The Phoenix Suns were thought to be the best team in the Western Conference heading into the NBA playoffs, with the team adding superstar forward Kevin Durant into the mix to play alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
Despite putting together one of the most intimidating trios in the NBA, the Suns have failed to live up to expectations of a legitimate title contender in the West thus far.
The new-look Suns barely got out of the first round, with the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers giving their division rivals all they could handle even without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for most of the series.
Many chalked up the poor performance against the Clippers as a fluke due to the lack of time the team’s three best players had spent on the floor together, but that may not be the case.
Phoenix is now facing a 0-2 series deficit against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the second round, with Emmanuel Acho of Fox Sports starting to point the finger at Durant.
“If Kevin Durant is supposed to be one of the greatest scorers of all-time, then I need him to at least be one of the greatest scorers on the court whenever he’s on the court.” — @EmmanuelAcho pic.twitter.com/8kWXzcV2iR
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) May 2, 2023
Durant is coming off a 10-for-27 shooting performance in which the Nuggets made easy work of the Suns in Game 2, which is obviously concerning for Phoenix, especially considering that Paul might be done for the series after suffering a groin injury.
The Suns will need Durant’s offensive production now more than ever, or this second-round playoff series will end sooner rather than later.
Fortunately, the series now shifts to Phoenix, where Durant and company can gain some momentum if they can win in Game 3.
If the Suns fail to come out on top in Game 3, it’s very likely this series will end in a sweep or five games.
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