Kevin Durant finally ended up with a team he wanted to play for again. He is now with the Phoenix Suns, a team that is ready to help KD add another NBA championship to his resume.
Monty Williams, the reigning Coach of the Year, now has Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton as his stars. It’s a foursome that is more than capable of taking the franchise to the NBA Finals.
Here’s NBA analyst Chris Broussard on what it means if Kevin Durant can’t get out of the Western Conference:
“The Suns are absolutely the team to beat in the West… If the Suns don’t win at least the West, if they’re healthy, this is the biggest failure of Kevin Durant’s career.”
The same was expected of KD when he formed an alliance with Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. The expectations were raised to another level when they sent quality players to make a blockbuster trade for former MVP James Harden.
Durant, Harden and Irving, however, played just 16 games together and went 13-3. Due to injuries and various off-court dramas, KD simply couldn’t have his co-superstars consistently by his side.
The vaunted trio won just one playoff series when they knocked out the Boston Celtics 4-1 in 2021. Irving and Harden played just four games, one series later, in a seven-game series against the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.
One could easily argue that an inch from Kevin Durant’s foot changed the course of NBA history. KD nearly dragged the Brooklyn Nets past the Bucks without two of the most creative scorers in the league.
The following season, a fully healthy Celtics swept the Ben Simmons-less Nets. Boston’s relentless, physical defense made Durant look old, while Kyrie Irving disappeared after a fantastic Game 1.
Some of the things that sabotaged Durant’s much-hyped season with the Nets were beyond his control. He hopes to play with more reliable teammates this time. If they’re healthy, they’re poised to make a deep playoff run.
Win or lose, Kevin Durant has been criticized again for leaving for another championship-ready team
Kevin Durant received a lot of criticism for leaving the OKC Thunder in the summer of 2016. He joined the Golden State Warriors, who finished 73-9 last season behind Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
KD quickly went to the NBA Finals with the Warriors, winning two championships in the process. If he and Thompson hadn’t been injured in the 2019 Finals, Durant likely would have had a hat-trick.
Durant then left the stability, culture and management of the Bay Area team for the Brooklyn Nets with Kyrie Irving. He is seen as the biggest mistake of his career. The Nets’ project was a complete disaster, one that could become the worst in NBA history.
The Phoenix Suns present another golden opportunity for Kevin Durant to win another championship. He has repeatedly said that he is not a leader, but he has one of the best in NBA history in Chris Paul. The Suns have size and length, led by Deandre Ayton.
And then there’s Devin Booker. Durant’s teammate is perhaps the best shooting guard in the league today on offense. KD and Booker will bring all sorts of problems for their opponents to solve, particularly with the “Point God” running the plays.
Kevin Durant will be under a lot of pressure to get the Phoenix Suns back to the NBA Finals, something he couldn’t do in Brooklyn.
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