Kevin Durant is looking to be the best player switching teams in the 2022 offseason. The roads to send him elsewhere are narrowing as no team is able to match the steep asking price for KD that has been posed by the Brooklyn Nets. This is a star-driven league, so everyone expects the Nets to find a solution or KD soon enough, but it may not come anytime soon.
KD’s current preference sees him end up with either the Phoenix Suns or the Miami Heat. The Suns led the league through the regular season before a stunning playoff collapse against the Dallas Mavericks. The injury-prone Miami Heat made their way to the 1st seed in the East and then reached the Conference Finals before losing to Boston.
Both Phoenix and Miami have established team cultures set by the coaching staff. An organized culture is where KD thrives the most, as seen by his stint with the Warriors. Analyst Colin Cowherd believes that KD switching teams this offseason will prove that he is incapable of leading a team and creating a winning culture but is perfect to enhance one into championship glory.
https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/1544383738607374336
“Kevin Durant has become Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis. Talented and productive, but you can’t have him lead your franchise. He’s not capable of it. It’s not what he does. Can he enhance your franchise and win a title like AD and Kawhi? Yes, but he can’t lead it.”
Kawhi Leonard was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, which is the definition of ‘culture’ in the NBA. He led them to the Championship in 2014 before leading the Raptors to a title in 2019. With the Raptors, Kawhi joined a winning culture that could beat anyone not named LeBron James. In a year with injuries and no LeBron, Kawhi finally enhanced them into a winning culture. He has failed to create a culture with the Clippers, as evidenced by their 2020 collapse in the bubble.
Anthony Davis could never lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a title but won a title in LA the second he linked up with LeBron James, proving himself to be an amazing complementary piece. KD may be higher on all-time lists than both Kawhi and Davis but it can’t be disputed that all these players have thrived when they join good cultures instead of having to set one up.
