From Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry to Kyrie Irving and James Harden, Kevin Durant has played with a number of future Hall of Famers in his NBA career.
Devin Booker could be the next to join that list.
In acquiring Durant ahead of this year’s trade deadline, Phoenix is now home to two of the NBA’s most explosive scorers. Entering Wednesday’s matchup with the Hornets, Durant is averaging 29.7 points per game, good for the seventh-highest mark in the league. A few spots below him is Booker, who is pouring in 26.5 points per game.
Only two other duos currently account for more scoring on a nightly basis: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston, and Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
Durant and Booker don’t have much time to get on the same page, but don’t be surprised if they hit the ground running.
Three reasons Kevin Durant and Devin Booker are destined to be the NBA’s most unstoppable duo
No. 1: Durant and Booker don’t need the ball to be effective
Durant and Booker are adept at doing two particularly valuable off-ball things.
The first? They’re such good shooters that defenders have to think twice about helping off of them.
According to NBA.com, Durant has made 37.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts this season. He was around the same mark last season. Booker has been even more accurate than Durant, connecting on 43.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s last season and 40.8 percent this season.
They’re both at their best with the ball in their hands, of course, but the fact that each of them can punish teams for leaving them should give the other more room to operate when they’re in command.
“I can probably provide him a little bit more space than he’s used to with my shooting ability,” Durant said of his fit with Booker. “And I see a lot of games. He gets double-teamed a lot, especially off the small forward, which is the position I played. So, I can help provide him a little bit more space, which would make him even more efficient, and vice versa.
“I played against a lot of double teams as well with the Nets, so having another shooter out there at the wing position can help me, too.”
The second? Durant and Booker are much more than spot-up threats. Both are among the league leaders in scoring off of screens this season, so they’re more than capable of getting high-percentage looks for themselves within the flow of the offense, particularly from midrange.
Something as simple as Booker running a pick-and-roll with Deandre Ayton while Durant curls off of a pindown (or the other way around) is going to be a nightmare for defenses to game plan for.
Oh, and get ready to see even more Spain pick-and-rolls. The Suns have been tormenting teams with them the last couple of seasons, and they’re only going to be more difficult to defend with Durant operating as the ball handler or screener.
No. 2: Durant has plenty of experience playing with other stars
No, the Suns aren’t the Warriors, but Durant has experience joining established teams that already have an All-Star or two (or three).
ESPN’s Zach Lowe has called Durant the most malleable superstar in the history of the NBA because of how easily his skill set translates to, well, anywhere. Offensively, he can do anything. Spot-up, run a pick-and-roll, pick apart defenders in isolation, get out in transition — you name it. Defensively, he’s still quick enough to guard multiple positions, and he has the size to make plays at the rim. He’s not a liability, that’s for sure.
The icing on the cake: Durant has experience playing with both Booker and Chris Paul on Team USA. It might take some time for Ayton to find his footing now that he has to share the floor with three stars, but if he buys in, he should get the easiest shots of his life playing next to Durant, Booker and Paul.
No. 3: Durant and Booker are walking mismatches
The headliner, if you will.
Durant is in the conversation for the best one-on-one scorer in NBA history. His volume has never matched peak Harden, but he can get his shot off against practically anyone both on the perimeter and in the post.
Sometimes the best offense Durant’s team can run is giving him the ball and getting the hell out of his way.
While Booker doesn’t have the benefit of being as tall or long as Durant, he’s one of the better isolation scorers in the NBA, a three-level bucket-getter who doesn’t need much to get hot.
The Suns don’t play nearly as much hero ball as other teams, but having two players who can punish mismatches will come in handy in the playoffs when the game slows down. There won’t be many teams that have the personnel to match up with both Durant and Booker, so putting them in pick-and-rolls should pack quite the punch.
Switch in those situations, and teams are going to be in for a world of hurt.
Source: sportingnews.com
