Kevin Durant recently chose to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers. During an appearance on the NBA’s watch-along of the Nuggets-Pacers game, Durant was asked to name a player he enjoyed watching. He named Shai as the player he likes to watch play, shouting out his offensive versatility and his unique skillset on the court as the main reason he tunes in to watch.
“He [SGA] just loves to see the ball go through the hoop. He’s one of those dudes that’s always gonna put that ball through the rim. Watching him, knowing that he’s gonna be efficient with it is just fun to watch.”
“He puts on a masterclass out there. He hits you with so many different moves that you know he puts time in on it. He plays like he cares about his stance and place in the game. You can see that when he plays. I appreciate watching him because he gets buckets in all types of ways.”
Durant appreciating Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should come as no surprise. Shai is an offensive juggernaut in terms of the numbers he puts up. While his play is not nearly as flashy or glossy as other superstars in the NBA, it is incredibly effective, and he has brought the Oklahoma City Thunder a degree of championship legitimacy they haven’t had since Kevin Durant left.
The ‘Slim Reaper’ still loves the Thunder franchise, so he will be even more appreciative of Shai’s game given that he is representing the franchise that Durant once represented with pride. This season, Gilgeous-Alexander has the chance to take the Thunder to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012, when Durant and Russell Westbrook tried challenging the Miami Heat.
Could Kevin Durant Return To OKC?
We know that Kevin Durant loves playing with stars whose game he respects. It’s the reason he teamed up with Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and Devin Booker at different points in his career. Could his next teammate be Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? A return to OKC is certainly a romantic notion, and it’s one that can’t be summarily dismissed.
Durant is expected to be traded from the Phoenix Suns during the offseason. The experiment with him, Booker, and Bradley Beal have not worked, and the Suns will want to try to blow it up to get some assets in return after mortgaging their future on the star-studded trio.
The Thunder have a wealth of trade assets and some players that they can use to make this deal possible. However, given how Mike Daigneault has the team playing, would they want to bring in Durant? From a talent perspective, there is no question that he would improve the team. But with Durant also come his demons.
KD may love the Thunder franchise, but a large portion of the fanbase still resents him for abandoning the team and joining the Golden State Warriors just months after he, Westbrook, and the team surrendered a 3-1 series lead against them in the Western Conference Finals.
Durant might have to take a backseat to Alexander, who is expected to win the MVP this season. If he is okay with doing so, perhaps a return to the Thunder is the right move for all sides.
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