“He’s a champion, he’s an all-time great” - Nicolas Batum on where Kevin Durant ranks among superstars

There are plenty of eyes on the No. 4 versus No. 5 matchup in the Western Conference of the NBA playoffs. The Phoenix Suns will face the LA Clippers, with both teams going for nearly the duration of the season without knowing what their teams are capable of.

Injuries and load management have been a major storyline across the NBA and especially with these organizations.

However, neither team is taking each other lightly. Clippers forward Nicolas Batum was asked where Kevin Durant ranks among the matchups that he will be tasked with on defense. The Frenchman showered Durant with praise:

"I respect all those guys, but he's in a different category," Batum said. "KD is different than all those guys. All those guys are great, but KD is KD. He's a champion, he's an all-time great, one of the best small forwards we have ever seen in the league and in this game overall. So, it's not easy when you face matchups like this."

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"I respect all those guys, but he's in a different category. KD is different than all those guys. All those guys are great, but KD is KD. He's a champion, he's an all-time great."

Nicolas Batum on where Kevin Durant ranks among star opponents.

(via @TomerAzarly)

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"I respect all those guys, but he's in a different category. KD is different than all those guys. All those guys are great, but KD is KD. He's a champion, he's an all-time great."

Nicolas Batum on where Kevin Durant ranks among star opponents.

(via @TomerAzarly) https://t.co/XsWJOzLwmO

Suns vs. Clippers expectations:

The Suns are considered significant favorites in the matchup, with DraftKings giving them -525 odds to win the series with the Clippers as +390 underdogs.

The biggest reason for this is the injury to LA Clippers star Paul George. The eight-time All-Star has been sidelined since March 21 with a knee sprain, and the expectation is that he will not be cleared before the series concludes. George has averaged 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season, so Los Angeles will need to make up this production.

Throughout his four seasons with the Clippers, George has played just 118 games alongside Kawhi Leonard. It will be up to Leonard to step things up and find a way to take down Durant and the rest of the Suns in the opening-round matchup.

Batum also playfully pointed out that Leonard could be tasked with guarding Durant to end his answer to this question. Both Durant and Leonard play with a championship pedigree and are two of the most dominant two-way players across the NBA.

Durant has played just eight games with the Suns since being traded there midseason. He missed an extended period of time due to an ankle injury that he suffered in warmups before his home debut. While Phoenix is 8-0 in the matchups that Durant has played, the playoffs are a different beast, and the team will need to continue figuring out how to play together when it matters most.

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