Interview with Booker and Paul: With Durant, there is the last piece of the puzzle for the Suns to win the championship

This article was compiled from: The Athletic

Written by Sam Amick

原标题：Can the Suns win it all now with Kevin Durant? We asked Devin Booker and Chris Paul about what his return means

The Suns beat the Timberwolves 107-100 today, and Kevin Durant, who returned from injury, made his home debut for the Suns, shooting 5-of-18 from the field, scoring 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

It can be seen that Durant, who made his comeback debut, does not feel good, this is not his normal level, even teammate Ayton said: he is too excited! In this article, there is a view of Booker and Paul's views on Durant's joining, how exactly Durant has helped the Suns compete for the championship, see what they say!

1. How hard has it been for the NBA to win championships through mid-term trades?

What Chamberlain can't do at the peak, can Kevin Durant?

With the Phoenix Suns welcoming their new superstar back to their home game against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, with less than three weeks left before the NBA playoffs, the issue came into focus. Let's talk.

NBA mid-season deals don't usually spark championship races in the first round. Maybe it's because chemical reactions don't happen that quickly, maybe it's just a strange phenomenon. But it's widely believed that there are only about three players who can lead a new team to success in the first year...

· Mark Aguirre, a three-time All-Star who was traded from Dallas to Detroit in mid-February 1989, played 32 regular-season games with the Pistons and played well on their championship journey (15-2 overall in the playoffs).

· Clyde Drexler, a 10-time All-Star, moved to Houston from Portland in mid-February 1995, where he played 35 regular-season games with the No. 6 seed Rockets and played an irreplaceable role in their 22-game playoff championship journey. (They remain the lowest-seeded picks of any team ever seeded to win an NBA title.) )

· Rashid Wallace, a four-time All-Star, was sent to Detroit (via Atlanta) from Portland in mid-February, played 22 regular-season games with the Pistons, and then showed his two-way talent in 23 games in the playoffs (Wallace was traded to the Hawks in the first 10 days of being traded to the Pistons, playing only one game with the Hawks).

· Pau Gasol didn't win a championship in his first season with the Lakers, but here he has to be mentioned and saluted – this season they are close to a championship. After being traded from the Grizzlies on February 1, 2008, Gasol's addition eased tensions over Kobe's trade application last summer and helped the Lakers reach the Finals against the Celtics. They lost six games that season, but then won two more championships.

2. Can Durant rewrite Chamberlain's script?

Let's review the story of the Big Dipper (Chamberlain's nickname "The Big Dipper").

In mid-January 1965, when Chamberlain was the league's leading scorer for five straight seasons, the 28-year-old was sent from the San Francisco Warriors to the then-21-21 Philadelphia 76ers. He played in 35 regular-season games for the 76ers, averaging 30.1 points and 22.3 rebounds per game, even though the Phillies were just 18-17 in those 35 games. And by the playoffs, his personal greatness (averaging 29.3 points and 27.2 rebounds per game) wasn't enough to lead the 76ers to a championship. The 76ers were defeated by Bill Russell's Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals (the second of a three-round series), with the final game ending with the famous "Havlyuchek steal" moment.

When comparing Durant's situation to what has happened in history, Chamberlain's story — the greatest mid-season trade of all time while still playing at an MVP-level level — is the most similar. But to be honest, it's not close at all. Because the 76ers are inferior to the Suns in their regular season record and playoff performance.

On the eve of the playoffs, Durant and the Suns restarted their run-in after a brief break (due to Durant's injury), and the challenge was unprecedented. A sprained subknee ligament that put him off for six weeks and also delayed his Suns debut before returning to play just three games with Durant injuring his ankle again. What will happen next is obvious, and as the playoffs approach and Suns players like Devin Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndrew Ayton have shown confidence, it is just a matter of us to enjoy this unprecedented basketball experiment in the coming weeks.

If the 34-year-old Durant can lead the Suns (40-35; Fourth in the West) to win the team's first title, as well as his third title, in this crazy situation, will add another magnificent stroke to his already excellent basketball career, while also proving his dominance in the league once again (his contract will end in 2025-26).

