‘Not that far’ – Stephen A. isn’t buying a deep playoff run for Kevin Durant & Suns | NBA Countdown
As we welcome in our senior NBA Insider Adrian wowski wo this Sun’s roster with Kevin Durant with Bradley Beal with Devin Booker it is really built to win now but what could Phoenix be fac facing in their future that could impact their success here yeah Malik uh new Sons owner Matt
Ishia has operated you know with a relative disregard for the new uh salary cap realities of the NBA essentially in a championship or bus mentality over the next couple of years around Devin Booker Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal but but here’s where the roster complications uh can start for Phoenix and Grayson Allen
Has had a career year for the Suns he’s leading the league in three-point field goal percentage he’s averaged 27 points over the last two games with Devin Booker out uh he is later this month eligible uh to sign a new 4-year $75 million contract extension ahead of his
Free agency this summer uh that would cost the Suns another 65 to70 million in luxury tax and along with Royce O’Neal who they picked up at the trade deadline from Brooklyn these are two players who the Suns cannot replace with anything but minimum players if they were to lose
Them in free agency it puts tremendous pressure on this organization to have to pay those players and keep them and it’s just an example of the complications ahead for an organization and a roster that right now is just a half game out of the play in right right now they sit in sixth
Place and as you and I both know I had a conversation with Matt ishia earlier this season and he said no we are built and we want to win Now That Remains the Phoenix Suns goal W thank you so much for stopping by NBA Countdown here so
Here’s the thing with the Suns though they have really struggled to find consistency this season they’re big three they’ve only played in 23 games together that includes the game that Bradley Beal just played 5 minutes in and that’s LED to some serious fourth quarter issues here the Suns they are
The worst team in the NBA in that final frame as W just mentioned they’re currently sixth but barely barely out of that playin spot so Stephen A how far can Kevin Durant take this Phoenix Suns team evidently not that far evidently um Let Me Tell America let me just throw
Some numbers by here you’re talking about the Phoenix Suns okay we’re talking about the fourth quarter second worst in the NBA fourth worst in three point shooting percentage uh NBA worth 16.8 turnovers percentage in the fourth quarter they’re also the second worst rebounding team in the fourth quarter
And oh by the way they win 63% of their gains when Devin Booker is on the floor when he’s off the four they win 40% of their games I’m sorry last time I checked Kevin Durant religiously averages 28 a game he’s missed a reliable in terms of his level of
Production but it doesn’t equate to wins unless Devin Booker is on the court with him without him it doesn’t happen and so when you ask me a question about what Kevin Durant can do I tell you that he’s one of the most prolific scorers this game has ever seen but whether or not
That’s going to equate to actual wins when it comes to this Phoenix Suns team I would say the evidence is just not there well let’s let’s put those numbers in context a little bit Stephen you mentioned last we saw the graphic about last fourth quarter points per game the
Bucks are first yes OKC is third the Clippers are sixth the suns are last if we go to fourth quarter Point differential rank the differential is what you really care about right again the suns are last 30th and you know who’s Celtics first Celtics Thunder third wolves fifth Cavs seventh bucks
Eighth the contenders are not just in the top half they’re in the top third of the league and the suns are not in the bottom third they’re last this is a flaw I told you last week this is not up to Frank vogle this is not even up to the
Guys on the roster this is not about Kevin Durant Devon Booker and Bradley Beal this this is about what they don’t have they don’t have the primary ingredient that’s going to change all of that a person a closer who you want to have the ball making the decisions not
Taking the shots making the decisions and organizing that team in the fourth quarter they don’t have that person on the roster there’s not going to be another buyout round they don’t have it so now what what are they going to do to make up for that in the playoffs against
Those teams with those ranks we just mentioned the season is already we only got 20 games left and the Suns have the most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA I don’t I don’t know what they can do Listen Hold on everybody keep a cool booty one second okay the the suns are
Actually trending in the right direction that signature win against Denver against Denver right in Denver excuse me and then follow up I understand they beat the Raptors but I’m starting to see the tides turn a little bit and when I say that nerkish is playing better he
Had 31 rebounds a couple nights ago a couple games ago Kevin Durant he was n for 24 at one point doing out the course of that game against the Nuggets but he turned it on hit the the uh three to tie the game up but Grayson Allen is balling
It seems like to me Frank voger has the attention of that locker room defensively and Frank voger is a hell of a coach all he needed was KD to buy in and the rest is go follow I’m watching that Kevin Durant right now I feel you
On that you can watch all want you can keep on watching because I expect Kevin Durant to do what he always does my only point is it ain’t going to equate to much winning unless Devon book is on the court with even with Deon Booker those guys are great Stephen you’re right and
They’re going to be great but is that we’re not talking about their greatness their greatness is not questioned the question is is what they have right now and by the way You’ made a great point about keeping Grayson Allen they better keep Grayson Allen they better perk they
I don’t I don’t see the person that you want making the decision for those guys eyes in the fourth [Applause] [Applause] quarter
Adrian Wojnarowski joins Malika Andrews on NBA Countdown to discus the financial restraints facing the Phoenix Suns with their current roster as Grayson Allen is eligible for a 4-year/$75 million extension starting March 27. Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon and Kendrick Perkins joins the conversation as they debate how far Kevin Durant can lead the team in the playoffs.
