3 Suns who are underperforming, 4 exceeding expectations at the All-Star break
By Will Eudy
Exceeding expectations: Kevin Durant
In all the years that we have had the privilege of watching Kevin Durant play basketball, he has scarcely had as little expectations placed on him to score as he does right now. With Devin Booker and Bradley Beal flanking him, the four-time scoring champion could comfortably take a backseat and allow his teammates to run the show. And if he did, no one should blame him.
But although you can argue Devin Booker is now the all-around better player, KD has shown no interest in taking a total backseat in Phoenix. He has come out on fire this season, looking as polished and lethal as he has ever looked in his career. 48 games into his season, he is putting up 28.2 points per game on 53/44/87% shooting splits.
Durant is obviously crucial to what the Suns are trying to achieve this season, and the level of play that he is sustaining is nothing short of ridiculous. At 35 years old and after several potentially debilitating injuries, it would be natural to think KD might take a step back or slow down even a little.
He has done nothing of the sort. In his 17th season, the Slim Reaper is still getting better and making high-level contributions on both ends of the floor.