Following the Suns’ double-digit loss to the Spurs on Thursday, Kevin Durant spoke candidly about the struggles for him and his team. Instead of talking pessimistically, Durant explained that there’s much to be gained from enduring their current challenges.
“There’s beauty in the struggle,” said Durant via AZ Central. “It’s beauty in all that stuff, especially when you come out on the other side of things and you realize that pressure and hard times make you better.”
There have been mixed interpretations of the quote and what it means for the Suns’ outlook this season. Is Durant in denial, or is he trying to look for inspiration in dark times? Only Kevin knows for sure, but he certainly hasn’t given up this season and he plans to see this through for better or worse.
As a 2x champion, former MVP, and 15x All-Star, Kevin Durant is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world and right now he’s facing a major test.
When he was traded to the Suns in 2022, it elevated their ceiling and put them in play for the NBA championship.
Alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant had hopes of leading the Suns to the top of the West standings and he has played his role well with averages of 27.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game on 53.5% shooting in three seasons.
Suns owner Mat Ishbia paid top dollar to build the roster and the pressure is on for the Suns to get results. At 36 years old, Kevin Durant is running out of time and this season was supposed to be the one where he made a deep run in the Western playoff bracket.
Unfortunately, the Suns have not been playing well at all this season. Currently, after 55 games, Phoenix is 11th in the West at 26-29. They are losers of four straight games and are 2-8 in their last 10. The Suns are two games back from the 10th seed and they have the fourth-worst point differential in the Conference at -1.9.
This season is not going to plan for the Suns and if the current trajectory holds, they won’t even qualify for the play-in despite having one of the most expensive rosters in the league. To make matters even worse, Durant’s loyalty is also under doubt after recent rumors.
For the first time in years, Durant was included in trade talks without asking for it and the word on the street is that it may lead to a breakup this summer. If he becomes available, countless teams will be in pursuit of the 2x Finals MVP this summer.
But according to Durant, there’s no strong desire to jump ship and change teams for the fourth time in his career. He wants to see it through with the Suns, at least for the rest of this season. What happens after that is entirely up for grabs.
Regarding his statement about there being beauty in the struggle, it only really matters how you respond and so far it hasn’t been good enough. In the past, Kevin has answered the call after great adversity but it remains to be seen if he can follow through on what may be the biggest challenge of his career.
If not, and the Suns lose early again in the playoffs, the Suns could experience some major changes, and even Durant acknowledges that things might never be the same. The 2024-25 campaign is really the last chance for Kevin Durant to prove that the Suns (as presently constructed) can win the West and take home their first NBA championship.
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