As Kevin Durant approaches another playoff run, the spotlight is on him to deliver for his Phoenix Suns. Even though the regular season had its ups and downs, Durant and his teammates have managed to get themselves into the playoff seedings. But now Stephen A. Smith thinks that the former league MVP’s legacy is at stake.
While speaking on First Take, Stephen A. Smith was talking about what Kevin Durant has done since leaving the Warriors.
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players you've ever seen in NBA history. He's got two championships, he's got two NBA Finals MVPs. But that was playing with the Splash Brothers. He hasn't been out of the 2nd round since he departed from Golden State. He never won a title before he arrived. If you get bounced out, how are we to look at him? It's not going to be in a good light. Because, what have you done, since you departed from Steph Curry? Stephan A Smith said
Smith suggested that if Durant exits in the first or second round of the playoffs, it will affect his legacy pretty badly. Especially as the recent playoff exits have already dealt a blow.
According to Smith, even if Durant was the best player on the Golden State Warriors, he has never excelled without his Warriors teammates. After all, he has been on superstar-laden teams throughout his career, yet never won a championship without the help of the best scoring duo in basketball.
During his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he had Russell Westbrook. With the Brooklyn Nets he had Kyrie Irving and for 1 season, James Harden. Despite all that, he never managed to win a title. Now with the Phoenix Suns, he is again surrounded by superstars. Yet they just managed to scrape into 6th spot.
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1st round
The reason why Stephen A. Smith is concerned about Kevin Durant’s legacy is because of who he will face in the 1st round. The Minnesota Timberwolves were the No. 1 team in the West for a considerable amount of time this year. Despite having less experience, the Timberwolves used their brand of inside-outside scoring and an elite defense to be at the top.
Therefore, it makes for an intriguing matchup when the games start on the 20th. Durant and his Phoenix Suns are going to have to dig deep to battle the inconsistency that has plagued them throughout the season. In the meantime, the Timberwolves will be looking to show that their conference-leading run was no fluke.
If the Suns do manage to beat the Timberwolves and advance to the 2nd round, they will face either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Denver Nuggets. If Kevin Durant does bow out in these rounds, it will raise the notion that cannot rise up to elite competition on his own merits.
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