No matter how many times Kevin Durant uses social media to remind detractors of his efforts and accomplishments, he will always be questioned following his team’s losses. Despite having a star-studded lineup that includes one of the greatest players of all time, the Suns are behind the Timberwolves 0-2 in the first round. The Phoenix franchise’s dismal performance has been attributed to a variety of factors, but Skip Bayless feels Durant is responsible.
On a recent broadcast of UNDISPUTED, the media veteran slammed the Suns, notably KD, for failing to get his team to the other side. Bayless believes Durant is no longer the same player who can decide the fate of a game on his own.
Recalling KD’s game seven performance against the Bucks in 2021, Bayless predicted that the Suns star would be in the similar condition against the Wolves. Unfortunately, the 72-year-old set himself up for disappointment by expecting to see something similar.
“I kept waiting last night; just go…”and he was OK. He was okay, not horrible, but he wasn’t KD, who took over two game threes in back-to-back years at LeBron’s house and in the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant no longer has the ability to shift into fifth, sixth, or seventh gears.
KD had 31 points, seven rebounds, and an assist in game one, but his performance plummeted considerably in game two, provoking Bayless’ outburst. In game two, the 35-year-old finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 41 minutes.
As true as Bayless’ critique is, fans must accept the fact that KD will be 36 in five months and cannot be held to the same standards that he once met on a daily basis.
Kevin Durant’s slide in the semifinals
It is an understatement to say that KD is one of the best scorers in NBA history. For years, the two-time 50-40-90 club member has been regarded as a scoring expert. However, something remarkable occurred during the 2022 postseason, when the Nets’ star faced the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series. The Celtics’ defense on KD, led by Jayson Tatum, provided a blueprint for the rest of the league on how to limit the extraordinary scorer.
It would be inaccurate to argue that the Celtics knocked the charisma out of KD’s game after that series, but the two-time NBA champion acknowledged that Tatum and his teammates possessed the league’s greatest defense. In this year’s playoffs, KD is averaging 24.5 points per game, the lowest in his career. To give him the benefit of his reputation, it’s just been two games, and we never know when someone like KD will hit a switch and change the course of the season.
