Kevin Durant He is proud to have shared a dressing room with some of the best players of his generation. From Stephen Curry to James Harden, from Kyrie Irving to Russell Westbrook, not leaving out others like Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and now Devin Booker. In his different experiences of each kind, he has performed a wide range of functions and roles, but now, Phoenix Sanswhen he finally plays alongside a base NET, Chris Paul.
It probably doesn’t exist in the nba another athlete who best represents what this position stands for. And that’s it PC3 They are part of a select group of privileged people who understand and see the game from a different level. He keeps his cool when chaos takes over the game, directs, orders and puts the dots on his teammates like a coach.
In contrast, Durant has played with guards of very different profiles. Pioneer scorer like Curry, baroque figures like Kyrie or given to heliocentrism as happened with Westbrook.
This leaves KD with an unusual scenario. in this new scenario and challenge ahead. The star adapts to any context and function, but without the ball he can do the most damage to opposing teams, which is exactly what Paul does best. The veteran Suns point guard is a true master at pacing, distributing and always finding a way to get the ball to whoever is in the best position to score.
Two meetings since Durant’s debut were enough to verify the obvious: that KD suits Phoenix.
If you go a little further than that statement, if you really focus on the game, you can see that the pairing formed by CP3 and the veteran forward can end up being unstoppable in Playoffs.
🙌 KD’s stitches were falling out of his hands last night
🔥 20 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field
✅ And victory against the Bulls!pic.twitter.com/o6o1C8PmxP
— Sportingnewses Spain 🇪🇸 (@sportingnewses) March 4, 2023
One of the keys noted before his debut was Durant’s ability to react to double tags. This, which is taken for granted when talking about a star, becomes extremely important when the game slows down in the postseason.
There the opponents try to take the attacker out of those spaces in which they feel most comfortable or to take the ball away from them. If in an unreliable structure like the one in Brooklyn KD was able to stay just before the Conference Finals, now with the best organizational point guard in the last 15 years the possibilities are endless.
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With this in mind, another reading should be considered. Before the double marker, Durant reacts with good sense of the game, attacking the trap when due or redistributed. This is where his help Chris Paul. Just one piece of information to illustrate this: CP3 has been released 52.8% on 3-pointers in the slot. That is, if, as seen in the clip above, the opposing defense closes in on KD after a pass from Paul, the veteran will not forgive from afar.
At the same time, his new figure Phoenix He is a constant danger when he does not have the ball. In a way that’s different from what the likes of Devin Booker or Kyrie Irving can offer, Durant is in a special class capable of scoring whenever he wants, no matter what the opposing defense throws at him. That is, how hard doesn’t matterthe relevant thing is that he has enough of the ball.
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In two meetings it has been shown how unstoppable a weapon of this style can be alongside a phenomenal passer like Paul, so much so that even Devin Booker has been able to find him. Help may not end up adding CP3, but every action in which Durant produces It has the stamp of the base.
The real value of the Suns leader is making sure everything is working as it should, that everyone has scoring opportunities and that the offensive chemistry is right. With a Kevin Durant who at this point in his career doesn’t need to be in constant contact with the ball to hit, Chris Paul is the ultimate partner.
The possibilities of bringing these two together are endless and how you can unlock an unknown version of Kevin Durant on your way to success.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
