"Gotta stop encouraging dudes to leave": Ashley Nicole Moss low-key demands accountability from Kevin Durant amid slump

Sports journalist and podcaster Ashley Nicole Moss wants NBA All-Star Kevin Durant to suck things up and figure it out amid the ongoing slum he and the Phoenix Suns are experiencing.

Moss was reacting to calls from some quarters, including former NBA player Brandon Jennings, for ‘KD’ to leave The Valley and find a better team for him to play and win.

The host of the web series Laces Out demanded that such calls should stop. She urged Durant to find it in himself to buck adversity and get back in the swing of things.

Moss took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice her sentiments, writing:

“I’m a huge Kevin Durant fan, but y’all gotta stop encouraging dudes to leave at the first sign of adversity. Brooklyn was no longer working, he landed in a ‘better situation’ — he gotta figure it out. this is one of the greatest players we’ve seen, he’s gonna be alright”

Things have not panned out as hoped for Phoenix so far this season. The Suns were considered to be a dominant team after acquiring All-Star Bradley Beal in the offseason to create a ‘Big 3’ with Durant and Devin Booker.

Unfortunately, various injuries have limited Beal to just six games this season, disrupting Phoenix's ability to rise fully. Making matters worse, the team has not been getting much help from its supporting cast.

The Suns went 10-6 in their first 16 games but have since gone 4-9 in their next 13 games for a 14-15 record (11th in the Western Conference). They have lost three straight, the latest at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks, 128-114, on Christmas Day.

Durant is still going great guns with averages of 30.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 blocks in 37 minutes, but it has not been enough to lead his team to winning consistently.

The Suns are the fourth squad the 13-time All-Star has been part of. He played with the OKC Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets previously. While with the Warriors, he won two NBA titles.

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Kevin Durant admits he has to be better to help turn things around for Suns

One-time NBA MVP Kevin Durant recognizes that the Phoenix Suns are in a rough patch in the ongoing season and admits he has to play better if they are to turn things around.

While not exactly playing badly himself, ‘KD’ feels he has to improve in rallying behind his troops to achieve consistency.

As per Azcentral’s Duane Rankin, Kevin Durant said:

“I got to be better. I Think That’s holding the team back.”

The Suns are 11th in the Western Conference with a 14-15 record. They have lost their last three games. The team next plays a road game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.