3 Phoenix Suns players who will benefit the most from adding Durant
By Aaron Coe
There is an old aphorism that a rising tide lifts all boats, which is what the Phoenix Suns hope Kevin Durant is, a rising tide.
Anytime a team can add a first-ballot hall-of-Famer to their squad, it will improve them. We saw a couple of seasons ago the impact Chris Paul could have on a young Phoenix Suns team looking to learn how to win. Now a couple of years later, the Suns have again added a major superstar to the team, with Durant joining from Brooklyn.
A nine-time all-NBA performer, a four-time scoring champion, and a former MVP, Durant brings skills, experience, and rings to the desert, which the Suns hope will push them over the top. If Durant is going to help the Suns reach glory, that means several other players will have to do their part, including these three, who should instantly be better with Durant in the squad.
Durant makes everyone’s job easier, especially the point guards
Phoenix may have a point god, Chris Paul, running the team, but at 37 years of age, Paul has many miles on his tires. Although he has gotten more rest this season than last season – mostly due to injury – we’ve learned CP3 can only handle so much of a load in the playoffs.
Currently, the options behind Paul are point guard are not exactly great, with Cameron Payne out injured and young Saban Lee getting the bulk of the backup minutes. This is where Durant comes in.
No, KD will not play the point guard position for Phoenix. However, he is going to handle the ball a lot. We know Devin Booker can help alleviate the pressure on Paul and provide an alternative ball-handler; now the Suns have a second option, besides Booker, to handle the ball under pressure when CP3 is unavailable or needs a rest.
Ideally, we have Paul running the pick-and-roll/pop with Durant and Booker spotting up as an option. However, we know there need to be alternatives, and Durant will ease the burden on Paul, hopefully keeping the point guard fresh and available until June.