3. How does Booker see the impact of Durant's addition to the Suns?

When I interviewed Booker at the end of November, I went out of my way to highlight to him some of the things that were hanging over the Suns on and off the court.

The disastrous performance against the Lone Rangers in the second round of the playoffs, as well as the COVID-19 outbreak, was clearly also a reason for failure. There are also rumors of a Durant trade over the summer. In September, the NBA's sanctions against Robert Saffer resulted in the team being sold to billionaire mortgage lender Matt Ishbeia. The team's tension with DeAndre Ayton (which appears to have improved after the Suns matched the Pacers' restricted free agent offer last summer). There were also some performances by Crowder that led to his long absence and was eventually traded to the Bucks in February.

It's not so bad to be able to play with Kevin Durant and wait a little longer.

So it looks like Kevin will be back soon, and some ideas about the game are all established, and in terms of time — it's crazy to be in time for the playoffs to start. And then in terms of the potential of this team, I think most people agree that you're going to set sail and get to the finish line – 'Let's go and have a championship parade.' Would you disagree with what I said?

No, you're absolutely right.

You've been through a lot of ups and downs in this league and you've accomplished a lot. But what do you think of all this?

It's tough. Like you said, many of the twists of things you just mentioned led to this result. We really just get through each day down-to-earth. Even before the trade, I delayed some time (5 weeks of groin strain), Cameron Johnson (who went to the Nets in the Durant trade), and Chris Paul also delayed some time (21 games in total). And finally, we started working together, and then the deal happened. We played a few games with Kevin after recovering from his knee injury and now we are still adjusting to each other every day. It's hard to make excuses, but I think it's all about shaping the character of our team. Despite the difficult situation, we have to get it done.

What do you think of the specific things Kevin can bring to the team? Last year, for example, when James Harden went to Philadelphia, or every other star player went to a good team, people usually needed more time to get to know the team. But I think the way you guys work, combined with Durant's ability as a player and the fact that we've seen him and other stars blend well with the Warriors before, Durant and the Suns could be a natural fit.

Yes, that's how I felt in my first three games with him. He's a top scorer and this is where he wants to be. So he obviously sees something in this team. He believes in everyone on this team, including the coach. You know, he worked with [Suns coach] Monty (Williams) [they worked together with the U.S. and together with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015-16]. He and Paul have also been teammates on the Olympic team, just like I was with him. So before [the deal] was reached, the two sides already had a tacit understanding. I think that's the first step, knowing what kind of person you're looking for. And he's the scorer we desperately need.

What role did you play in this transaction? How involved are you in communication, or behind the scenes?

I just want the deal to happen. But it's not easy. Obviously we got one of the best players of all time, but we also lost some young players like Cameron Johnson and Bridges. I guess it's part of the business, but losing them is really tough. There were rumors and speculation throughout the summer that [the Durant trade] was going to happen, but once they played well in Brooklyn, that wasn't possible. Then as we all know, Irving's relationship with the Nets deteriorated and was traded, so the opportunity to get Durant arose again.

The former Nets star asked to be traded before the February deadline and was subsequently traded for the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets also fulfilled Durant's request to be traded to the Suns, trading Durant and TJ Warren for Bridges, Johnson, 4 first-round picks and a 2028 first-round pick.

Are you proud of the important role you play in the team and receiving such accolades – players like that will be willing to follow in your footsteps?

Yes, I'm proud of that, let's start from scratch. That's the way it is, it's all going through tough times. Of course, we are also proud of it. Man, we were down-to-earth from the start, kept moving forward, and made winning the championship the ultimate goal. Even when Paul came (November 2020), (this was the case). Winning the championship has always been our ultimate goal.

It all starts with you. All the early failures, the hard work you've put into polishing your game, and the patience you've had over the years have finally driven this to happen.

Yes, brother, it's perseverance. That's where I've always stood there. I've seen bigger glory, and I understand the business of the league and I understand that the team was in a rebuilding phase. I'm just glad I'm in the sun and always have been in the sun.

As for Kevin, let's go back to those three games. In basketball, the data is sometimes not so real.

