Kevin Durant shoots 38 percent from the three-point line and is particularly accurate at the top of the key.

Kirk Goldsberry, a professor of geography at Michigan State, uses shot chart data to measure shot frequency and shot potency.

Goldsberry said some NBA teams are well-versed in such analytics, while others, like the Lakers, are "notoriously behind the curve." Goldsberry pointed to Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals, when Durant hit a game-winner in front of Metta World Peace for a 3-1 series lead.

"Everybody knows that Kevin Durant is a great three-point shooter, but few know he's the best in the NBA from that exact spot," Goldsberry says. "A lot of teams don't know that, but some teams certainly do."