Grading the Phoenix Suns' starting five at the halfway point of the season
By Luke Duffy
Kevin Durant
Of the Suns' three superstar level talents, Durant so far has had the best season. Some of his fourth-quarter numbers are troubling, but he sits third in 3-point shooting percentage at 47.1 percent, while the 28.9 points per contest is higher than on two of the four occasions he has won the NBA's scoring title in the past.
Offensively Durant has done it all for this group, and at 35-years-old he is still perhaps the safest option in the league with the ball in his hands to get you a bucket. He is showing no signs of slowing down, despite the massive load he has been asked to carry this season. If anything he seems to be enjoying the challenge more than ever.
Having an inside enforcer might be beneficial for Durant, but if anything manning the center position himself is probably going to be the direction head coach Frank Vogel takes this roster in the postseason. We saw a glimpse of this recently, with Durant himself more than happy to chip in on the defensive end.
What more could you ask for from one of the 20 best players to ever do it - and perhaps the best scorer the league has ever seen - than to see them talk enthusiastically about defending at the highest level possible too. Durant hasn't been perfect, but then again, neither have the Suns. He's been brilliant.