The Phoenix Suns evened their first round 2023 NBA Playoffs series against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. Speaking on the rest of the series on Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith revealed his stunning take on who he would want between Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant for the rest of the series.
Molly Qerim: "Who would you rather have moving forward? KD or Kawhi?"
Stephen A. Smith: "Believe it or not, Kawhi for this series"
Molly: "You? Mr. Kevin Durant?"
SAS: "Yes."
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/yCPWLmNtnb
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 19, 2023
“The aggressiveness of Kawhi Leonard is what I'm leaning on…he's looking for his shot, he's looking to be aggressive. Kevin Durant is looking to make the right play, he's looking to fit in. At any moment that you give Kawhi Leonard a sliver, he wants to take over…that's what I want from a superstar in a series like this.”
Stephen A. Smith is essentially saying that Leonard is playing to win, while Durant still looks like he is navigating the best ways to mesh with a team he is still getting used to. In an elimination series, Smith has a point that a team would want its superstar to create their own opportunities as much as they can.
Through two games, the series is tied 1-1 and heading back to Los Angeles. Despite losing Game 2, the Clippers will take a road win before their 2023 NBA Playoffs debut at Crypto.com Arena. The Suns came in the favorites for this series, however it looks to be pretty even through two games.
Leonard and Durant are both off to great starts to the series, as Leonard is averaging 34.5 points across two games while Durant is averaging 26.o points. With the Clippers going back to Los Angeles having a win under their belt, Stephen A. Smith might be correct in siding with Leonard for the rest of this first round matchup.
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