The Phoenix Suns swung arguably the biggest trade in NBA history when they dealt for Kevin Durant prior to the February 9 trade deadline. Durant immediately vaults the middling Suns into legitimate title contention, giving them another bonafide star to supplement the Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton-led core. And on Wednesday night, with Durant making his debut for the Suns, he showed just how scary to play against he makes his newest team.
After a 20-game absence due to a knee injury, Durant played in just 26 minutes against the lowly Charlotte Hornets. But the two-time NBA Finals MVP sure made those minutes count.
Kevin Durant tallied 23 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals on a sterling 10-15 shooting from the field (2-4 from deep), leading the way for the Suns en route to an easy 105-91 victory over the Hornets on the road. It was like Durant never missed time due to injury.
Kevin Durant in his Suns debut š„
23 points 10-of-15 FG
6 rebounds 2-of-4 3PT
2 assists 26 minutes
2 blocks +/- of +13 pic.twitter.com/BFO3dG3qtXā ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 2, 2023
In Durant's Suns debut, however, it was Devin Booker who stole the show. Booker tallied 37 points to lead the way for a Suns team looking to separate itself from the Western Conference pack.
Other than Kevin Durant's otherworldly efficiency, he sure passed the eye-test with flying colors. He was moving with the same svelte movements that has powered the entirety of his Hall of Fame-caliber career, and given more time away from his injury woes, it's not too unreasonable to expect that the best of Durant in The Valley is yet to come.
Alas, the Suns may need a more challenging litmus test than the Hornets to more accurately gauge how well they stack up with the rest of the opposition. A game on Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks, their playoff conquerors in 2022, should be an entertaining back-and-forth matchup between former teammates Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Nonetheless, matchups against teams such as the Hornets are necessary for contending teams such as the Suns to build the requisite chemistry following a blockbuster trade. Kudos to the Suns for taking care of business in convincing fashion, which other Western Conference playoff teams such as the Mavs and Los Angeles Clippers couldn't attest to at the moment.
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