“It’s demoralizing as a defender” - Blake Griffin talks about guarding Kevin Durant and the impact it has on defenders
Blake Griffin shares his thoughts on what it means to guard Kevin Durant. It has proved to be an almost impossible task to guard the small forward in the 2021-22 NBA season.
During the Nets - Philadelphia 76ers' post-game conference, Blake Griffin responded to a question asked by a journalist about how difficult it is for a defender to guard Kevin Durant.
Having guarded Durant at some point in his career, Griffin stated that whatever is stacked against him, he is unaffected and makes the shot. He also pointed out that Kevin Durant bests every team's top defender and that it can be demoralizing to guard the 6-feet 10-inches 2-time NBA champion.
"He's been the most unaffected basketball player, probably of all-time... They've got some good defenders on their team. Obviously, he gets everybody's best defender every night. Double teams, whatever it is. High-difficulty shots and he just goes over and shoots it like nobody's there. And it's demoralizing as a defender, cos you know, you feel like you've done everything you can, you've played your defense and he still gat it."
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How will Kevin Durant's absence affect the Brooklyn Nets?
Kevin Durant has tested positive for the Covid-19 virus and has entered into the NBA health and safety protocols. This saw him miss the Brooklyn Nets encounter with the Orlando Magic.
Prior to being placed in the protocols, the small forward had only missed two of the Nets' 29 games played. The first was against the Magic in their second meeting of the season, where the Nets escaped with a 2-point differential. Kevin Durant was absent for the second time in a loss to the Houston Rockets.
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His importance to the team is as clear as day, with the Nets losing last night to the Magic in his absence. James Harden is also currently under health and safety protocols, meaning the defeat was almost expected. Patty Mills was required to step up and take the lead as he posted 23 points, but it wasn't enough to secure a win on the night.
Kevin Durant has been the key to the Nets' success this season and his absence spells doom for their position as the no. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. He holds the record for the most points per game in the 2021-22 NBA season and the most points scored in a single game.