Anthony Davis started the 2023 NBA Playoffs on a strong note, showing up for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors, leading the team to the Western Conference Finals.
When the Denver Nuggets showed up, however, AD wasn’t the same version, which earned him a lot of criticism. Kevin Durant recently defended the player’s defensive struggles in a Twitter space questioning the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers superstars (47:40 mark).
“To question Anthony Davis’s defensive prowess is insane,” Durant said in the space. “Every series is going to be different. One guy will have a great series before and next, are they good players at the end of the day?”
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) June 23, 2023
KD himself has been heavily criticized over the years. Starting from his lack of success with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his controversial move to the Golden State Warriors, the way he thinks about his legacy and other things.
The two-time NBA champion isn’t bothered by any of this anymore, but he’s always ready to respond to haters trying to trash his name, even if it’s just for fun.
Anthony Davis’ inconsistency has also granted him a lot of criticism from fans and analysts who know he can be a lot better but his body issues and lack of tough mentality are pushing him back.
During the 2023 playoffs, his performances appeared to be solid seeing the stat sheets. However, during the Western Conference Finals, he struggled a lot despite averaging 26.8 points and 14.0 rebounds.
His struggles against Nikola Jokic and co. opened the door for the Nuggets to sweep the Lakers and advance to the NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant And The Suns Couldn’t Beat Jokic And The Nuggets
On the other hand, Kevin Durant also suffered to get past the Denver Nuggets in the Second Round of the playoffs. He wasn’t exactly in charge of stopping Nikola Jokic, like AD, but his team didn’t have an answer for the Serbian big man, either.
Still, Durant managed to make an impact on the offensive end, posting 29.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in six games. The Suns were the team that competed the most against the Nuggets during this run.
The lack of depth played a big role in the Suns’ eventual loss. They only relied on Durant and Devin Booker to fire back at Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and whoever showed up for the Nuggets.
As Durant stated, every series is different and players will have different performances. However, with all the expectations around him, AD didn’t deliver for the Lakers, which cost his team the season and a spot in the NBA Finals.
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