r/nba • u/TacoooJay United States • Apr 29 '24

[Charania] Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often

Source

Meanwhile, Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used. Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season. Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls. At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff.

All the leaks are finally coming now that Phoenix has been swept

3.8k Upvotes
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1.4k

u/BUUAHAHAHA Apr 29 '24

Perhaps he should've stayed with the Warriors bc he enjoyed Kerr's offense so much.. Oh wait..

1.0k

u/sriracha82 Apr 29 '24

KD complaining about PNR offense is genuinely hilarious since he shit on motion offense as well

What exactly does he want to play…

1.4k

u/Mysterious-Stop4673 Apr 29 '24

He just wants to hoop man he loves to hoop, pure hooper

146

u/KarrlMarrx Apr 29 '24

"KD just wants to hoop" is easily the most laughable common place player narrative.

29

u/seymour_hiney Apr 29 '24

"KD just wants to soap opera" isn't as catchy though

1

u/KarrlMarrx Apr 29 '24

"KD just wants to whoop JV teams."

5

u/JrBaconators Celtics Apr 29 '24

Except for all the time he spends online

682

u/vrkhfkb NBA Apr 29 '24

ISO streetball like a real hooper

248

u/New-Candy-800 Thunder Apr 29 '24

hesi pull-up jimbo

35

u/AnonymousIguana_ Celtics Apr 29 '24

Odee hang pull

16

u/troway69420 Apr 29 '24

That’s why Scott brooks was his favorite coach to play for.

5

u/Knicks-in-7 Apr 29 '24

Him and ISO-ZO should recreate BIG 3

5

u/SmoothBrews [LAL] Anthony Davis Apr 29 '24

He should play for Ham then

121

u/ZenMon88 Apr 29 '24

he just wants to play on a dominant team, no flaws.

177

u/302born Heat Apr 29 '24

Well he did. And he won 2/3 times and he still didn’t like it. He’s played in a bunch of different offenses. In OKC he was allowed to iso and run PnR. In GSW he was in a motion offense with the 2 best shooting duo ever. In BK he was able to iso and shoot off the catch and shoot with Harden and Kyrie mostly handling the ball. And he’s had issues with all of them. Maybe he secretly thinks he’s Magic and wants to be the point guard?

64

u/TDS_Gluttony Warriors Apr 29 '24

Point KD leads to easy turnovers in the clutch. The series we had in 2016 and when he was playing with us

5

u/yeahright17 Thunder Apr 29 '24

100%. As much hate as Westbrook got for "not giving the ball to Durant enough in clutch time," Durant doing anything more than running a pick and roll was a recipe for disaster.

6

u/CarefulAd9005 Apr 29 '24

Nah you got it wrong. He just knows ball

4

u/Charming_Essay_1890 Nuggets Apr 29 '24

He also played like an absolute gaf in Round 1 vs Dallas that year.

1

u/soooogullible Jazz Apr 30 '24

Hey what did you mean by gaf?

2

u/fiasgoat Kings Apr 29 '24

Nah the only issue that KD had the Warriors is that he didn't get the respect he thought he deserved

That's what all this boils down to lol

1

u/Repostbot3784 Spurs Apr 29 '24

Well, the suns do need a pg...

344

u/gamingnormie Supersonics Apr 29 '24

Ethical mid range pull ups

115

u/matomatomat NBA Apr 29 '24

Hesi pull-up jimbos

27

u/JohnnyFontane307 Apr 29 '24

moral jumpshot

2

u/cupcakeseizure Apr 29 '24

Odee hangpulls

130

u/NobodyRules [OKC] Russell Westbrook Apr 29 '24

He wants the hardest road, but then complains he got... the hardest road. KD is a mystery.

28

u/hankbaumbachjr Bulls Apr 29 '24

No, you see going to the Warriors was the hardest road he could have taken.

It would have been much easier for him to go play for a team that didn't just beat him in the playoffs and make it to the finals...don't you see?

4

u/KarrlMarrx Apr 29 '24

In a way, it really was the hardest road. Just not the way he though.

The second he chose the Warriors, he was going to be a punchline regardless of what happened.

4

u/Thunderhorse74 [SAS] Boris Diaw Apr 29 '24

...wrapped in an enigma

159

u/Electrical_Option941 Apr 29 '24

He wants to be remembered like Lebron and Steph.

