Regardless of Their Differences, Can Kevin Durant Emulate Charles Barkley’s Immediate Success With the Phoenix Suns?

NBA legend Charles Barkley and superstar Kevin Durant have been beefing for a while now. Barkley is someone who always speaks his mind, and that doesn’t sit well with everyone all the time. After Durant helped the Golden State Warriors win two straight titles, the Hall of Famer called him a “Bus Rider” for joining a stacked team to win a ring. KD was certainly not amused and called out Barkley on social media. He pointed out Chuck’s move to the Houston Rockets. This went back and forth multiple times.

Despite their grudge, Barkley has repeatedly admired Durant’s performances. Interestingly, KD joined Chuck’s beloved Phoenix Suns last season. Regardless of their differences, it would be incredible if Durant could emulate Barkley’s instant success with the Suns. But after a disappointing end last year, can he do that in his first full season?

The instant impact of Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley joined the Suns in 1992 at 29 after playing for the Philadelphia 76ers for eight years. He had already made six All-Star appearances at that point and had established himself as one of the best players in the league. During his time with the 76ers, Barkley missed the playoffs only once. Despite his brilliant performances, he could not lead the team to a deep playoff run. With each passing season, the pressure grew with rumors of Barkley moving to a different team. Ultimately, he decided to move and joined the Suns.

The Suns were already a good team with multiple All-Stars on the roster. And Barkley’s arrival gave the team an instant boost. With their support, Chuck’s game was elevated as well. Barkley had been in multiple MVP races before joining Phoenix. However, he could not win it. Notably, he came very close during the 1989-90 season but Magic Johnson won the award shockingly. Despite getting more first-place votes than Magic, Barkley did not win the award because the Los Angeles Lakers legend had more second and third-place votes.

It was finally his time in 1993, and Barkley won the elusive MVP award. The Round Mound of Rebound also helped the team to a better record than the previous season. As he won the MVP, the anticipation grew. He was just the third player to be crowned the MVP in his first season for a new team. So, the fans were hyped and expected the star to help the team make a good run in the playoffs. And he did just that.

Barkley led the Suns to the NBA Finals in his first year. Everyone revered the immediate success he brought to the team. His impact on the team was evident as he led his teammates in points, rebounds, and steals in the postseason. He averaged 26.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Despite his valiant efforts, he could not overcome Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the Finals. Nevertheless, Barkley’s immediate impact was legendary, to say the least.

Kevin Durant’s brilliance

Kevin Durant is certainly a better offensive player than Charles Barkley. So far, Durant has won two championships as well. However, while Barkley joined the Suns in his prime, KD is past his at 35. Despite this, The Slim Reaper is still capable of putting up better scoring numbers than the Hall of Famer. However, he might not be in the MVP race.

Last season, Durant missed out on a lot of games because of injury. Despite this, he was lively in the playoffs and averaged 29 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. However, due to the mid-season move and his injury, his lack of playing time with his new teammates was evident at times. In the postseason, the Suns lost to the eventual champions Denver Nuggets in the second round.

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Notably, if we look at KD’s last full season with the Brooklyn Nets, he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. Even before his move to Phoenix, Durant was playing at a higher level for the Nets despite all the drama. So, there is a massive expectation about his first full season with the Suns. Also, he has good support from his teammates as well.

Can Kevin Durant emulate Charles Barkley with the help of his teammates?

The Suns made the Finals just two seasons back. But they have been eliminated in the second round for two straight years now. However, the Suns are a decent team that finished 64-18 before Durant’s arrival. Last season, they fell to a 45-37 record. However, they are more than capable of bettering that this year with their new Big 3. After acquiring KD to partner with superstar Devin Booker, the Suns did their magic and got another superstar in Bradley Beal.

Booker at 27 and Beal at 30 alongside Durant is certainly one of the best trios ever on paper. All three stars can comfortably average over 25 points per game a season. While Booker averaged 27.8 points, Beal had 23.2 points per game last year. Also, all three stars are unstoppable on their day and can erupt for huge scores. Furthermore, the Suns also have good role players with the likes of Eric Gordon, Grayson Allen, and Jusuf Nurkic.

Even though Durant might not win the MVP award like Barkley or be in the race for it, he could still lead the team efficiently. Also, with his star teammates, KD has everything required to take the Suns to the Finals in his first full season if the team can keep their stars healthy. So, even if Durant might not emulate Barkley’s individual achievement, he can still reproduce the Hall of Famer’s team success and possibly more.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.

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