Five impressions from Kevin Durant's debut with Suns
Three weeks after Phoenix traded for Kevin Durant, KD finally made his Suns debut. It was worth the wait.
Durant had 23 points on 10-15 shooting, playing just under 27 minutes, as Phoenix beat Charlotte 105-91. We've got five first impressions from KD's first game.
1. Durant didn't show any rust
While Durant hadn't played basketball since Jan. 8, when he sprained the MCL in his right knee, he didn't seem play like he was coming off an injury or a layoff. His jumper looked smooth, as he effortlessly drilled two of his four three-pointers, though he did most of his damage from he midrange, going 6-9. When Durant was on the court, Phoenix was +13. When he sat, the Suns were +1 in 21 minutes.
2. Durant can unlock Deandre Ayton's defense
Phoenix traded two quality defensive players, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, in the deal to get Durant, but Durant is also good on that end — and he's also a lot taller than those two. With the long-armed Durant, who stands 7-feet tall in shoes, the Suns have a secondary rim protector. That means Phoenix can be more aggressive with center Deandre Ayton.
With Durant available to deter drivers and block shots — he had two blocks Wednesday night — Ayton is free to come out on ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll. Even at 7-feet, Ayton is impressive at sticking to smaller players on the perimeter. Durant's presence allows for Ayton to terrorize opposing wings without exposing the lane.
3. Devin Booker has never seen so many open shots
The Suns' All-Star guard is really good at creating his own shot and even scoring over and through multiple defenders, as he showed off Wednesday.
With Durant on the floor, opposing teams simply can't or won't commit double teams to Booker. As good as Booker is, teams still fear Durant as much as any offensive player in the league. That's why Durant still saw doubles with Kyrie Irving on the floor in Brooklyn. It's one game, but Booker's 37 points Wednesday indicate he might be the biggest beneficiary of Durant's arrival.
Booker will get more distance to get off his shots, but he also benefits from plays that use Durant as a decoy. When midrange masters Chris Paul and Durant run a pick-and-roll, the defense has to pay attention, and the result is a wide-open three for Booker.
4. The Suns will be dangerous in the playoffs as long as no one gets hurt
Injuries can derail any NBA team, but the Suns do have a serious lack of depth behind their starters. Then again, any bench unit looks better when Durant is leading it, a result of coach Monty Williams adjusting his rotations for Durant's minutes limit. Booker, Ayton, Paul and Durant on the court together is terrifying, but replacing any of them with Torrey Craig or Josh Okogie makes the team much less intimidating. That's one reason why Phoenix was essentially even with Durant out of the game, even though Charlotte is one of the worst teams in the league.
5. Phoenix's old chemistry problems could be gone
Phoenix had a tough offseason, with the owner getting suspended for a year, Jae Crowder leaving the team and Ayton not talking with Williams. The Suns even reportedly offered to trade Paul for Irving.
Now, they're all focused on winning a championship, something Ayton described as "less smiles, more seriousness." Still, he thinks playing with KD Wednesday was "real fun."
Somehow the Suns are happier and also more serious. That's bad news for the other teams in the Western Conference — and maybe the whole NBA.
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