Getty Kevin Durant (left) and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns will kick off their playoff run against the Los Angeles Clippers in their continued pursuit to deliver the franchise’s first-ever NBA title. New Suns owner Matt Ishbia swung for the fences at the trade deadline, surrendering two key rotation players, Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson, in addition to several first-round draft picks to land two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
But despite adding Durant to an already star-studded cast that features Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Ayton, not everyone is convinced that they are this year’s title favorites. Rajon Rondo, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, doesn’t believe they have enough to win it all.
“The depth – say KD goes for 30, Book goes for 30 and Paul goes for 20. I mean that’s not enough points as a team to win in the West,” Rondo said on ESPN’s First Take.
.@RajonRondo has the Lakers and Clippers as his favorites in the West right now 👀
Kevin Durant Ready for ‘Fun Part’ of the Season
When the Suns traded for Durant, he was rehabbing from a sprained MCL he suffered in January. Shortly after his debut, he played just three games before being sidelined again after suffering an injury during pre-game warmups. The bad news is that Durant has only appeared in eight games for the Suns heading into the playoffs. The good news is that the team has an 8-0 record in games he has played. Now as the level of competition intensifies, Durant says he is ready for the “fun part” of the season.
“Great opportunity to play the game of ball, extend your season. I think that’s the fun part. I didn’t feel like I played enough ball to my standards so it’s good to get some extra games in the playoffs and just play the game and have some fun out there and compete,” Durant said to reporters on April 12 via the Arizona Republic.
“Preparation is always fun. Getting some extra time to work on your individual game in this little four, to five-day break between the playoffs is always cool for me. Feeling good.”
Kevin Durant Comes to Russell Westbrook’s Defense
One of the storylines for the Suns’ first-round matchup with the Clippers is Durant and former teammate Russell Westbrook going to battle for the first time in the NBA Playoffs.
Westbrook started the season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was traded at the deadline and has fit well with this Clippers squad. But before that, he had come under much scrutiny for how he played for the Lakers. Earlier in the year, Durant was one of the first people to come to Westbrook’s defense.
“I understand that there’s certain points where you don’t play well and you are open to criticism when you don’t play well — we get that,” Durant said of Westbrook on his podcast, “The ETCs” in October.
“But it’s like now you’re making him the butt of your jokes. It’s getting to a point where it’s like alright, I get the criticism for what he did that night, but now it’s starting to reach a different level with some shit that I don’t understand right now… The dialogue around our game is just so toxic at this point. I get criticism, but it’s starting to turn into something else right now.”
.@KDTrey5 on the criticism Russell Westbrook has been receiving:
“It’s like now you’re making him the butt of your jokes. … The dialog around our game is just so toxic at this point. I get criticism [on the court], but it’s starting to turn into something else right now.”