31 points + 41 points! An ugly victory, looking down on Paul, and you paid the price
The NBA has been in a different league this season, and the Eastern Conference has shown a clear disconnect so far, with the Celtics and Bucks becoming the only ones in the East. In addition, teams such as the Knicks, Cavaliers, and even the Heat, the 76ers, which are considered strong teams in the East, are likely to play a role in the playoff after entering the playoffs. The 76ers didn't show much discomfort after Harden left. On the contrary, in determining Embiid and Maxey as the absolute core, the 76ers are more clear in their tactical system, and they have won four consecutive victories so far.
However, without Harden, an experienced veteran, the 76ers will have a lot of problems in the playoffs, and the team will not have anyone to fill the void left by Harden's departure. As a result, they are also vulnerable to being targeted by opponents once they enter the playoffs. Compared to the East, the competition in the West is extremely fierce, with the Nuggets, Mavericks and Warriors constantly moving back and forth in the top three. After that, the Lakers and Clippers are also favorites to win the championship. In addition, the Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Thunder, the Kings can be said to be the four strongest dark horse teams in the West this season. They may not make it to the end of the playoffs, but they will certainly be able to stir things up at some point.
However, one team almost rebuilt its roster after sending away two key players in a row in the offseason. However, after the start of the regular season, their performance was completely different from expectations. In the Suns' game against the Warriors in the opening game, relying on the play of Durant and Booker was indeed very easy to win. But after that game, Booker missed a series of games, and Beal did not play a game, so the Suns lost to the Lakers, and then lost to the Spurs for the second time in a row. In the last game against the Pistons, the Suns finally got a hard-fought win from the Eastern Conference Fish.
The Suns have a 3-4 record so far this season and are in 10th place in the West. This season, the Suns' total salary is as high as 190 million, ranking third in the league. Booker and Beal, who occupy nearly half of the entire salary space, have been affected by injuries since the beginning of the season. This forced the 35-year-old Durant to provoke the team, Durant played in all seven regular season games of the Suns before this, averaging 35.7 minutes per game, and was able to score 29.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4 assists. Shooting 52.1% from the field.
In the last two back-to-back games against the 76ers and Pistons, Durant scored 31 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, and 41 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. 31 points + 41 points! An ugly victory, looking down on Paul, you really paid the price! The record of the two games is also 1 loss and 1 win. In the game where Durant scored 31 points, he shot 9-of-20, 35 percent from the field, and hit the basket and made 14 free throws. Durant's efficiency is already amazing, but it's not enough for the Suns to win.
Therefore, in the game with the Pistons, Durant completely let go of his shackles on the offensive end and devoted himself to individual offense, and finally Durant played an extraordinary performance of 41 points and led the team to a difficult victory. Even against the Pistons, the Suns had their ups and downs to win, and they couldn't maintain continuity on both ends of the floor. The most taboo thing about signing three max-paid players is the injury of the star, because it means that the depth of the role player will inevitably be weakened, and that part of the weakened part will have to be compensated by the star. But if this team, like the Nets where Durant has been played, often has injuries at the same time, then even if they do make the playoffs, they will be uncompetitive because of the physical exhaustion of the regular season.
Beal, the Suns' third-best player, has not played a game so far, and Booker has missed five of his seven games. For fans, you have to watch a team that is talented but unable to stay fit lose frequently, which also adds to the frustration of the team. However, the Suns' starting lineup, Nurkic and Gordon, and even Allen have excellent performances on the offensive end. But the bench was completely out of touch with the starters, and when Booker and Beal were absent, the Suns had nothing to do on the offensive end to prevent the opposing side from rebounding or pulling away after Durant was gone.
In the offseason, the Suns resolutely traded Paul for Beal from the Wizards, and then the Warriors used Poole to trade for Paul. After a lot of twists and turns, Paul was finally valued by the Warriors and proved that he still has the ability to contribute to the championship team at the start of the new season. Paul has been off the bench with the Warriors this season, averaging 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and eight assists per game. Paul's ability to play on the playmaking end of the series also allowed Kerr to dare to adopt a "5-up, 5-down" style of play in the game, and Kuminga, Moody and Saric all benefited from it. Even in the game against the Thunder, Paul only scored 1 point, but with 13 assists, the Warriors still won. Compared to Bill, who has not played a game so far, Paul's role is self-evident.