“His injury is a potential disaster for the Suns” – Nick Wright highlights major concern for Phoenix after Kevin Durant’s injury
By acquiring Kevin Durant last month, the Phoenix Suns had seemingly transformed their season, getting back to being title contenders. However, after he injured his ankle before playing the OKC Thunder on Wednesday, the team's playoff hopes could be in jeopardy.
Analyst Nick Wright said the injury is a major concern for the Suns.
"Their first round series could be against Dallas, could be against the Warriors, could be against the Lakers, could be against the Clippers. Good teams. When a guy comes back, he ain't going 38 minutes full bore.
"KD's injury absolutely opens the door to the Suns getting bounced in Round 1, depending on when he comes back and how healthy he is. I feel terribly for him, but his injury is a potential disaster for the Suns."
"KD's injury absolutely opens the door to the Suns getting bounced in Round 1, depending on when he comes back & how healthy he is. I feel terribly for him, but his injury is a potential disaster for the Suns." — @getnickwright https://t.co/9QQ0PQvPDe
Durant's game against the Thunder could've been his Suns home debut. However, fans of the Arizona team will have to wait to see the All-Star forward play in their home arena. The 13-time All-Star has only played three games for Phoenix, all wins.
Also read: Fans go berserk as Kevin Durant tweaks ankle during pregame shoot around: "He slipped on Devin Bookers tears from all the crying he does"
Kevin Durant is giving opponents trouble when playing against the Suns
Kevin Durant has only played three games for Phoenix, but people have already seen the impact he brings. Offensively, he has made things easier for Devin Booker and Chris Paul to operate and get their own shots up. With the defense focused on Durant, the floor is wide open for other players to generate points on their own.
On the defensive side, KD's length helps cover a ton, especially in protecting the paint. It was seen in his first game against the Charlotte Hornets. Durant had two blocks, which were both a huge deal in them winning.
Defenses can't put their sole focus on Booker and Paul now that there's another star capable of creating his own shots. A star who's capable of dropping 25 points with ease isn't easy to stop. On top of that, he's paired with another star who is also a talented scorer.
It's only been three games, and the two-time champion has already made waves as an impact player for the Suns this season. This is why experts have been favoring Phoenix to win the title since executing the blockbuster trade.
Also read: Kevin Durant injury update: Phoenix Suns fear KD might be out for rest of the regular season