Kevin Durant returns from injury, Kevin Durant picks up where he left off, showing no signs of rust.
It’s such an old story that we forget how remarkable it is that seemingly every time Durant returns to the floor after an absence, he doesn’t look lame, out of breath or out of place.
Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers was the latest example of his basketball majesty, continuing his torrid start to the season and helping the Phoenix Suns get back into the win column after a five-game losing streak.
Durant’s 23 points were easy and smooth, efficient and did not disrupt the offensive flow. He could have scored 30 without blinking, but the 27 point victory I didn’t ask for it.
When he plays, the Suns are 9-1 this year and I look exactly like the competitor no one believed they would be this season. You can put Durant on any team in the league and they are instantly better, without having to adjust the scheme or game plan – his basketball sense allows him to blend into any system without difficulty. he has to be the system, without having to dominate the ball. or be careful.
And if his health holds up, the Suns could very well be the biggest party animals in a crowded Western Conference this spring.
It’s early and guaranteeing availability is no guarantee for any team in this NBA, especially the Suns, who have two stars in their 30s in Durant and Bradley Beal. But they looked dominant against a formidable Lakers team that had their number last year.
They outscored the Lakers by 25 in the second half, and even though the Lakers have had issues competing on defense against good competition (Orlando, Denver) over the past week, these are the games the Suns should win to establish hierarchy in the West.
Minnesota was a trendy pick to advance to the Finals after its surprising appearance in the West Finals last year, buoyed by the Timberwolves’ sweep of Durant’s Suns in the first round, but they are below .500 after losing to Houston – and out of the Play-In right now.
Dallas, even before Luka Doncic’s wrist injury cost him time, was struggling to find consistency. The Los Angeles Clippers, with no sign of Kawhi Leonard anywhere near a practice court, occupy one of the top six spots. And the second and third spots are occupied by Golden State and Houston – developments that no one would have predicted a month ago.
Oklahoma City, like last year, holds the lead in the conference, but has yet to prove it with a deep playoff run. The Thunder still have youth on their side while teams like the Suns need near-perfect conditions to cross the treacherous West.
But let’s assume Durant has the health he had last season, when he played 75 games and debunked the entire injury-prone label he’s carried since his Achilles injury in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Let’s assume that at 36 years old, he maintains the same performance and efficiency as the two other graybeards to whom the collective public grants deserved grace, LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Then there’s no reason to easily send Durant or his team back to the playoffs. Who knows if this 10-game sample is just a matter of fresh legs to start the season, as opposed to the fatigue that’s bound to set in, but it seems like a smart bet to believe Durant will land near 55 percent shooting, 44 percent. at 3 points, 27 points, six rebounds and three assists.
That matches Durant’s production of 28.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 53/41/89, and those aren’t his career numbers — those are his post-Achilles numbers, when he didn’t. ‘played again only after his 31st birthday.
We’re so used to talking about other things with Durant — about his alleged unhappiness, his habit of leaving franchises, his leadership, his health. The bottom line is that he’s been as reliable a performer when he’s been on the court, no matter where he’s been.
The conversation around Durant has veered between totally unfair and reasonable, but the focus is rarely on his play. Usually, it’s unassailable.
And these Suns are not a complete roster, they rely a lot on the decision-making and dirty work of Jusuf Nurkić and Mason Plumlee as backup to get through. That doesn’t always inspire a lot of confidence if one picks them to improve on a 49-win season last year.
But it feels like this is the most complete roster Durant has played on since leaving the Bay Area. That Brooklyn Nets team that looked like world champions in 2021 until Kyrie Irving and James Harden were injured in the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks, leaving Durant alone to carry an undermanned team? They would just overwhelm you with talent and explosiveness, and we saw what happened when they lost their fastball.
This Suns team isn’t as explosive, not at all, but with the installation of Durant, it takes the pressure off Devin Booker, who had to carry the offense in Durant’s absence and saw his effectiveness decline with the extra attention.
They’re both better when the ball comes to them instead of looking five pairs of eyes at the defense, and having Mike Budenholzer as head coach and Tyus Jones as point guard takes a weight off their shoulders.
Durant is at his best when the game is simple, as he makes the game look easier than anyone in the league – again, at his advanced age.
Budenholzer, at this point, realizes that Durant doesn’t need the most complicated actions, but just enough movement so that he can dribble and go up, or catch and shoot. And Budenholzer got all three scorers to adhere to shooting more 3s to agree with the times of today’s game. Last year, the Suns finished 25th in attempts although they were fifth in efficiency. This year, even with Durant’s absence, they are sixth in attempts and will surely improve with their big three playing together more. Tuesday night was the Suns’ 99th regular-season game since the Beal trade was completed to reunite the three, and the 49th time they’ve been on the court at the same time.
It might be a mistake to believe in the Suns, but with no Celtics-type team in the conference, it’s safe to believe that with a healthy Durant, they have as good a chance as any other to go deep into the playoffs.
