Kenny Smith, Reggie Miller differ on Phoenix Suns' postseason hopes with Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is truly a special player.
So Kenny Smith expects the Phoenix Suns to make the adjustments to him and could see that impacting their chances of winning an NBA championship this season.
“When you have a great player come to your team, it's different from having a great piece come to your team,” the two-time NBA champion and TNT NBA analyst said during a media call Wednesday with Hall of Famer and fellow TNT NBA analyst, Reggie Miller.
“A great piece, that one individual, when he comes to your team, he’s going to learn your system, he’s going to learn what the other guys are doing and he’s the only one who is going to be challenged to figure out things. When you have a great player like Kevin Durant come in, you’re changing your offense.”
The Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn for T.J. Warren and Durant before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
“So 12 people are going to be learning what Kevin can do,” Smith continued. “It’s not the opposite. The chemistry could be short-changed because of that. That’s the negative to that when you have a great player.”
Smith sees the long-term benefits of having a great player, but just looking at this season, the addition of Durant and ensuing adjustments the Suns will have to make could present challenges that’ll impact their postseason.
The Suns (32-28) have 22 games left after the All-Star break when Durant will at some point return from a right MCL sprain. Their first game out of the break is Feb. 24 at home against Oklahoma City.
“You might lose four or five games and now you become a fifth seed or seventh seed instead of a third seed with the way the West is and that could be the difference between winning a championship this year or not,” Smith said.
Phoenix is fifth in the West going the All-Star break, but just a half game behind the Clippers (33-28).
Suns All-Star point guard Chris Paul hinted to the adjustments just hours after the trade was made official Feb. 9.
"A lot of emotions."
"I talked to 'Kal on my way to the game."
"I'm excited. I've known KD for a long time."
"Just somebody who loves the game like that."
Chris Paul react to blockbuster deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder to Nets for Kevin Durant. #Suns pic.twitter.com/yrgwPRTYU0— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 10, 2023
“Special players call for special situations,” Paul said after losing at Atlanta. “Luckily, we’ve got an amazing coaching staff. We’ll talk, we’ll figure it out and we’ll see what it looks like.”
Smith said the Suns will be more difficult to guard with Durant teaming up with Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Paul, but has Denver as the favorites to reach the finals out the Western Conference.
“I think they’re the team that has the least amount of adjustments to make in the second half of the season,” Smith said. “They just have to stay the course.”
Miller has Phoenix as the favorite to win the West with a disclaimer and return to the finals just two years removed from their 2021 appearance that ended in losing to the Bucks in six games.
“There’s a lot of X-factors here with health being probably the big elephant in the room,” Miller said.
The Suns have been riddled with injuries all season while Durant is returning from one.
“If these dudes are all healthy, you’ve got to almost say they’re the favorite in the West,” Miller continued. “You’d have to say they’d be favorites to win if everyone is healthy because of their talent, experience.”
Miller noted the Suns traded away Bridges, Johnson, Crowder, who didn’t play for the Suns this season, and Dario Saric, who they traded along with a second-round pick to the Thunder for Darius Bazley.
“They gave up a lot,” Miller said. “If I had any questions going forward, those three guys (Durant, Booker and Paul) are fantastic, but I know they all can’t play 48 minutes and you need to have some type of supporting cast that are going to tread water while these guys get a break. I’ll be curious to see how the second unit and your sixth, seventh and eighth man play.”
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: TNT NBA analysts talk Phoenix Suns' playoff hopes with Kevin Durant
