Oklahoma City Thunder: Managing Kevin Durant’s Minutes

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play game five tonight in San Antonio after winning Game 4 thanks to Kevin Durant who revisited his Slim Reaper alter ego. Now managing Kevin’s minutes are a big key to this series.

Durant’s numbers this postseason aren’t what would expect this for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s averaging 39 minutes, scoring just over 26 points per game. Only 39 minutes, a star player in the playoffs is averaging 39 minutes a game? In fact, he’s had some of his worst shooting performances in his entire career including 7-33 in Game 2 of the first round series versus Dallas. The majority of people watching these playoff series would credit the defender for locking him up. However, personally I think something else is going on with Kevin Durant and on Tuesday night, we saw a change.

On Tuesday, Durant scored 41, compiling 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting in the second half. He scored 17 points in the fourth quarter on 6-for-6 shooting. More importantly, KD played 44 minutes. We saw Kevin Durant check into the playoffs for what seemed like the first time this postseason. He took the game over, and it was brilliant.

Before the fourth quarter started, there was a discussion between Durant and head coach Billy Donovan on the sideline that may have been overlooked by many people watching the game.

There’s a lot to be said about establishing a rhythm in basketball. If a player is in a good rhythm it can be easier to find his spots and make good shots. This is has the story of KD’s career. However, earlier in the season Billy Donovan implemented a new coaching plan in order to evenly rotate KD and Russell Westbrook in and out of the lineup. The plan was to rest Kevin by pulling him at the 6 minute mark of the first and third quarters in every game. It’s more of an analytical approach to maintaining a players minutes. Which I personally dislike, analytical stats shouldn’t dictate when a player sits on the bench.

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

To break it down in simple terms, Kevin is on the floor for the first six minutes of the game, following a four minute rest he’s back on the floor at the two-minute mark of the first and third quarter. Donovan is also sitting Durant early in the fourth quarter as well.

Normally in the NBA, the starters play the entire first quarter, sit the first five minutes of the second quarter, play the entire third quarter, and sit to begin the fourth. Pulling a starter after six minutes of playing time is a college style coach move. The reason is, you have two 20 minute halves. You can afford to rest a college player early and it wont effect his rhythm because he still has eight minutes to go in the first half when he re-enters the game.

So, when Durant told Donovan not to take him out of the game, he played the entire fourth quarter. He finally found a great rhythm and made all his shots in the quarter. It sounds as if all we need to do is revert back to a more original rotation with KD and Russell and we’ll see a more aggressive Durant.

Next: analyzing momentum

I’ll be interested to see if Donovan changes how he plays KD especially in the 2nd half to see if Durant can not only establish rhythm, but maintain it. Donovan has to acknowledge Kevin Durant plays better during longer stretches on the floor. Kevin has to be on the floor for at least 44 minutes a game.