segment from the Thinking Basketball podcast, Ben and Cody break down the similarities between both players that make them fit so well, as well as some of Devin Booker’s improvement.
–Full episode–
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgOGAgz81ig
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gUMZ7YHCGBHqUfm0kClEi
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/236-top-10-duos-in-the-nba/id1428290303?i=1000637116508
Support at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thinkingbasketball
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Basketball-Ben-Taylor/dp/1532968175
Podcast: https://player.fm/series/thinking-basketball or at https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-taylor/thinking-basketball-podcast
Website: https://www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
http://www.pbpstats.com @bballport
https://www.basketball-reference.com
https://stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
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25 Comments
The FOURTH best duo in the league???? LOL what the hell????? Who’s been better so far this year when they are both playing?? And how can you bring up Durant’s efficiency in the last two playoffs and not bring up the fact that he’s been consistently dealing with team mates being injured who make big money. Ben Simmons and Joe Harris two years ago, and then CP for 4 games and ayton for game 6 vs Denver. Missing players like that and subbing out their minutes for league minimum role players was allowing teams to throw doubles every time KD touched the ball and the defense didn’t even have to worry about okogie or Craig in the corner for the most part. Or vs the Celtics, they were subbing out minutes for Seth curry and Bruce brown who were getting abused in the nets switch heavy defense due to their size.
I don’t take anyone serious who brings up KDs last two playoff runs as a reason for him falling off, but they don’t mention the team juries to his start team mates, doubles, triples, overloading his side and extra attention he’s getting due to those injuries.
I CAN IMAGINE AARON GORDON PUTTING CLAMPS ON THE THESE TWO GREAT PLAYERS INTERCHANGEABLY. SORRY NOT SORRY, DENVER IN 6 🗡.
Basketball nerds only bring up the term “gravity” when talking about curry lol even in breakdowns by solid creators, I’ve never heard any of them mention all the open shots KD creates for his team mates with how often he sees 2-3 bodies without even getting a screen.
Imagine putting them as your FOURTH Best duo in the league right now because KD had a hard time getting tripled every time he touched the ball last years playoffs
8 am video, the fuck
this is the best dynamic duo in the NBA!! i dont care what everyone say im so proud of wemby and luka's son
We'll have to see how well this duo works against the nuggets. The nuggets defended durant well last playoffs and let booker go crazy. But they need to figure out what they're going to do with thr jokic murray pick and roll.
for me, Book is in the same situation when KD has GSW. Teams were focus on KD that once Book received the ball, he just attacks right away.
No need for iso, dribble-dribble, spamming PnR just to create a situation for his own shot.
Hence, he had a terrific and very efficient games in the playoffs laat year.
Whys the rest of the team even there tbh
Damn… this is the first time I’ve ever seen a podcast clip and went to look for it right after. Take this w
As much as I like Booker's improvement, you HAVE to assume it comes from a somewhat weird place: He's not new in the league and not growing or getting in shape, so why now?
It must be because NOW…if he's at full force and KD stays healthy..he can win…because NOW his team has a shot. Which in turn means until now, he wasn't 100% buying into his roster. Am I seeing ghosts? Why would he suddenly become a better driver with a quicker first step? See, that's not the system or the spacing…right??!!
They’re really good, but #4 is not very hi, who are the top 3?
Very interesting considering Brown and Tatum play similar positions and lots of people keep saying they're "redundant" lol
I think KD saw how Steph and Klay worked together in the Warriors and thought he's never going to be The Man in Golden State but he could recreate that somewhere else. He tried it with Kyrie and Harden in Brooklyn then got it in Phoenix.
KD having to play with superstars his whole life made him a better off ball player especially with the warriors in which he really developed his off ball movement in which his co star doesnt have to force to "share" the ball with him or get him shots plus with book willing to be a point and sharing the ball it makes them a perfect pair
Lmao 4th is crazy they're clearly 1st rn
Can u make a video bout D rose
the lack of efficiency from KD the last few seasons was a lack of spacing but now with Eric Gordon and Allen and Beal he no longer has to worry about that
Everyone has great synergy with Durant.
phoenix suns duo is actually drew Eubanks and yuta watanabe
Cody holding up four fingers reminded me of the "Suns in four" meme.
Kevin Durant is shooting 82% from 3 when it comes from a Booker pass. Insane.
WoW Ben … i remember when you started with pascal siakam compare with scottie pipen ( from what i remember ) and you were just starting … and to see now almost 600 thousand subs is mind blowing … ive been watching you since the begining … almost five years now 😊❤😊
Two playoff chokers
Their synergy can be amazing but it doesn’t change the fact that Kevin Durant is incapable of winning a championship without being on the most stacked team in NBA history what an achievement