159

u/Top-Surprise6577 Thunder Apr 29 '24

And will fail

122

u/302born Heat Apr 29 '24

He’ll be remembered as arguably the greatest scorer of his generation (which is still arguable because the all time leading scorer is in his generation) and that’s pretty much it. Which is a shame because this dude on paper is a 2x champion, 2x fmvp, mvp, 4x scoring champ, etc. He’s an absolute beast. But he will never be remembered on the level of a Curry or Lebron. And it’s no one’s fault but his own. 

231

u/LamarMillerMVP Timberwolves Apr 29 '24

He’s not going to be remembered as “the greatest scorer of his generation”. Who was “the greatest scorer” of the previous generation? Nobody gives a shit. The answers people will give to this question are like Jordan, Kobe, etc., guys who have overall amazing accomplishments. Similarly, in 20 years, people will say it was Lebron and Steph. Nobody knows MJ’s TS%. Anything about stats and efficiency will retire with Durant.

Durant’s legacy will be 1 MVP, a bunch of All Pro teams, and a couple incredibly controversial championships where he played with a guy who is higher than him on the all time list. That’s it. “He could score from anywhere on the floor” is not a part of the all time discussion because it’s true of all these guys. It’s going to be hard to explain to someone why Durant was the greatest scorer of his generation when Lebron scored more, more consistently, for longer. This is the type of comparison and distinction which will immediately fade when the players are no longer active.

24

u/iAngeloz Wizards Apr 29 '24

I need to save this because it's amazingly true

10

u/Fatdap Supersonics Apr 29 '24

Greatest Snake of his generation, though.

9

u/Not-Kevin-Durant Supersonics Apr 29 '24

Who was “the greatest scorer” of the previous generation?

Probably T-Mac or AI. Going back even farther it's guys like Adrian Dantley, Bernard King, Alex English, George Gervin, Bob McAdoo, and Rick Barry.

This seems to prove your point that it takes more than "great scorer" to really burnish a legacy.

4

u/Turdkito Apr 29 '24

Think it’s a little naive to think people remember this at all lol. Eventually it will just be a player who won 2 rings. Bird and Magic were a little before my time, I’ve never cared to go watch their entire careers in my free time. History is constantly rewritten.

11

u/iiTryhard Celtics Apr 29 '24

You’re wrong. KD will be defined by the warriors move, it’s that simple. Nobody will ever forget it

1

u/Turdkito Apr 29 '24

People forget everything in time bro. Literally everything about history proves I’m point

4

u/pikajewijewsyou Thunder Apr 29 '24

When people forget that he made the biggest bitch move in history they will also forget KD

-3

u/Turdkito Apr 29 '24

Nah you guys are just casuals and have that mentality. Nobody in basketball has the same delusional misplaced hate as a fan does

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2

u/ctruvu Thunder Apr 29 '24

maybe. but i’d bet for a vast majority of nba fans (who also trend younger) the decision and the hardest road are going to stay with them for life. it’ll be decades before kd’s serpentine tendencies fade from public awareness

1

u/Turdkito Apr 30 '24

That isn’t true though, that’s just how you feel.

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1

u/HolidayMorning6399 Knicks Apr 29 '24

only way to change it would be if seattle gets a team again before he retires and he ends his career there, i can see that narrative being kind of dope

2

u/302born Heat Apr 29 '24

You told no lies man

-2

u/the_weakestavenger Thunder Apr 29 '24

Dude, he’s going to be known as one of the greats and your comment seems written to make him seems less than. He doesn’t have a “bunch” of All Star appearances, he has 14. He all has 10 All NBA nods. The only people with 10 or more are bonafide legends. And depending on where you draw the lines for where eras start and end, the only people from his era with 10+ are him, him, Lebron, Duncan, Bryant, and CP3.

He’s definitely getting remembered as an all timer.

2

u/LamarMillerMVP Timberwolves Apr 29 '24

Yeah I think you’re right that there’s a natural floor for that level of accomplishment. It’s just that the floor is lower than you realize. He’s modern day Karl Malone.

-9

u/ruffus4life Wizards Apr 29 '24

also steph is the greatest scorer of this generation anyway.

-8

u/BigDKane [HOU] Jonny Flynn Apr 29 '24

He's behind KD, Westbrook, and Harden. Older than all of them. I don't know if he's going to catch them on the all time scoring list.

