1. Suns players have frequent injuries, and Durant is the leading actor.
This Suns team has frequent injuries and is simply an "injury hospital". Before the start of the season, big-name interior Christopher Duane Beal died of injury and rested for a full month. That's enough of a headache. What's even more unacceptable is that two of the best stars in the season, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, have also suffered injuries of varying degrees recently. This is simply to add insult to injury, and for the Suns, it is tantamount to being stabbed three times.
Among them, the 34-year-old Durant's performance was particularly eye-catching, single-handedly carrying the Suns on his back. In the case of frequent injuries to his teammates, Durant not only did not choose to stop the offense, but began to go wild, showing amazing offensive firepower with his "suitable for all ages" face. He is averaging 31 points per game this season, 65 rebounds and 57 assists, and a shooting percentage of 52 from the field1% and 50%, fully up to superstar level. However, Durant isn't just a scorer or playmaker, he's also responsible for half of the Suns' defense. Every game, the opponent will send two tall players to form a flanking attack, making it difficult for Durant. Under such a difficult task, Durant's physical exertion can be imagined, and his face often shows fatigue.
Second, the Suns lineup is unbalanced, and Durant is overweighted.
The Suns' lineup can be summed up in one sentence: powerful on the inside, thin on the outside. Devin Booker and Christopher Duane Beal, two highly-paid interior players, are the team's happiest players and can often make beautiful layups from inside the box with ease. The problem is that both men are better at scoring straight away, making it difficult to organize offense or get teammates open shots.
In stark contrast, the Suns' perimeter configuration is very thin. With the exception of Durant, the others either have a low shooting percentage or are not very conscious, and it is difficult to decompress Durant. This left Durant alone and shouldering the burden of offense. Every time he attacked, Durant had to force a layup, which was tantamount to wearing out his physical strength and life faster and faster.
3. Trading Bill was a bad decision by the Suns.
In Durant's view, getting Christopher Duane Beal is undoubtedly an important part of the Suns' preparation for the championship. But we can't ignore Beal's poor injury history. He suffered a back injury early in the pre-season and was out for another month due to a back injury. Even if you make a comeback, there is no guarantee that similar problems will not happen again.
What's even more unacceptable to fans is that Beal still has a 4-year 2 in his hand$100 million super big contract. This contract will become a heavy burden for the Suns, severely limiting the team's flexibility. In comparison, it would undoubtedly be a wiser decision for the Suns to trade for James Harden or Kyrie Irving. But to the fans' regret, the Suns missed out on these big names and ended up with only one high-risk Beal.
Fourth, Durant's belief in pursuing a championship is admirable.
Previously, when Durant was on the Nets, he was already firmly in the first place in the East, and the championship was in his hands. But in pursuit of greater honor, he resolutely decided to give up this "easy money" ticket and switched to the Suns in the West to compete with the dynasty team Nuggets. This belief and courage to pursue the championship has impressed all fans.
In the Suns, we saw that Durant not only played his own All-Star statistics, but also sacrificed his personal offensive rhythm just to make Booker, Beal and other teammates feel good. Even if his teammates fell and were injured, Durant did not flinch at all, and only let people see his face that was becoming more and more courageous and had a firm look in his eyes.
However, it is a pity that Durant's dedication and hard work have not yet paid off. Neither the Suns' coaches nor management seem to realize the urgency of the issue and failed to provide Durant with support in a timely manner. At critical moments, Durant is still alone, which is really unbearable.
Closing question: Can the Suns solve the roster problem before the end of the regular season and avoid the championship dream being shattered?