“Golden State has reached the finals, replaced him with Andrew Wiggins, and hasn’t lost a beat” - Kendrick Perkins believes Kevin Durant is under pressure next season, wants to see if KD can lead the Nets
Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in 2019. Three years later, his former team is back in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games to clinch a finals berth for the sixth time in eight years. Meanwhile, KD was swept in the first round of the 2022 playoffs by the Boston Celtics.
The four-time scoring champ has not had much success since leaving the Warriors. In 2021, he was eliminated in the conference semifinals by the Milwaukee Bucks.
The NBA Today crew of Perk, Richard Jefferson, and Brian Windhorst gave their opinions on which player is under the most pressure next season. When Malika Andrews asked the question, Kendrick Perkins said:
"Kevin Durant is going to be under the most pressure next year, especially if the Golden State Warriors go on to win the title.
"He decided, and it was his decision to leave Golden State. Golden State has reached the finals, replaced him with Andrew Wiggins, and hasn't lost a beat when healthy.
"The performance that he had in this postseason against the Boston Celtics was horrible. He is going to have the most pressure. All eyes are going to be on him and what he does with this Brooklyn Nets organization and how far he can go.
"At the end of the day, we understand that he's a two-time MVP, a two-time finals MVP, but still in all, we want to see if Kevin Durant can lead the team by himself and get it done."
There is undoubtedly pressure on KD and the Nets to win a championship. They had a big three with three of the best offensive players in the league but failed to deliver.
Kevin Durant won two championships with the Golden State Warriors
After their 3-1 collapse against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State opted to bolster their squad and acquired Durant. The signing was immediately productive as they made their way back into the finals in his first season.
The Warriors squared off against the Cavs again. This time, they had an easier run with the help of KD. It was more of the same in 2018, as they only lost one game against Cleveland in two finals matchups.
Kevin Durant signed with Golden State on Independence Day in 2016
Four years later, the Slim Reaper is a back-to-back Finals MVP ready for a new chapter in Brooklyn 🔥 https://t.co/yNnWNTY1cL
Durant's availability was a major boost for the Warriors. He was awarded the Finals MVP award on both occasions.
A three-peat was in sight for the Warriors. However, injuries to Durant and Klay Thompson in the 2019 finals against the Toronto Raptors practically marked the end of their season. Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors won the title in six games.