Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets has had quite an interesting summer and enters the NBA in a position he’s not used to: underdog.
After a truly disappointing 2021-22 season and an awfully short playoff series, Durant only made things worse when he asked his team for a trade.
That trade never came, and Durant eventually made peace with Brooklyn, but the whole episode tarnished his reputation with many.
.@JalenRose had to stand up to express his frustration with #NBArank 😂
“I love Jayson Tatum…He’s no better than Kevin Durant.” pic.twitter.com/p7qeGQCjEx
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 22, 2022
Now, just weeks before the new season, ESPN has predicted he will be the seventh-best player in the league.
Prior to last season, Durant held the No. 1 spot on this list.
Seventh place is still very respectable but a drop of six places is a bit surprising.
But NBA analyst and former player Jalen Rose has Durant’s back and defended the former MVP on ESPN.
“I like [number six pick] Jayson Tatum,” Rose said.
“He’s no better than Kevin Durant,” he added.
Rose isn’t the only one with this opinion, but there’s no denying that Durant’s career is currently in a sticky spot.
Doubts about Durant
With the bad season and the difficult offseason that followed, Durant is now seen as someone who might not be as competitive and challenging as he once was.
He knows he has a lot of doubts and, frankly, a lot of haters too.
There are a lot of people who don’t like the way he handled his business demands and they would love nothing more than to see him fail.
While his last season has been bad, nobody should count Durant because he’s still one of the best NBA players alive.
He has a chance to prove it again in the new season.