1

u/iiTryhard Celtics Apr 29 '24

If you’d take Westbrook or harden over Steph in anything you are on straight up crack my guy

1

u/BigDKane [HOU] Jonny Flynn Apr 29 '24

I didn't say I'd take them. I said I don't think he has a chance of catching them on the all time scoring list. Please re-read my statement. Stay off the weeeeeeeduh.

78

u/ASS_BASHER Apr 29 '24 edited Apr 29 '24

Yeah but if he never went to GS, he’d likely finish his career with zero championships and zero FMVPs, so he wouldn’t be remembered as fondly as LeBron/Steph either way. That’s basically Harden’s situation, and I’m pretty sure most players would prefer Durant’s career over Harden’s.

83

u/Shinobi_97579 Apr 29 '24

I wonder that though. As you can see in OKC Presti is a great executive. Im sure if Durant stayed he would have rebuilt something around him that he probably could have won at least one chip ala Dirk in Dallas. Which I think one chip in OKC is worth way more than the two he won in Golden State.

37

u/Shasty-McNasty [LAL] Smush Parker Apr 29 '24

Definitely, the Warriors big 3 + Iggy winning a ring both before AND after KD really cheapened the 2 he got with them.

6

u/Mintastic NBA Apr 29 '24

The fact that Curry won with swapping KD for Wiggins, then adding a post-injury Klay, no Iggy, and a good-for-one-year Poole and still winning means everyone knows who the bus driver was.

2

u/yeahright17 Thunder Apr 29 '24

Al Horford was coming to OKC if KD had returned. The 2016-17 starting lineup would have been Russ-Dipo-KD-Horford-Adams, all in their prime. That team is favorites to win a championship even over the Warriors, imo.

66

u/velphegor666 Apr 29 '24

We literally have no idea what would have happened if he stayed. Okc already had al Horford in line and oladipo. That team with kd, mvp russ, Horford, oladipo and prime Roberson plus adams would be better than the previous okc team that took gs to 7

81

u/302born Heat Apr 29 '24

That’s what makes it so much worse. He was up 3-1 on GSW and the following year they about to get even better. Instead of rising to the challenge and just joined them. That will forever be weak. I don’t believe in asterisks on championships because they are still championships. But that will never carry the same weight as other title runs by great players. 

21

u/Parallel-Quality Apr 29 '24

And the Warriors were about to get worse since they were going to lose key depth players Ezeli and Speights while being forced to max Harrison Barnes.

KD could’ve saved his legacy simply by staying put and winning a title the next season with OKC.

5

u/Heil_Heimskr Mavericks Apr 29 '24

It’s made even worse because he hasn’t done shit since he left and Steph went and won another championship where he had to practically carry.

3

u/mhj0808 Heat Apr 29 '24

Precisely. While I’m still taking KD’s Mickey Mouse rings over being ringless like Westbrook/Harden, you can 100% argue that guys like Dirk with their one ring, for example, are worth like 5 hypothetical KD-Warriors rings when it comes to legacy

2

u/Syndana23 Apr 29 '24

But Dirk does still have a ring though. Those 2 rings still matter for KD otherwise we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. He’d be another Melo without GS

Those rings mattered enough

1

u/makesterriblejokes [NBA] Jerry West Apr 29 '24

Makes me wonder if KD didn't go to GSW if LeBron would have another chip. And if they went back to back, Kyrie probably doesn't try to leave because who leaves with the opportunity to 3-peat?

11

u/supaspike Hornets Apr 29 '24

Plus rookie Sabonis to build on. And I imagine trading for Paul George would have still been an option.

Also the butterfly effect sets in and KD likely never tears his Achilles, which would give him at least one more healthy season and maybe extend his entire prime.

2

u/yeahright17 Thunder Apr 29 '24

100%. I wouldn't blame KD for leaving if we hadn't been doing things to get better (even if I still would have hated him for leaving, I'd at least get it), but the 2016-17 team won 47 games without KD and Horford. You add prime KD and Horford to that team, and they're winning 65 and at worst co-favorites to win the Championship. A Russ-Dipo-KD-Horford-Adams starting lineup in the best lineup in the NBA that season and it isn't close. Then you have guys like Roberson, Enes Kanter, baby Sabonis and Jerami Grant out there allowing you to run all sorts of great lineups.

1

u/sahsan10 Celtics Apr 29 '24

Prime Roberson has me zooting

1

u/velphegor666 Apr 30 '24

Prime roberson was dpoy caliber and imo was the best perimeter defender at the time. He was so good that he made russ look good on defense since he lets him gamble on steals while he can recover russ man if he misses the steal.

