Sun Empire
Updated: March 1, 2023 at 8:49 p.m
Kelly Ober Jr. No. 12 of the Charlotte Hornets guard Kevin Durant No. 35 of the Phoenix Suns in the third quarter during their game at the Spectrum Center on March 1, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
It was only Kevin Durant’s first game with the Phoenix Suns and he was tied for minutes but his baffling upside in the Valley came after Wednesday’s 105-91 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
In what will be a multi-step process and with Wednesday nothing more than a sneak peek against a bad 20-44 Hornets team, the potential is flashing. And not in the way we were about flashing Dragan Bender or Josh Jackson five years ago.
Durant contributed 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 27 minutes and was +13 while shooting 10-for-15.
Offensively, one of the new dimensions is pretty minor.
The best goalscorer of all time can take his shot whenever he wants and leave the defense hopeless.
Durant reached for his jump jacket a few different times in the first half.
Phoenix fed Durant the last few times, drawing double teams from the Hornets to try and avoid said desperation. Durant expects to get out of those situations right.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll see the Suns layer on some of Durant’s traps in their complex attack. Here’s one example, Durant checking Chris Paul into a blank pickup we previewed to start Durant’s run after the follow-up, only for the set to actually be for Devin Booker, who explodes in an open 3 on the other wing.
The set begins with Booker running to the floor and getting a screen shot from Durant, so Booker was actually the first decoy, an example of how intricate the Suns can make this.
The prospect is equally interesting on defense, which will come as a surprise to many, but they will probably be less surprised after watching Durant in action on Wednesday.
During his introductory press conference, Durant brought up how he likes to compromise his defense with his offense. You won’t find a better example than that.
Durant moves to Charlotte center Mark Williams, allowing Ayton’s expertise in perimeter defense to get a crack as Durant easily handles the finishing touch around the rim. This used to be a property where someone like Cam Johnson would switch and they would be in a tough spot. Durant allows the defense in this type of scenario to maintain its structural integrity.
Its length creates options.
The Sun’s team struggled through some of the first half with a more aggressive defensive scheme. A lot of that is due to how great Durant is, and when players like Torey Craig and TJ Warren play forward, it’s a huge lineup.
Find out here how a little Durant helps seal the entire Hornets possession.
Phoenix sometimes had his big “width”, meaning the Suns center reached up to the level of the ball screen to cut off the drive lane for the ball coach. This isn’t something manager Monty Williams and crew have done a lot with Ayton in the past, but do you know what helps with that?
Seven other appendices to protect paint.
The Suns players responded to the game plan with great defense to be ahead of Charlotte by as many as 19 points in the first half.
The Hornets got back into the game, though, trailing by only six to three quarters.
Enter Durant.
After a few stuttering minutes for Phoenix reserves, he nailed the offense himself with nine points through 2:46 to keep the Suns ahead by the 11th.
Watch the way he makes his first step smaller on the first and last buckets of these clips.
The knee looks good to me!
And that was during a poker break. imagine that?
At 12:15 in game time, Durant was on the floor without Booker, was 7 of 9 for 16 points and the Suns were +12. They’ve never come close to this level of security when the face of the franchise is sitting.
It wasn’t a bad relief for Booker, the man who ended up with 37 points, six rebounds, seven assists and one turnovers in 15 of 26 games from the field.
It was a return to form for the NBA’s first guard who’s been averaging just 23.3 points per game across the six-game stretch since his first post-injury game, a stretch that lacks that high ability we came with. to know.
That’s what having Durant can do. He’s handled the heaviest loads of pressure during his career, and that frees his teammates. As a star, all the praise and criticism always comes his way first. This will not change in Phoenix.
All everyone talked about was Durant and when he was going to debut. He did, and during that, you were mainly focused only on him, right?
Durant simplifies the role of Deandre Ayton a lot too and the big guy has been pretty solid in Charlotte with 16 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and a block with sound defensive play throughout.
Josh Okoje got the nod as the fifth starter. He was part of that defensive havoc and has two tackles and a block to go four points.
Durant’s minutes restriction and the absence of Terrence Ross (right toe soreness) prevented us from an opportunity to illustrate what the Durant Suns’ post-Durant turnover would look like.
Durant played roughly the first six minutes of each quarter, then sat out the rest of the way except for the final three minutes of the game. Craig, Jock Landale, Damion Lee and Cam Payne were on the bench 15 minutes each. While Ashe Wainwright was the second winger off the bench, Williams turned to Warren for the first time in three matches. Warren scored two points in 13 minutes.
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