"I don't know a lot of 7-footers that are doing what he's doing with the ball" - Kyrie Irving expresses awe at Kevin Durant's passing ability
Kevin Durant will go down as one of the greatest scorers to ever grace a basketball court, but if his recent years with the Brooklyn Nets have been any indicator, the seven-foot tall sniper's passing ability should not be overlooked.
The 2022 NBA Playoffs have officially begun, in what saw the number seven ranked Brooklyn Nets face the eighth seed Cleveland Cavaliers for a spot in the NBA Playoffs in the 'play-in' tournament. The Nets came away with a resounding victory, led by stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are the 3rd pair of Nets teammates with 25 points and 10 assists in any game of the franchise's NBA history. They join Derrick Coleman & Rumeal Robinson (1993) and Eric Money & Bernard King (1979). https://t.co/hNTDAX0F1c
Speaking to the media post-game, the Brooklyn Nets point guard had this to say regarding his teammate Durant.
Irving said:
"I don't know a lot of 7-footers that are doing what he's doing with the ball"
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving torched the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 115-108 victory, which saw the Nets duo combine for 59 total points. The latter tallied three rebounds and 34 points on 80% shooting to go with his 11 assists.
The 'Slim Reaper', on the other hand, accumulated 25 points on 56% shooting from the field, whilst simultaneously racking up 12 assists. The performance prompted a response from teammate Kyrie Irving, who was astonished by the Forward's performance.
Kyrie Irving lauds the passing ability of Kevin Durant:
"I don't know a lot of 7-footers that are doing what he's doing with the ball in his hands as a playmaker, as often as he is" https://t.co/WOyl0ptaOK
Durant is known as the greatest scorer of his generation, and an argument can be made regarding where the two-time NBA Champion ranks amongst the all-time greats.
What has been a revelation, however, is how the forward has come into his own and evolved his game, thereby expanding his arsenal to be able to pick out teammates at any given moment since his time with the New York-based franchise began.
Kevin Durant: "Since 2013, I've been at 5 assists a night. So it's been 10 years of this. I feel like I'm an elite passer."
What does the Playoffs have in store for Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets are now set to be on a collision course with the number two ranked team in the Eastern Conference and the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series that will see one of the teams advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will face the winner of the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Boston Celtics are one team that should not be counted out, despite having Robert Williams out due to injury. The duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are more than capable of leading the Celtics in the NBA playoffs.
Jayson Tatum vs the Brooklyn Nets the past two seasons (regular and postseason | 12 games):
30.0 PTS
6.4 REB
3.8 AST
0.9 STL
0.8 BLK
59.9% TS
46/40/85 splits
*Two 50 point games, three 40+ point games*
Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets round one. Scary Hours. https://t.co/mhLPe4i0Vn
The Nets have what it takes to make it all the way to the finals of the NBA Championship, but the road ahead will only get more complex and strenuos.
This is due to the fact that legitimate threats are present, everywhere in the east, especially with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat all having fantastic seasons.
Brooklyn's best chance of winning comes with having 'scorer' Kyrie Irving firing on all cylinders, while Durant needs to be given the freedom to be himself and take over to lead the Nets to victory. As long as the team has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at 100%, the rest of the league needs to be on the lookout.