Power Forward – Kevin Durant
Who else but one of the best to ever do it could occupy this spot in the lineup? Having Durant at the four ensures he plays in the position that is most comfortable to him. There was some concern that Durant at the five could be the direction the Suns were going to go, once they got rid of Ayton.
Injuries to his teammates could yet make this uncomfortable dream a reality – and if that did happen – offensively the Suns would destroy most of the opponents they came up against. This would also put a toll on Durant’s 35-year-old body that the organization would also want to avoid.
Which is why when it really matters, Durant will be out there in the same position he has terrorized the league in for well over a decade. Having him next to Bol is part of the intrigue as well, because Bol is somehow even taller than Durant. Can you imagine trying to guard these two, and then having to contend with Booker and Beal as well?
This is not to compare Durant and Bol, there literally is no comparison offensively, but Bol’s body type and shot-making ability would mean one defender would have to stick with him. If they decided to cheat off him and onto Durant, or even Beal, then Bol would have all the time in the world to knock down the shots which we saw him make with the Magic last season.
So the appeal of Durant here isn’t just that he can bail you out of any offensive possession, and will make the kinds of shots that will have the opponent’s bench reacting. He also allows the Suns to bring a raw talent like Bol into the mix, albeit for a small period of time, to make this group impossible to guard properly.