Kevin Durant made his long-awaited debut with the Phoenix Suns in a win over Charlotte. Even in limited minutes, the stats show the West should be worried.
It’s been about a month since Kevin Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns ahead of the deadline but Wednesday in Charlotte was the first time that we’ve seen him on the floor with his new team.
Durant debuted for the Suns against the Hornets, playing for the first time since suffering an MCL sprain on Jan. 8 while with the Nets. It was much anticipated and the newest resident of the desert delivered. He helped guide the Suns to a 105-91 win, which is good in itself, even against a mightily struggling Charlotte team.
However, when you look at the numbers from what we saw, it’s even better. And frankly, after just one game in his debut with the Suns, Kevin Durant should have the rest of the Western Conference worried.
Kevin Durant Suns debut: 3 stats from win that should worry the West
3. Suns were +13 with Kevin Durant on the floor
One thing you always wonder about after a trade, even when it comes to a player as talented and experienced as Durant, is the fit. Will the team take time to gel? Is there a possible issue with on-court chemistry?
The Suns were +13 in the Plus/Minus with Durant on the floor on Wednesday night. Again, this was a bad Hornets team without their best player, but for him to show up on his first night at the new job and immediately be a plus asset is a huge positive.
More importantly, the numbers matched the eye test. You could see the way that Durant played with the rest of his Phoenix teammates and it was a natural fit. That’s only going to improve, which could create something special.
2. Devin Booker shined as the Suns’ 1B star
We know what Durant is capable of, but once again speaking to the fit in his new home, one thing to watch was always how Devin Booker would perform when not asked to be the primary star in Phoenix every night.
The early returns say it’ll go well. Extremely well.
Booker was a supernova on Wednesday night in Charlotte, shooting 15-of-26 from the field to go for 37 points while adding seven assists and six rebounds as well. Durant demanded so much attention with his presence on the floor that it opened up so much for Booker. Obviously, it aided him in getting open looks for his shot. On top of that, though, it also put defenders in bad positioning to rotate, hence the positive playmaking for his teammates.
Again, the chemistry is only going to get better with more reps in Phoenix. So to see this looking this way in Durant’s debut is pretty damn impressive.
1. Kevin Durant didn’t miss a beat
Let’s just say it — when Durant was on the floor, if there was any rust after almost two months out of action, it was minimal at best. In his first game since his Jan. 8 injury, Durant finished the game with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting (2-of-4 from deep) to go with six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and only two turnovers.
He did that in only 27 minutes.
In his final games with Brooklyn, Durant was playing at an MVP level, without question. So to see him show up on a new team after not seeing the floor and so long and play that well should have Suns fans buzzing. They got a glimpse of the superstar the team traded for immediately, and it’s only going to get better with time and repetition.