OAKLAND – Not once in his first nine seasons in the NBA did Kevin Durant average at least 10 rebounds a game. His career average is 7.0 per game, exceptional for a small forward.
He believes, as a new member of the Warriors, that he can do better.
“I feel I can be a double-double guy if I go in there and bang a little more than I have in the past,” Durant said after shootaround Tuesday. “It’s just a matter of me developing that mindset and just going out there and doing it.”
It sounds lofty but it’s not inconceivable. Durant is coming off a career-best 8.2 rebounds per game last season. His single-game career-high is 19.
[POOLE: The 2016-17 Warriors built to smash multiple records]
Inasmuch as the points are going to come for the four-time scoring champ, reaching double-double status means grabbing two more rebounds a game than he did last season in Oklahoma City.
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“That would be the goal,” Durant said of averaging a double-double. “I’m not saying it’s a for-sure thing. But if you set your mind to something, you can always do it. Nothing is impossible. My teammates believe I can do it. The coaches believe I can do it. So it’s a matter of going out there and trying every night.”
The Warriors lost considerable rebounding might with the departures of centers Andrew Bogut (trade) and Festus Ezeli (free agency). The void will have to be filled by more than Zaza Pachulia, Draymond Green, David West and JaVale McGee, if he makes the squad.
Asked if rebounding is an area of legitimate concern, coach Steve Kerr replied without pause.
“Yes,” he said. “For sure.”
That facet of the game did not go well for the Warriors in the preseason opener, when Toronto posted a 58-42 advantage on the glass. Durant grabbed four in 19 minutes.
“I’ve got to do a better job,” he said. “I’ve got to do a better job of getting in there and helping Zaza and Draymond out. And JaVale and D-West. I’ve got to go in there and help those guys out.
“Once I get the rebound, we can get a push and create stuff on the offensive end. That’s a huge key for us. We talked about it the last few days. We were disappointed in how we were outrebounded. It’s on me, as one of the bigger guys, to help out.”
