Just in: Is Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant truly displeased? Clarification of Remarks by Stephen A. Smith
Just in: Is Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant truly displeased? Clarification of Remarks by Stephen A. Smith
Fans anticipated that, in contrast to his time playing for the Brooklyn Nets, All-Star forward Kevin Durant would settle in with the Phoenix Suns when he joined them last season. But despite recently losing in the playoffs, NBA pundit Stephen A. Smith claims he was never content in the Valley.
The Suns made a bold trade for Bradley Beal in the offseason, sending Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards. Phoenix was viewed as genuine title challengers after the deal was completed because their roster had three outstanding scorers.
The Kevin Durant-led squad failed to place in the top three of the Western Conference during the regular season, shattering that expectation. Rather, their 49-33 record barely got them a sixth-place ranking. The fact that their 13th-ranked defense and poor bench were supporting their ninth-ranked offense did not help either.
Their opening round series with Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves brought all of these elements to light. Phoenix struggled to shoot the ball, committed more mistakes, and pulled down fewer offensive rebounds than their opponents over those four games. The Suns’ early playoff exit was therefore unexpected.
Stephen A. Smith Provides Clarification Regarding Kevin Durant’s Dissatisfaction With The Phoenix Suns
Stephen A. Smith implied that Durant wasn’t satisfied with his club after Minnesota defeated the Phoenix Suns, leading some fans to believe that. However, the NBA commentator clarified things lately in a post that he shared on X:
Untrue! I mentioned that he has a reputation in basketball circles for never being happy. Other than him, who the devil knows what he’s feeling? However, that is the statement made. This is the reputation he has earned. That’s what I said, now.
If the claim that Durant was happy in Phoenix was accurate, he was still performing at a very high level when playing Minnesota. The two-time NBA champion averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in those four games while shooting 55 percent from the floor.
What happens to Durant in the offseason is still to be seen. But one thing is for sure: if the Suns front office wants to turn this squad around, they will need to make a number of difficult choices.
