In a disappointing road game, the Suns suffered a massive loss to the Clippers by nearly 30 points, and the loss was like a resounding death knell that the Suns may not be able to recover this season. The team's lineup construction and tactical execution failed to work, like an inaccurate precision instrument. The opponent Clippers seem to be a mirror that reflects the current situation of the Suns, with all-round scorers George, Leonard and Harden in the team, the core of the organization Harden is like a silky commander to control the rhythm of the whole court, and there is also the cold-blooded killer Leonard who is sure to win at critical moments and the defensive ironclad George and Leonard duo. It is also a Big Three model, in contrast, the Suns lack a stable playmaker and a tough defensive pillar in addition to Booker's sharp scoring sword. Do you really have to rely on players on base salary contracts to fill these vital vacancies?
When head coach Vogel reluctantly offered Durant to play the No. 5 position, with the peculiar lineup of Booker, Beal, Gordon, and Allen, his helpless expression was already revealed to the world - the dilemma at the moment is difficult to solve. The most embarrassing role on the Suns is undoubtedly Durant himself: young Booker still has a lot of time chasing championships, and Beal's career has long been labeled as "high-paid and incompetent", his presence is not the focus, and unless he joins the Suns, ** will almost forget about him. However, Durant's situation has been devastating – an overwhelming flood of criticism, questioning and ridicule. Looking at his past choices and future opportunities, the superstar's dream of winning a title in Phoenix seems increasingly out of reach.
Despite this, there is disagreement as to whether Durant will choose to leave again. After all, no one expected him to abandon the Nets, where he built the empire and nearly became a god in the epic seven-game game against the Bucks. The blame for the Nets' failure is more blamed on Irving, and even Harden has been branded as a "deserter." The Nets are very benevolent to Durant, and they do not hesitate to pay a salary to recuperate until he recovers, and it stands to reason that Durant should stick to it and win the respect of the public, regardless of success or failure. However, under the pressure of the Warriors reaching the top again, Durant couldn't bear this expectation, and resolutely applied for a trade to Joe Tsai, aiming at the Suns, who had just returned from the Finals stage. In the midst of this cascading dramatic turn, Durant's fate has become confusing.
"Finals exclusive" has become another glaring label on Durant, and when he joined the Suns, he was burdened with countless reproaches and ridicule. It is well known that even if he wins the championship and wins the FMVP crown with the Suns, it will not erase the aura of his warrior days in the historical honor books. After all, the fact that the Suns are always at the heart of Booker is always controversial, which is why the public has cast a sarcastic look at Durant and find it difficult to understand his choice. Now, in the Suns, Durant, even the possibility of competing for the championship seems to be fading, as if he is destined to become the laughing stock of everyone.
In other words, Durant's career is now plagued by the predicament he has created. Imagine if he would be able to escape from the sunRationally, the answer is yes - Durant still has huge market value, and once he submits another trade request, more than half of the teams will be eager to dial the Suns management. However, the harsh reality is that once the Suns are determined to let Durant go, they are almost on the path of rebuilding;Even if it doesn't rebuild completely, it will open its mouth to the Lions and ask for a huge package of chips, including multiple valuable first-round picks and instant players. This situation is tantamount to a replica of Durant's original joining the Suns: in order to welcome his arrival, the Suns not only took all the future first-round picks, but also reluctantly gave up the defensive iron gate Bridges and Johnson and others.
In this way, Durant's arrival has changed the sun's face beyond recognition, and if he leaves at this moment, the new next family will also be greatly damaged and greatly weakened by paying a huge price. So, what if Durant chooses to stay with the Suns?The current situation is worrying: the team's roster structure is unbalanced, it cannot be effectively adjusted in the short term, there are no first-round picks in hand to reinforce, and the chemistry between the coaching staff and the existing squad is not satisfactory, and it seems to be stuck in a dead cycle of time consumption.
Another idea is to emulate the farewell to the Warriors, and Durant will find another "world of his own" as a free agent. But this plan also faces serious challenges, because Durant still has three years left on his current contract, and even if he chooses to jump out in the final year, he will be 37 years old by then, and not everyone will be able to maintain peak condition like James, and it is unknown what Durant's status will be and what his injury status will be. More critically, it is difficult to see a superstar with Irving's top-level strength who is willing to build a career with Durant and sees him as a leader. All in all, Durant's current situation can be described as a dilemma, whether he stays or goes, it seems that he will not be able to bring about a substantial change, and the chances of touching the championship trophy again in his career are becoming more and more slim. All these predicaments stem precisely from his own decisions and choices.