Getty Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns reacts during a game against the Charlotte Hornets.
It took a long time and multiple mathematical scenarios, but the NBA regular season is finally over, and now teams can begin to look toward the playoffs, where they will vie for an NBA title.
The Phoenix Suns will be looking to go to their second NBA Finals in three seasons and win their first title in franchise history. But superstar Kevin Durant will be looking to acquire his third NBA championship and potentially a third NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. If that does happen, Durant’s former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins, says that he will solidify himself as a top-10 player in NBA history.
“If Kevin Durant could deliver a title [to the Suns], along with a Finals MVP, someone in that top 10 greatest players of all-time is going to have to move out of the way and let KD walk on in,” Perkins said on the April 7th episode of ESPN’s “NBA Today” via Clutch Points.
“If Kevin Durant could deliver a title [to the Suns], along with a Finals MVP, someone in that top 10 greatest players of all-time is going to have to move out of the way and let KD walk on in.”
Agree with @KendrickPerkins? 🤔
Russell Westbrook Sounds off on Kevin Durant Matchup
The Suns, fortunately, avoided the play-in tournament and have a date with the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
In their matchup with the Clippers, Durant will stand opposite his former Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook. It will be the first time the former co-stars square off in the postseason. For those who may be tardy to the party, Durant spent the first nine seasons of his career wearing a Thunder uniform but had a sour exit from the franchise in July 2016.
After blowing a 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant joined the same team a mere weeks later when he became a free agent. Durant went on to win two championships with the Dubs, while Westbrook, was essentially stuck by himself before the franchise traded him to the Houston Rockets in 2019. Now with a chance at redemption against his former teammate, Westbrook says he is just happy to be back in the postseason.
“For me honestly getting back into the playoffs is more important,” Westbrook told Andrew Grief of The Los Angeles Times and Law Murray of The Athletic. “Matchup and all that, I’ll figure out in the next couple days, but excited just with the matchup and just play and compete at a high level, which we haven’t probably played a series against each other. It’s probably the first, I think. I don’t remember. So yeah, it’ll be good. Exciting.”
Devin Booker Sounds off on Kevin Durant
Earlier in the season, people expected to be in the playoffs, competing for a title. But most people thought he would be doing that as a member of the Brooklyn Nets next to Kyrie Irving. The Suns shocked everyone when they pulled the trigger on the blockbuster trade that brought Durant to Phoenix, and now he has the same goals with new teammates.
Injuries have prevented Durant from seeing much floor time as a member of the Suns. He has appeared in just eight games for Phoenix this season. But regardless of the lack of time, Durant has played during the season, Suns guard Devin Booker is excited to have him in the Valley.
“It’s very exciting,” Booker said in an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic. “A lot of space, a lot of opportunity. The thing about Kev is that he’s one of the best scorers – if not the best scorer – to ever play the game. But he still plays the right way. He makes teams pay for double-teaming, and he’ll get off it quickly. We just hoop. We make reads We make plays, and we start with a structure and our sets. He fits right into that, and he knows what we’re doing.”