Why Kevin Durant loves playing through Suns hectic schedule
Today at 01:54 AM
Playing 11 games in 19 days is tough for some, but not for Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Following Wednesday’s 108-84 win over the Brooklyn Nets, it marked another game during those 19 days. After Durant fired back at critics for his longevity, this is another perfect instance of it.
He’s played every game thus far during that stretch. Furthermore, he explained to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin about his philosophy for the Suns’ hectic schedule.
“Wish our record was better, obviously, you want to win every game, but that’s why I love this part of the year,” Durant said. “It’s just non-stop games. You don’t get a lot of practices. It’s not a lot of lag time. Game, day off, game and I love that part.
“Every other night is a game. End of January, February right before the break is the toughest time for a lot of teams in this league. If you can get through this pretty solid, healthy, in good shape, you can pretty much have a solid second half of the season.”
During this stretch, the Suns also endured their longest road trip of the season. The five-game trip took them to Atlanta, Washington D.C., Detroit, Cleveland, and finally to Brooklyn. Both D.C. and Brooklyn were homecomings for Durant, with the latter happening on Wednesday. They went 3-2 on this stretch, and are looking to continually improve.
Kevin Durant sees the Suns embracing the hectic schedule
Luckily for Phoenix, Durant has played 16 seasons in the NBA. He understands establishing a rhythm is the key to keeping his body and mental well-being in check. Also, as Durant mentioned, playing into late January and into February is one of the toughest times for teams.
They’re trying to establish their playoff position, as well as deciding the fate of their season. Some will wave the white flag, some will keep pushing for the playoffs, and some are already there. During this stretch, there’s been some exploration about the team. For instance, Durant revealed the Suns’ missing piece in Monday’s embarrassing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He emphasized that they don’t have a zone offense package. Meaning, they don’t have a game plan to attack a zone defense. However, with the Suns’ hectic schedule, there might not be enough time to develop a specific offense for a specific defensive set they might see.
Regardless, Phoenix has some ground to make up. They sit at 22-21 and are over .500. Plus, they’re in a tightly contested Western Conference. If they go on a winning streak, only three games can determine 10th place and 4th place. Still, Durant is embracing the hectic nature of the NBA.
Phoenix seems to be rallying around it the best they can. Luckily, they’ll fly back to Arizona and take on the Washington Wizards on Saturday. They’ll get some rest before being right back into the thick of NBA action.
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