It seems like years have passed since Kevin Durant actually played basketball, but his Phoenix Suns debut is actually just around the corner.
He will take the floor against the now depleted Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte on Wednesday, his first game in over a month.
What started as a loud but unfulfilled trade request turned into a quiet but obvious request that ended three weeks ago when Durant’s tumultuous tenure with the Brooklyn Nets ended. He left with a lot of “what ifs,” but faced even more in Phoenix, albeit under different circumstances.
Durant will join Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandra Ayton in what could be the last opportunity to win a championship after the Suns’ playoff run ended in disappointment last May in the second round.
The Suns appeared to be Durant’s top target when he initially asked to leave last summer, before his four-year, $194 million extension began. the future was in doubt.
Not much changed after he canceled his trade request, although he and the Nets played well initially. He returned to his MVP form on the floor ahead of his recent MCL injury in early January.
A few days into the season, head coach Steve Nash was fired and replaced by Jacques Vaughn. Irving was traded when it became clear that he and the Nets did not agree with his future, and this opened the door for Durant to re-engage the Nets in his move. Phoenix, by far the best regular season team in the 2021-2022 season, has failed to regain the magic this season – finishing in the middle of the West’s playoff picture.
Once the new owner, Mat Ishbia, was established, he began pushing for a major move, and Durant was right there. It took a gimmick – Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and a few first-round picks – to secure him, but it reopened a title window that had previously seemed closed.
Durant, who turned 34 at the start of training camp, is hitting a career-high 56% from the field and 62% from 2 seconds. He will replace Paul as the figure the Suns will depend on the most in the postseason.
Paul, who turns 38 in May, slowed noticeably after the Suns’ loss to Dallas in the second round, contributing to a shock loss in Game 7 at home. Durant’s team lost in the first round to the finalist Boston Celtics last season.
Everyone involved needed a reset button in some way, and this deal served it up. Durant will be on his fourth team in his storied career and is making personal progress every step of the way.
He was a champion and Finals MVP with the Golden State Warriors, but he was hungry for more after three well-deserved but sometimes drama-filled years.
He has another opportunity to silence the crowd that thinks he needs to assert himself differently, and if he helps this Suns team through this Western Conference maze, he will probably get it.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
