USA Today via Reuters
There are only a few players who are unicorns in this league, and Kevin Durant is definitely one of them. In year 16 of his NBA career, the Slim Reaper keeps surprising his peers, which is exceptional to the least in an age where LeBron James and Stephen Curry still exist. At 35, KD is averaging a solid 28 points a game, along with 5.6 assists, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks each night, carrying one-half of the Phoenix Suns offensive load on his shoulders.
In the beginning of the season when both Bradley Beal and Devin Booker were out due to injury Durant carried the team alone. Even now, as they remain inconsistent, the 6th-seeded Suns title hopes rest majorly on him. However, offense alone can’t get a team to the Larry O’Brien trophy, defense is also an integral part of a contending franchise. Durant knows this better than his teammates having won twice while a Warrior. So, the Slim Reaper still strives to break new ground on defense, but there is a big “if” as a roadblock.
What’s stopping Kevin Durant from reaching his defensive potential?
In a conversation with Jake Fischer of ‘Yahoo Sports’, KD opens up about his strive for a greater defensive game. “Man, I really want to be all-around great at every area of the game, and the only way I can do that is if coach trusts me to be put in those positions,” KD told Yahoo Sports. So, from the looks of it the Slim Reaper just needs head-coach Fark Vogel to place him in front of key matchups so he can sharpen his defensive knife and be more effective come playoff time.
He further added, “I can’t practice that if I’m not in those positions. I’m asking for those matchups, I’m asking him to be creative with me on the defensive side so I can just get better, growing my experience and what it’s like to be an all-around defender.”
It’s commendable that KD still looks out to bring the best in himself. However, it’s already the last leg of the regular season and little time remains to wrap things up before the postseason. Can KD improve defensively to carry the Suns to an NBA title?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
