In the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, Kevin Durant delivered a powerful statement about the way the NBA has evolved offensively over the past 15 years.
Sitting alongside LeBron James and Steve Nash, Durant reflected on how much easier it is today to put up high-scoring numbers compared to when he entered the league in 2007.
“It was, I mean, you got two dudes at the box… most of the time the whole league running floppy.That’s the go-to set. So we got eight guys inside the three-point line.”
His point? The floor was packed back then, spacing was minimal, and defenders were always clogging the lane. In contrast, today’s NBA is built on spacing, three-point shooting, and player freedom, giving scorers room to operate that simply didn’t exist in the past.
LeBron James backed up Durant’s assessment by poking fun at the training habits of players from that era.
“All they do is lift upper body. Up top, not a game. They weren’t working on their legs… All strong man, like Gold’s Gym.”
It was a humorous way of highlighting how differently players approached conditioning and skills development just a decade or two ago.
Durant’s broader implication was that offensive efficiency has skyrocketed and not just because players are more talented, but because systems, philosophies, and rules now favor scoring in ways they didn’t in previous generations.
Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, teams relied heavily on post-ups, physical isolation play, and mid-range jumpers, which led to lower-scoring, grind-it-out games. Defenses were allowed more physicality, and paint protection was emphasized over perimeter containment.
Compare that to today: with the widespread use of five-out spacing, pick-and-rolls at every level, and freedom-of-movement rules that limit hand-checking and off-ball contact, elite scorers like Durant, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are finding it easier than ever to reach the 30-point mark on a nightly basis.
Even Steve Nash, who was one of the architects of the pace-and-space revolution during his MVP years with the Phoenix Suns, acknowledged the transformation. In earlier eras, a 25-point scorer was considered elite. Now, that’s almost the expectation for a star guard or wing. The league has inflated scoring through both strategic design and rule evolution.
Durant’s comments also subtly contextualize his own greatness. He averaged over 30 points per game in a league that hadn’t yet opened the floor the way it has now.
His mid-2010s scoring runs came when the court was still relatively congested. For players like Durant and LeBron, who dominated in more rugged eras, their accomplishments may actually look even more impressive through this lens.
Ultimately, Durant’s words aren’t meant to diminish today’s scorers, but to highlight just how much the game has changed. As offensive records continue to fall, this conversation reminds us to evaluate stats in context and appreciate the evolution of basketball itself.
