Trade “Best Offensive Machine” and “Best Killer Defender”
After failing to acquire Kyrie Irving, the Suns acquired Kevin Durant in a trade, resulting in more strength than Irving. So far, they have struggled with 30 wins and 27 losses, but with the formation of a gorgeous quartet of Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton, it will be a fight to win only from here.
Durant will have a harder time finding what he can’t do offensively and will fit straight into the wing position without any problems. If I had to raise an issue, it would be about who would win the game at the end of the game. Is it Paul who is strong in the game, Booker who is an ace, or Durant who is the best offensive machine? It’s a luxury you can’t choose from, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.
In order to add new options to the offense this season, the Suns dared to seal the traditional pattern and aimed to evolve as a team, but the results dropped suddenly due to the injuries of the main players one after another, and it is not the case. was forced into The team’s condition has improved with the return of injured players, but there was no time to try new things, and at a time when this was likely to be a cause for concern in the playoffs, Durant, who was entrusted with everything, came, and I felt that my concerns were blown away at once. I have.
Chris Paul may have declined at the age of 37, and the decrease in the success rate of jump shots was a source of anxiety for the team, but it will be resolved if the same play is entrusted to Durant. However, Durant is a player of a different dimension who solves everything by himself, but because he solves everything by himself too much, there is a risk that if Durant is the center of a team, it will become dependent on individual skills. Since he joined in the middle of the season, it may be more effective to use it as an option without mixing it into the team strategy.
Of course, the trade came at a cost, losing a ton of draft picks, sixth man Cameron Johnson and, most of all, Mikel Bridges. The release of Bridges will be a big blow, especially on the defense side. If Durant was “the best offensive machine”, Bridges was an excellent defender in modern tactics, which should be described as “the best killer defender”.
There are players who are better than Bridges if they just face and defend in 1on1, but in the modern offense, it is basic to move around off the ball while using the screen to hit a 3-point shot, and encourage the switch. While there are tactics that don’t even match up properly, not only the mark man in front of you, but also the placement of players on the entire floor, skillfully dodging the screener, read through the point where the next pass will come out. Bridges’ defense, which fills in first, is so overwhelming that no player can match it.
In addition, Bridges has not missed a single game since his rookie days, and the stable condition that keeps running more than anyone else was also a major feature. For that reason, the replacement of Durant, who is 34 years old and has increased injuries, will be a source of anxiety for the team’s stamina. Considering Durant’s ability, it may be a “trivial problem”, but in order to win the championship, the details are important, and Bridges, who contributed with excellent tactical eyes and high dedication, will not be gone. , may create invisible problems.
What kind of result will the contrasting trade of the Suns, who formed a luxurious quartet, bring to the Nets, who have all the hard workers due to the outflow of superstars? A win is the only achievement after giving up the fan-favorite Bridges for Durant.