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22 Comments
Top heavy doesn't work in this era….
They’ll probably upset one of the top 4 in round 1 and then exit in round 2
Bench isn't the issue….It's lack of a pg and injuries. I mean, look at Boston's bench
Non stop turnovers..Nurkic 6 offensive rebounds per possession without a field goal is not going to win games.
The Suns are going to win it all.. mark my words
Perk likes the sun's? Time to bet the miss the playoffs
The thing will always be that they’re a really hard team to beat when healthy. Teams like that always have a title shot.
It's crazy because what they're missing in CP lmao
This postseason is gonna be interesting if Timberwolves and the Thunder are the two sets seed. Imagine these teams playing Dallas, Suns Lakers or the Warriors in the first round the only team I can give the benefit of is Denver. The Suns are a dangerous team, I know their bench is not top in the NBA, but their best starting 5 can compete with and beat any top team in the NBA.
Malika Andrew clearly don't like the Suns she keeps repeating the same thing over and over again the Suns have the toughest remaining schedule, well they gotta win most of their games and they're gonna be alright.
Get rid of Beal … go get some depth ! And all NBA type player. And we good. Definitely go get one of the young guards That got potential
So according to SAS the 10th seed Warriors are a threat but the 7th seed Suns aint? 😂 No consistency
Suns just scorers and no defensive players
Poor ball movement poor spacing too many forced shots
Stephen A. Smith you're 100 % incorrect! Mr. Durant (Kevin) has been a force to reckon with, averaging 30.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game during this season. His shooting percentages are equally impressive: 60% from the field, 68% from beyond the arc, and a perfect 100% from the free-throw line. PHX Suns have managed to stay afloat thanks to Durant's stellar performance. PHX biggest problem is their inexperience starting point guard and inexperience starting shooting guard lack of IQ and experiences. Neither one are top 24 point guard and shooting guard in the NBA! Devin Booker and Bradley Beal don't have the IQ for their starting position, they are not offensive and defensive playmakers, they don't understand offense situations, defense situation, and clock management, they don't know how to create on offense and distribute the ball, but they are the main reason why Phx Suns are losing games and the worse 4th quarter NBA team (2023-24). Bradley Beal missed his first eleven shots in last night's game and remained scoreless and Frank Vogel never pulled Bradley Beal out of the game to return to winning like they did in Denver (3/5/2024), and at home against Toronto (3/7/2024) with Eric Gordon.
Devin Booker is not a point guard. He doesn’t even want to be the point guard.
Stephen A Smith supposedly 1.5 pts per game but than says he got injured cracked his leg lol and didnt play so 0 games played but avg 1.5 pts 🤔.
They need me
Timberwolves might shake the Nuggets up but they’re gonna win the chip again Boston looks shook playing Jokic.
The biggest issue with the Suns is Beal is terrible / average so when he plays alone the team starts losing badly… so KD has to play more minutes just so Suns can compete which in turn leads to severe fatigue and lots of KD turnovers and poor iso ball versus double teams in the 4th. If Vogel would just keep Beal on the bench and play with Allen, Bol Bol and Royce / Okogie / Gordon they would be much better on both ends and more efficient too.
They going home
cool booty is crazy