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Basketball fans are expecting big seasons from both Kevin Durant and Jordan Poole. “KD” had another drama-filled tenure in Brooklyn before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns and battled injuries.
Poole, on the other hand, is coming off a tumultuous campaign with the Golden State Warriors that began with a sucker punch from Draymond Green.
The two are eager to bounce back considering they’re already doing this (via Overtime):
Out of the two, “JP” unquestionably has more work to do on both ends of the floor. Poole shot a horrific 25.4% from deep in the playoffs after hitting 33.6% in the regular season. When his offense struggled, he became nearly unplayable.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr barely gave him time in the semis against the LA Lakers. Many thought that he’d bounce back after a poor showing versus the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the playoffs. It only just got worse for him.
Jordan Poole averaged 8.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 20.7 minutes. He was relentlessly hunted by the Lakers on defense, forcing Kerr to keep him on the bench for most of the time.
In Game 6 against LeBron James and crew, Poole scored seven points on 3-10 shooting and added four assists. No one thought that would be his last game with the Golden State Warriors.
The Dubs’ new GM, Mike Dunleavy Jr., told the media that the team was looking to keep Jordan Poole for four more years. He was traded a few days later to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul.
Kevin Durant, on the other hand, demanded a trade heading into the 2022-23 season. The Brooklyn Nets wouldn’t just accommodate him, forcing the former MVP to recommit to his four-year contract. Once Kyrie Irving asked to be traded after failing to secure a long-term deal, the Nets also gave in to Durant’s wishes.
The move to Phoenix didn’t go well as well. He just recently recovered from one injury before another struck again while he was warming up. Durant played just eight games in the regular season for the Suns.
Fortunately, he looked like vintage Kevin Durant once the playoffs started. He led the league in minutes in the playoffs with 42.4 and averaged 29.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.4 blocks in 11 games.
The Phoenix Suns are going to be one of the favorites to win next year’s NBA championship largely due to Durant and Devin Booker’s form.
Jordan Poole and Kevin Durant’s respective teams are headed the opposite way
The Washington Wizards, Jordan Poole’s new team, are looking to get younger and start a mini-rebuild. They traded Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in separate deals. Washington re-signed Kyle Kuzma and sent the aging Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors for Poole.
The Wizards are building around Poole, Kuzma and rookie Bilal Coulibaly. There will be growing pains as they try to stay competitive in the stacked Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns are going all-in for the title. Suns owner Mat Ishbia has assembled an expensive cast with a championship-or-bust mentality, particularly with the new CBA geared toward team parity.
Jordan Poole could be at home watching Kevin Durant vie for the Larry O’Brien Trophy starting the playoffs.
