“Who’s gonna shoot this rock” – Iman Shumpert raises serious issue with Kevin Durant & Devin Booker on Suns
At this season's trade deadline, Kevin Durant found himself heading to a new situation. After a crazy tenure with the Brooklyn Nets, he was shipped to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade.
Following this move, Kevin Durant once again found himself surrounded by star-level talent. There was Devin Booker, former No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, and Chris Paul. The team hoped it'd be in the mix to compete for the NBA title, but was eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the second round.
This offseason, the Suns made another massive trade to bring in another star. Chris Paul was routed to the Golden State Warriors to make way for Washington Wizards All-Star Bradley Beal.
With a trio of Beal, KD, and Booker, Phoenix is going to be one tough team to defend. However, one former player has some doubts about the NBA's newest superteam.
During a recent appearance on the "No Chill" podcast, Iman Shumpert spoke with Gilbert Arenas about his concerns with the Suns. He feels the trio of stars will have a tough time deciding who will take the big shots in close games.
"I do want to see what happens when K and Book like who takes the shot because I know y'all both got the same mindset, how do y'all do that?
"At the end of the game, we need to know who's gonna shoot this rock."
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns are sure to have growing pains
With this abundance of stars coming together, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns are sure to have growing pains. They didn't have much time to get KD acclimated this season, and now have to make way for another star entering the fold.
What Shumpert brought up might seem small, but it is a valid point. On a team loaded with end-of-game scorers, only one of them gets to take the last shot. Having KD, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal gives them options, but this is still something they'll have to work out amongst themselves.
Every time a superteam has formed in the NBA, we've seen the stars struggle to find their footing. The same should be expected from the Suns to start next season. With three alpha-male players in the mix, they'll have to work out a hierarchy they can all get behind.
It might take some time, but if their trio of stars can make it work, the rest of the league will have a tough time trying to defend them.