"He just looked shell-shocked and bothered mentally from start to finish" - Vince Carter sounds off on Kevin Durant's abysmal performance against the Celtics
Kevin Durant's season before he sprained his MCL put him in the conversation for MVP, but after his return, things spiraled out of control. The Brooklyn Nets couldn't grab a playoff spot and were forced into the play-in tournament. Once they made it to the playoffs, the Boston Celtics swept them in four games, with Brooklyn becoming the only team to be swept in the first round.
For anyone who has seen Durant play in his career, it felt like the Boston Celtics put him in chains. The Celtics held Durant to 38.5% shooting, including 33.3% from the 3-point line on 5.3 attempts per game. The key was to severely restrict Durant's movement in the paint, and with the physicality of the Celtics, Durant got touched up on every single possession.
On ESPN's "Get Up," former NBA player Vince Carter sounded off on Durant's performance against the Celtics:
"I thought he was shell-shocked. You come into a series, and you're like 'What defense are they going to throw at me?' Well, they were physical. They were under him. They were nagging him, just getting under his skin.
"Sometimes, you can get under KD's skin when you're a little physical, when you just bump him around a little bit, when you foul him, maybe say a few words to him. ... It didn't help that he got the turnovers (a career playoff-worst 5.3 per game). He wasn't making shots. ... To me, he just looked shell-shocked and bothered mentally from start to finish."
Durant and Kyrie Irving's offensive prowess was put to rest by the Celtics in four straight games. There is an ever-growing feeling among fans and analysts alike that bodying Durant might just be the answer to the seven-footer with a handle.
Kevin Durant's minutes-load this season reflects just how broken down the Brooklyn Nets were this season
Kevin Durant averaged 37.2 minutes per game in the regular-season, which is his highest since the 2013-14 season. In nearly 37.2 minutes per game, Durant averaged 29.9 points on 51.8% shooting. He took 20.3 shots per game, which is tied for the second-highest in his career, behind only his 2013-14 MVP run.
Durant's minutes-load in the first round of the playoffs was the highest in the league at 44.0 per game. This trend should be a warning sign for Brooklyn: No matter how good an NBA player is, he can never do it alone and in this case, even Kyrie Irving could not help them.
Durant on the Milwaukee Bucks' 2021 semifinals strategy:
"Their plan was 'Well, KD can't beat us by himself. Let him go crazy'" (h/t) The Old Man & The Three
Although it took seven games last season, the plan certainly worked.