Phoenix Suns fans are happy with how the team finished this season, as they don't have to play extra games in the Play-In Tournament. While the 2023-24 NBA season was a wild ride for the Suns, they still managed to sneak and secure a playoff spot before it ended. Of course, the credit goes to the entire team who worked extremely hard, but one player stood out among the rest.
The team had high expectations coming into the season as they formed the Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. Unfortunately, there were some hardships along the way that made the team's season gritty.
But the Suns are determined to make it to the postseason, which is why they finished with the sixth spot in the West. Additionally, Durant's first full season with the team gave Phoenix a better shot at being a playoff team. For that reason alone, he should be considered the team's best player this season.
Despite the amount of stars playing for the Suns, there can only be one who stood out among the rest. Durant's availability was key to how he became the team's best player this season.
Out of all the stars in the team, it was the former Texas star who led the team in more ways than one. Durant played the most games out of the three All-Stars the Suns have. He finished the season playing 75 games, while Booker is close behind with 68 games played. Due to a series of injuries, Beal only played 53 games.
Aside from his availability, his production on the court has been instrumental to their season. He's tied with Booker in scoring, as both of them finished with 27.1 points for Phoenix. But what separates him from the All-Star guard is his efficiency. Durant's high efficiency from beyond the arc was useful for the Suns.
The star forward finished shooting 41.3 percent. Which is the third highest for players who played at least 50 games and attempted at least four shots. From the field, Durant was second behind Drew Eubanks as he finished shooting 52.3 percent.
It's only fitting that he finished the season as the team's best player. Durant was chosen by our team as the MVP for the first half of the season, and he finished strong.
The two-time champion has always impressed the viewers with how good he is. This time, it's different. Durant is already 35 years old and there's always been a norm that NBA players who reach that age usually start to decline. But not KD, as he's still on top of his game and is ready to have a seven-game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Suns will lean on Durant for their first-round matchup against the Wolves. All-Star guard Anthony Edwards gave props to the greatness of the star forward. But Edwards is confident that Jaden McDaniels will excel in guarding him and make life difficult for KD.
Anthony Edwards:
— DailySportsDosage (@SportsDsd) February 20, 2023
Jaden McDaniels > Kevin Durant pic.twitter.com/POmGeOAfqS
"They got KD but we got Jaden McDaniels."Anthony Edwards
It's upon Durant to show the Wolves why he's been the best player for the Suns this season.