“You can’t look at him as the best player in the world…” - Stephen A. Smith says Kevin Durant’s performances in the first 2 games have been tragic
NBA and Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant has come under immense criticism after his performances in the opening two games against the Boston Celtics.
On ESPN's morning show First Take, sports media personality Stephen A. Smith spoke about how KD's performances in Game 2 were atrocious and how he is starting to question if Durant is the best player in the world. Stephen A. said:
"You can't look at him as the best player in the world which is what I've been saying for quite a while. This is a tragic performance by him in these first two games. I have never seen Kevin Durant look this bad."
"He looked shook, he looked rattled and I never thought I would see something like that happen to Kevin Durant on the offensive side of the ball. It was an abysmal, embarrassing performance by Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of getting swept."
KD had more shots than points in Game 1 at TD Garden as the Nets lost that game due to a buzzer beater from Jayson Tatum. In Game 2, The Slim Reaper converted just four of 17 shots as almost all of his points came from the free throw line.
The Brooklyn Nets are down 0-2 against the Celtics and @stephenasmith is appalled at the performance of KD.
“This is a tragic performance. … I have never seen Kevin Durant look this bad.” https://t.co/UKuCVHwxxV
Kevin Durant's MVP caliber season
Widely considered to be the best player in the game right now, Kevin Durant had an incredible season for the Nets before he was sidelined. Durant's injury came at the worst possible time as the Nets gathered steam, especially with Kyrie Irving's timely return to the lineup. That should have helped the team as they tried to re-establish chemistry on the court.
Durant finished the regular season averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists while shooting the ball higher than 38% from beyond the arc and nearly 52% from the field. He has recorded four triple-doubles this season and 189 double-doubles.
Initially, Durant made a strong case for the MVP award earlier in the campaign, and historically the team's record has played a pivotal role in deciding the regular season MVP. Durant had that in his favor as the Nets sat second in the Eastern Conference standings and only half a game behind leaders the Chicago Bulls before he was injured and things spiraled out of control for the Nets.
Durant held the fort for the Brooklyn-based franchise without the service of Irving and James Harden, who had fitness issues early on in the season. On top of all that, Durant suffered a catastrophic Achilles injury during the 2019 NBA Finals, which saw him be sidelined for more than a year.
While he did have an incredible regular season, KD and the Nets have their backs against the wall. The Celtics hold a 2-0 lead in this first-round series and find their season on the line in the next two games at home.