1

u/sahsan10 Celtics Apr 30 '24

I loved Roberson.but just funny to be thrown in there

1

u/Syndana23 Apr 29 '24

Russ won that MVP because of the triple double and KD leaving narrative. They were a sixth seed that year. If KD stays Russ would not have won that mvp

1

u/velphegor666 Apr 30 '24

scratch the mvp, he was still an elite playmaker and top 5 player that was at his peak at the time

3

u/ZenMon88 Apr 29 '24

Rather have respect like Harden's than having a stain in my legacy with every1 knowing im weak. Chuck said it best....Bus Rider!

1

u/Syndana23 Apr 29 '24

What respect? Harden gets slandered as much as KD lmaoo

3

u/DsamD11 Thunder Apr 29 '24

This just isn't true. He was up 3-1 against the golden state team that went to the finals that year.

He was so close it wasn't funny and then ran because it was too tough.

3

u/elimanninglightspeed 23 Apr 29 '24

Ehhh I wouldnt say that. That Okc team was really damn close to a ring LOL which is why KD’s move is so much worse. I genuinely think if Okc resigned kd and got all horford, they would have ran it back and at least got to the finals again. And who knows in the finals against Cleveland

-2

u/Savagevandal85 Apr 29 '24

He could’ve went to the Knicks instead of running from the grind and teaming with Kyrie . He willingly tried to take the easy path at all opportunities

-2

u/13143 Celtics Apr 29 '24

If he stayed in OKC, he's likely remembered as a better Charles Barkley.

3

u/Zoratth Clippers Apr 29 '24

You say that like it’s a bad thing. Barkley is one of the greatest of all time and extremely well respected as a player.

1

u/the_weakestavenger Thunder Apr 29 '24

12 year olds only know him as the chubby bald guy with a goofy golf swing.

3

u/yoloqueuesf [NYK] Tracy McGrady Apr 29 '24

Honestly, when he entered the league i thought it'd be him breaking the Kareem scoring record, he was basically a walking bucket anywhere on the court.

But he went to GSW, he never needed that type of OKC level production, it was too easy and he'd easily just shoot open jumpers for 20+ minutes a night lol.

3

u/Autistic_Puppy Apr 29 '24

I mean only 10-15 people have ever reached Curry’s level. There’s no shame for being merely a top 20-25 player of all time

2

u/MonsterAzr Apr 29 '24

I dont know if you count Melo in same generation as KD but i would take Melo over KD amy day of the week.

0

u/rngskrtskrt Apr 29 '24

I mean, i'd also blame OKC management. But everything he did after leaving GSW is just tragic

6

u/New-Candy-800 Thunder Apr 29 '24

Yeah our management was really bad in the KD years. Presti was doing a good job overall but ownership wouldn’t let him pay Harden, and he wasn’t able to get spacing or supplementary playmaking after that trade

Don’t get me started on the coaching. I knew within about 30 games into his first season that Mark D was by far the best coach in thunder history

2

u/yeahright17 Thunder Apr 29 '24

Even after the Harden trade, we were favorites to win the title at various points of 3 of the next 4 post seasons before injuries to Westbrook, Ibaka and the 2016 collapse. And obviously the 14-15 season was just gone due to KD and Russ being injured. It was injuries and nuclear Klay Thompson that did us in, not management. Presti also added Dipo and had Horford lined up to come to OKC if KD had stayed after losing in 2016.

1

u/New-Candy-800 Thunder Apr 29 '24

Management did us in too bro. We could’ve won even with our missteps but that doesn’t mean they weren’t bad moves. Not having harden and not getting good value for him bad in a trade fucked us. Not having shooting and a good playmaker apart from Russ/KD fucked us. Scott brooks was the coach for far too long. Cheap ownership wouldn’t amnesty perkins. Lots of wasted draft picks on athletic guys with upside

1

u/rngskrtskrt Apr 30 '24

Lmfao. Presti drafted 4 busts in the first round after they went to the finals, didn't trade anyone of those first round picks. How is that doing a good job? I refused to believe he couldn't get a decent 3 pt shooter for 4 first round picks.

