The former MVP reflects on how veteran disconnect and a lack of chemistry derailed the franchise's championship ambitions, sparking a roster overhaul built for a grittier future.
The consensus around the Kevin Durant era for the Phoenix Suns is typically uniform.
Phoenix went into the experiment with much promise, but poor coaching hires, short-sighted roster moves, and a lack of physical/mental edge contributed to the situation boiling over into untenable territory.
Durant - now a member of the Houston Rockets - spoke on what went wrong when he was in Phoenix, at least in his eyes, in a recent appearance on "Boardroom Talks."
“I’ve always had fun out there. I don’t want to undercut what we did, my time in Phoenix, I feel like I had some great moments on the court there too.”
The 2014 NBA MVP appeared in 145 games for the Suns franchise, and remembers the good times. However, he also reflects on what ultimately led to the souring that spiraled into a trade out of Phoenix.
“But I feel as though we were an older group who kind of stuck in our ways as veterans, and veterans kind of like do their own thing a lot.”
“When you were a younger group, it’s more of a tight-knit group. They’re all learning together. It’s kind of like a college feel. I think that’s the difference.”
This take is a reasonable one at the surface. The manner in which the team departed the locker room abruptly after games. The way select players spoke in post-game press conference setting. The carousel of coaches that didn't connect to the team. There were multiple signs that the only parties that were connected happened to be Durant and Phoenix's franchise player in Devin Booker.
The notion that younger teams typically tend to be more connected in a valid one as well. The New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs are all either groups that are on the younger side, or have deep, personal connections that bind them together. Phoenix wasn't quite this, as the rosters shaped together by GM James Jones focused on accumulated talent rather than accounting for fit or connectivity.
Now, Phoenix is moving on from the failed experiment that was Durant. Freshly minted general manager Brian Gregory is investing in a younger, scrappier roster. This is evidenced by recent draft selections (Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Koa Peat), as well as doubling down on building a gritty identity built around the menacing Dillon Brooks.
Phoenix and Durant have moved on, but it's a challenge to not look back and wonder what could have been.
