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Kevin Durant · If there were ever a drawback to scoring 30,000 points and securing more points than all but seven players in NBA history, it might arrive in the fact that one’s defensive highlight reel can sometimes be overlooked. In Year 17, and yet firmly in the mix alongside the league’s best rim protectors, Kevin Durant offers an example in defensive transition, swiveling his frame before forcefully sending Jaylen Clark’s layup attempt back to Minneapolis. Among 229 players to contest at least 150 paint shots in 2024-25, the Phoenix Suns’ superstar slots at No. 36, holding could-be slashers to 7.1 percentage points below their average. Phoenix would ultimately fall to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a rematch of last spring’s postseason, but the soon-to-be-named 15-time All-Star was nonetheless virtuosic. Unbothered by what the injury report called a “left thumb injury,” Durant’s hand proved steady on January 29, 2025, encouraging 33 points (on an incredibly-efficient 13-of-19 shooting), paired with seven assists, two steals, four swats, and four trifectas. · State of Mint