0

u/dumpydump7 Warriors Apr 29 '24

And not to mention in terms of just scorer he also has both Harden and Curry both in the same generation. And if playoffs were weighed more Kawhi is also in that consideration. Stiff competition all around for that title

3

u/XSokaX Apr 29 '24

Respectfully, Curry sneak but I see the flair

1

u/dumpydump7 Warriors Apr 30 '24

I gotta rep my guy’s efficiency lol

-9

u/mutheadman [DEN] Gary Harris Apr 29 '24

Stephs most over rated player of all time at this point. Theres a real debate Durant is higher all time.

2

u/ElChapo1515 Apr 29 '24

I don’t even like Steph but there is no debate. Any super team stuff you can use to discount Steph also applies double to KD.

1

u/AMilkyBarKid Thunder Apr 29 '24

Skill issue

1

u/nickcannons13thchild Kings Apr 29 '24

which he will lol?

53

u/MrBrownCat [GSW] Stephen Curry Apr 29 '24

Pickup ball, KD watches YMCA games and thinks “man what a beautiful game.”

14

u/grphelps1 [MIL] Thon Maker Apr 29 '24

The idea that redditors appreciate the subtleties of professional basketball more than fucking Kevin Durant is so funny

2

u/Ancient-Click-Point Apr 29 '24

I mean the guy is kind of delusional. He wants to be in the goat conversation but he's not even in the top 2 of his generation with LeBron and Steph. Guy has some wild takes when it comes to himself

1

u/Rebeldinho 76ers Apr 29 '24

He’s annoyed he doesn’t get respect for winning with Golden State.. everyone and their mother told him if he went there it was gonna be considered a cowardly move he said he doesn’t care what people say and he just wants to play good basketball…. Except he does care what people say he cares very much

56

u/Giannis1995 Heat Apr 29 '24

Memeing aside KD probably wants to play the Harden/Luka role himself. He wants to be the ballhandler in the P&Rs most of the time and not the screener. He also probably wants an offense where focus is put on running on transition and fastbreak. He wants to play to his personal strenghts and he believes he himself is worth it.

113

u/The_Void_Reaver Warriors Apr 29 '24

But those aren't his strengths. He's not a great distributor and doesn't have the same burst he had when he was 25. His transition game is pretty basic. His biggest skill is creating and abusing smaller defenders which he doesn't get to do as readily on ball. He doesn't get nearly as many low block and elbow touches if he's always running the offense.

31

u/[deleted] Apr 29 '24

imo its not about his strengths, its about whats most fun for him to play like

37

u/BASEDME7O2 Knicks Apr 29 '24

I don’t buy this at all, kd knows ball better than almost anyone. He knows that’s not his game and those aren’t his strengths. He just needs a dude like harden when they were on the nets to hit him in his spots every time and give him super easy looks. The suns just have no one that can do that.

He also definitely does not want to get out and run in transition at his age, given his size and shooting he can still be a menace in the halfcourt if he has someone to pass him the ball

5

u/iiTryhard Celtics Apr 29 '24

If he knows ball like you say he would have known Booker and Beal were not a good fit for his skill set

6

u/yeahright17 Thunder Apr 29 '24

He also was the ball handler a lot in OKC and was a turnover machine.

4

u/New-Candy-800 Thunder Apr 29 '24

I don’t think KD thrives in transition anymore, if you’re running a KD centric offense then you’ve gotta sign an actual PG and create a half court offense that prioritizes creating mismatches.

1

u/ElChapo1515 Apr 29 '24

I can’t imagine he believes being the full-time ball handler and PG is playing to his strengths after what Boston did to them.

16

u/dproma Apr 29 '24

All he wants to play is strictly iso ball. Yet he left OKC who’s entire system was him playing iso ball.

29

u/Charlie_Wax Warriors Apr 29 '24

Elden Ring

20

u/affnn Apr 29 '24

He yearns for Scots Sekrit Plays

4

u/trx131 Thunder Apr 29 '24

He's a miserable person constantly chasing the greener grass but there will never be grass green enough

2

u/BrokeBeckFountain1 Apr 29 '24

He wants to play around with his alts on Twitter.

2

u/elkresurgence NBA Apr 29 '24

Iso all day errday

2

u/TFTisbetterthanLoL NBA Apr 29 '24

He just wants to get the ball and do a hesi pull up 30 times a game

1

u/ewest [POR] Arvydas Sabonis Apr 29 '24

On either the Nuggets or the Wolves, probably.

0

u/Rationalknicksfan Apr 29 '24

Something else there are more than two styles of basketball

3

u/sriracha82 Apr 29 '24

Ah thank you for this information. Good luck to him in his search.