After Kevin Durant was traded at the deadline on Feb. 9, many have waited patiently for him to make his Phoenix Suns’ debut. The former MVP has been sidelined since early January due to an MCL injury.
Amid recent developments, it appears the wait is over. The Phoenix Suns announced on Twitter that KD is expected to suit up against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday.
Before getting injured, Kevin Durant was in the midst of an MVP-level season for the Brooklyn Nets. In 39 games, he is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
At long last, the NBA world will finally get its first glimpse of Durant alongside Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton.
Kevin Durant has limited time to make it work with Phoenix Suns
When the Phoenix Suns traded away a haul of assets to bring in KD, expectations instantly skyrocketed. Upon adding the two-time Finals MVP, they are now at the top of the list of championship contenders.
Phoenix (33-29) might have all the pieces to make an NBA Finals run, but one thing they are lacking is time. Including his debut against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, Durant and the Suns have just 20 games to gel before the postseason.
On top of making things mesh with their new core, the Suns also have little margin for error in the standings. The Western Conference standings have been air-tight all season as multiple teams want to make a deep playoff push.
Right now, the Suns sit in fourth place and are three games behind the Sacramento Kings (35-25) for third. That being said, only three games separate the Phoenix and the 11th-place Portland Trail Blazers (29-31). If they don’t come out of the gates hot, it could completely change their path to the NBA Finals.
One thing they have going for them is that KD has proven to be the best plug-and-play player in history. His skill set allows him to easily fit into any system no matter what kind of talent is around him. This should allow Phoenix to have minimal growing pains as the new star enters the fold.
Phoenix also has one of the best floor generals in the game to fall back on. Chris Paul is still one of the top facilitators in the league and will make sure everyone gets the proper touches.
With Kevin Durant’s debut in place now, all the league can do is wait to see if it has another superteam on its hands.