As I wrote last month, Booker has been hot in three games with Durant (winning Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas). He averaged 36 points per game, 25 shots per game, 56 percent overall and 6.7 three-pointers per game for 50 percent shooting, while also having 7.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 0.7 turnovers per game. Meanwhile, Durant averaged 26.7 points per game, shooting 69 percent from 14 shots and 53.8 percent from 4.3 three-pointers, averaging 32.7 minutes per game with 3.7 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 2 turnovers.

Honestly, my favorite part is that your opponents lose one over the other. You're obviously always remembered for that summer's video highlights – you don't want to be wrapped up, and now it's fair to say that you won't see too many of these things happen again.

Of course not, the space is very large now.

Ironically, in the summer of 2019, when Booker took a tough stance against the bag collection, Durant actually defended Booker on Twitter.

I'm curious, how do you feel in these three games? Wouldn't it be exciting?

It's exciting. A lot of shots, a lot of scoring opportunities. As for Durant, he's one of the best scorers in the game — even if he's not the best one. But he still plays the right way. He makes the team pay for the bag, and he's quick to tackle opponents. We're just playing. We read the game, we finish the game, we build the framework of the team and fill it in. He quickly adapted to it all and he knew what we were doing.

Did the chemical reaction happen naturally? Do you need to start with regular dinner together to build that connection? How did you handle this part of the matter?

We'd ride around home together, but we've done it before. Kevin is the kind of person who I would go to him even if we weren't teammates. He would come to my house when he came to Phoenix and vice versa. There is never that deliberate "Let's play together!" "The atmosphere, we have always been casual.

How many times do you think you've played together over the years?

There are some times, quite a few. Yes, it started when he was still with the Golden State Warriors.

Does he like your car? (Booker is known for his extensive collection of cars.) )

He also has quite a few. I'll try to help him get more cars. You can drive them in Arizona, it's cool.

4. Can Durant's arrival end Paul's championship-free career?

When it comes to personal gain, these playoffs are probably more important to Paul than any other Suns player. Not only is the 37-year-old Future Hall of Famer still seeking his first title, but his contract next season is only half guaranteed ($15.4 million of his $30.8 million contract). As a result, his future may not be so certain, especially if the Larry O'Brien Trophy cannot be brought to the Suns.

As reported in early February, before Irving was sent to Dallas, the Suns had offered Paul as part of a trade in exchange for Irving's offer. He missed 14 games from mid-November to mid-December with a heel injury, then seven more in January with a hip injury. However, since his comeback on Jan. 22, he has averaged 14 points per game (shooting 43.8% overall; Averaged 4.3 shots per game while shooting 33.1 percent, 9,8 assists and 1.7 steals, while the Suns had a 17-11 record.

So I know it's a good question, but it seems like running in with Kevin in this way is a unique challenge in terms of timing, especially when you're about to make the playoffs, right? How did you do it?

It's just to accept all this, you know what I mean?

Are you excited about all this?

Definitely! This is a must. Who wouldn't be excited?

Truly. But after the deal, you apparently didn't expect Kevin to take a three-week break? Will things change?

No, but that's life. I've been playing for 18 years, man, I've had injuries too, you know what I mean? What you have is what you are, and it doesn't change. Once [Durant's ankle injury] happened, I knew you couldn't change it. You can't change, so you have to face it head-on. When he comes back, we will be ready. Until then, we will be in charge of the field.

So what did these three matches with him teach you?

yes, I guess that shows (pauses)... I mean, playing with me, Booker, Ayton and Durant, you're going to get more open shots than you ever think, you know what I mean? He's a guy who attracts a lot of defensive attention. So the more games we play with him, the more we figure out — figure out how to play, how to stand, how to defend. I think everybody thinks about what he brings on the offensive end, but he also brings a lot on the defensive end.

In the three games Durant's game, the Suns conceded 111.1 points per 100 rounds. During that time, he ranked seventh in the league, slightly better than the team's 112 points per 100 points per 100 before his arrival this season.

If you look at how open competition is in the West this year, and how the league as a whole actually is, is it easier to have a championship mentality because of similar strength?

Brother, I've always had a doggy mentality and a long-term perspective. Play game by game, expectations are not too high, but not too low. I've been doing this for a long time. You have to be willing to accept good things happen, but also have the courage to bear the consequences of failure, and know how to maintain balance.