Sonics rookie feeling his way through NBA

SEATTLE – The final horn sounded, the players began to walk off the court and somewhere in between Kevin Durant transformed back into a 19-year-old kid. He bounced on his heels like an oversized pogo stick, thumped his chest and let out a loud whoop.

Durant didn't care how silly he looked, and it wouldn't have mattered even if he did. His impromptu dance came in front of an audience of one: his mother.

This celebration wasn’t born from a victory by Durant's Seattle SuperSonics. Those have been all too rare this season. No, on this late November afternoon, Durant hadn't even pulled on his jersey, instead parking himself in front of a large-screen TV at home to watch his Texas Longhorns run over the Tennessee Volunteers.

Some 3,000 miles across the country in New Jersey, Texas coach Rick Barnes walked into the Longhorns' locker room and flipped open his cell phone. Waiting for him was a congratulatory text message from Durant.

Rarely a day goes by when Barnes doesn't hear from his former All-American. If Durant isn't texting or calling his old coach, it's probably because he's already on the phone with Texas point guard D.J. Augustin or swingman Damion James. Durant, in his own estimation, talks to "just about everybody who is associated with the program just about every day."

When Durant has the opportunity to watch the Longhorns on TV, he shuts off his cell and refuses to talk to anyone. It's during those times when he allows his mind to wander and wonders what would have happened had he said no to the NBA draft, had he put off the $60 million Nike contract, had he stayed in college.

It also is during those moments that Durant reminds himself that this was his choice. No matter how many losses the Sonics have piled up, no matter how many nights he plays in the team's half-empty KeyArena, this was what he wanted.

"I had to take this opportunity," Durant said, "to fulfill my dream."

Durant naturally would prefer his dream make room for a few more wins. The Sonics' record stood at just 5-16 at the start of the week, and the losing, he admits, has worn on him at times.

"It's been a tough transition," Durant said. "I haven't lost this many games before. But I think God likes to put you through adversity. He's testing us to see how we're going to get through this. I still think we're a good team and we're playing hard."

Sonics officials knew this wasn't going to be an easy season when they made the decision to trade Ray Allen to Boston and not offer Rashard Lewis a contract approaching the $118 million he received from Orlando. But those moves also thrust Durant into a role he likely wouldn't have held had Allen and Lewis stayed. Now, when the clock ticks down, when the pressure rises, the ball usually ends up in the hands of a 19-year-old rookie.

The challenge, of course, is that opposing teams also know this. Few rookies in recent years have averaged the amount of minutes (34) Durant logs on a nightly basis. And as the team's primary scorer, Durant has to deal with the type of defensive attention usually reserved for more established players.

"We knew Kevin wasn't going to sneak up on anyone," Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "But that doesn't mean we necessarily wanted him to be at the top of the blackboard right away, either.

"Losing a ton of games is not a good learning experience for anybody; I don't care how many minutes you get. But this is still a transitional year for him, and what Kevin's going through now could help him. What we hope, of course, is that the losing doesn't last."

The Sonics have showed some progress, winning three of their past five games entering Tuesday night. Durant scored 35 points in two of those victories and is averaging 22.5 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 42.7 percent in the past eight games.

Durant weathered some criticism earlier in the season after one too many 6-for-21 performances. One scout even told Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski recently that he preferred Milwaukee's Yi Jianlian to Durant. Of late, however, several talent evaluators who have watched Durant say his shot selection has improved considerably, along with his defense even though he often is being asked to guard smaller players, a tough assignment for someone who stands 6-foot-10.

"He's playing with more of an overall purpose," said one scout. "On the nights when (the Sonics) have been competitive, it's usually been all because of him."

Durant still has to grow into a leader even though that role already has been hoisted upon him. On the night before the NBA draft, Durant told reporters he didn't consider himself the Sonics' savior because he had Allen to guide him. A little more than 24 hours later, Allen was packing his bags for Boston.

"I'm not going to lie. I thought about, 'Now, do I have to do this? Do I have to do that?' " Durant said of his reaction to Allen's departure. "But once training camp and the first practices and team meetings came, I told myself I just had to go out there and play my game and help my team.

"Guys outside the organization think I might be the savior, but that's not the case."

Durant said he's thankful to have a couple of veterans like Wally Szczerbiak and Kurt Thomas in the locker room. The Sonics, meanwhile, are appreciative for the solid support system Durant has around him. His mother, Wanda Pratt, lives with him, and in addition to cooking many of his meals, has also been a good sounding board.

Opposing players like Denver's Carmelo Anthony and Cleveland's LeBron James also have given Durant an occasional pep talk. Orlando's Dwight Howard, who shares Durant's agent, Aaron Goodwin, frequently exchanges text messages with him about his own teenage rookie experience. Noting Durant's reed-thin frame, the Magic's hulking center also has offered other help.

"I told him, 'Come to the house in the summer and we'll lift together,' " Howard said. "I think his body will mature over time. Both of us came in real skinny – well, he's a lot skinnier than I was. But I'm sure he's going to get stronger, and it's going to be scary once that happens."

Durant also has spoken with his former coach, Barnes, about coping with the Sonics' losing.

"He talked about finishing games, and I told him, 'That's the one thing you'll do for them as you continue to grow,' " Barnes said. "As he continues to understand the game, he'll be the guy for them that finishes games."

Durant already has shown that ability, drilling a 25-foot three-pointer to beat Atlanta a month ago. More recently, he scored 18 fourth-quarter points in a win over Milwaukee. Even in losses, his enthusiasm and competitiveness rarely has dimmed. He nearly rallied Seattle past New Orleans on Sunday and repeatedly lowered his head and bulled his way to the rim to try to bring the Sonics back against Howard's Magic two weeks ago. And when Carlesimo occasionally has yanked Durant from the game for a blown defensive assignment, the rookie has cheered his teammates from the bench.

"I think you see a guy with great competitive spirit, someone that is innately aggressive and confident in his ability and also in his ability to get better," Sonics general manager Sam Presti said. "I think he has an approach to the game that doesn't allow him to get too far ahead of himself, but stay in the moment."

And on those nights when Durant finds the present moment frustrating, he still can flip open his cell phone and dial up the past. Whether it's Augustin or Barnes, there's always a Longhorn somewhere willing to take his call.