Kevin Durant it’s back. After suffering an ankle injury in early March, the 13-time All-Star returned Wednesday with Phoenix Sans at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is Durant’s first game in Phoenix since joining the team.
While Durant and the Suns don’t have much time to get on the same page before the playoffs, there was A game from his debut that tells you everything you need to know about the headache he, Devin Booker and Chris Paul will be for their opponents.
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the movement
Paul finds Booker open for a triple.
THE ANALYSIS
Paul drives the ball into the lane for the Suns after a Mark Williams shot for the Hornets.
The Suns overload the right side of the floor with Booker, Josh Okogie and Deandre Ayton. This clears the left side for Paul to make a pick-and-roll with Durant.
Durant’s defender, Gordon Hayward, covers the pick-and-roll, likely to prevent Paul from turning the corner and coming up from the elbow, where his shot is automatic. The problem? That leaves Durant unguarded for a split second because Terry Rozier doesn’t want to hold him for an obvious reason: There’s not much a 6-foot guard can do to defend a 7-foot forward like Durant.
To prevent Durant from getting to the basket for a layup, a third defender, Kelly Oubre Jr., steps in.
The Hornets have been so focused on Paul and Durant that Booker, a three-time All-Star averaging 28.1 points this season, is now not defending… anyone?
Booker started the possession from the baseline, but went through some screens from Okogie and Ayton for an open three-point shot. He missed the shot, but he’s very good in those situations.
Not only is Booker leading the league in points off screens this season, but he’s converting those opportunities at a rate of 1.24 points per possession, which ranks in the 89th percentile. 45.9% of his three-point shooting. This is also one of the best marks in the league.
In short, the Suns will be very happy about this:
Because it’s important?
What was the defense supposed to do? It’s the standard prisoners’ dilemma, pick your poison, etc.
- If Hayward wasn’t covering, Paul would have only shot from the elbow, where it’s automatic.
- If Rozier switched defenses, Durant would have a very easy job in the post.
- If Oubre didn’t help, the Hornets would risk a 7-footer going solo to the rim.
Three different ways to defend a pick-and-roll, with no clear answer.
The Suns offense with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul
It’s just a game, but it shows Impossible decisions teams will have to make when Durant, Booker and Paul are on the floor together. The sample is small, of course, but the Suns scored 136.2 points per 100 possessions with the three of them on the court in the first three games they played together.
Is it sustainable? Absolutely not (it would be the best offensive rating of all time by far). But Durant, Booker and Paul give the Suns firepower that few teams – if any – Western Conference They will have a chance to stop.
The Suns vs. the other contenders in the West
Let’s break down these matches one by one.
The Suns are a nightmare for the Nuggets because they don’t have one, or two, but three of the best mid-range shooters in NBA history, who thrive against defenses more concerned with the drop. And that’s what Denver is doing with Nikola Jokic.
The Clippers have the size on the perimeter to take them down, but Paul George’s injury makes them an unknown.
The Kings have been one of the worst defenses in the NBA all season.
The Grizzlies have been one of the better defenses, but they’re missing two pieces of their rotation in Steven Adams and Brandon Clark, and it’s easy to assume the Suns will go after Ja Morad like they did Luka Doncic in last season’s playoffs. Even if Adams were to return, he would face some of the same defensive limitations as Nikola Jokic.
The Warriors are another unsung giant. They are the defending champions and have a core that has proven they can beat anyone. They have also struggled on the road all season and haven’t been as dominant on defense. If you think they’ll make the finals again, you’re probably more concerned with what they’ve accomplished in the past than what they’ve done this year.
It’s not like the Suns don’t have any their own problems. The injuries is one of them. Durant and Booker have missed a lot of playing time this season, and Chris Paul has a history of getting injured at the worst possible times. Another problem is the depth of campus The Suns sacrificed that to get Durant.
Beyond Durant, Booker, Paul and Ayton, one finds Okogie, Torrey Craig, Landry Shamet and Terrence Ross, valuable players but with clear limitations on one side of the court. Opposing teams will definitely copy what Dallas did earlier this season, ignoring Phoenix’s worst shooters.
However, if Durant, Booker and Paul are healthy, it will be hard to bet against the Suns because all three complement each other offensively. This play where Durant doesn’t even touch the ball and Booker misses a layup tells you everything you need to know about his championship potential.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
