Kevin Durant flourished in the Golden State Warriors’ offensive system and was one of Steve Kerr’s main guys in the team’s three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. The Warriors won two championships while Durant himself won a couple of NBA Finals MVP awards.
However, following three seasons in the Bay, Durant decided to sign with the Brooklyn Nets this offseason, and he recently discussed his time with the Warriors. He also spoke about his decision to leave and join Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.
Even though he got the change he wanted when moving from the isolation-centric game with the Oklahoma City Thunder to the dynamic ball-movement offense in Golden State; Durant offered critique to Steve Kerr’s system. He stated that later in playoff rounds, it was more difficult to score points as rival teams figured out the Dubs’ attack.
Former Boston Celtics forward and NBA legend, Paul Pierce, who is now working ESPN analyst, disagrees with Durant on this matter.
“This is part of what I’m talking about,” Pierce said on The Jump. “You played for the No. 1 offense on the planet, you guys are winning championships, but then there’s a complaint. Like, of course, the defense is going to get tougher the later rounds you get, but at some point — yeah, you intermix a lot of 1-on-1 with the system. The system worked! It wasn’t broken, and the reason they lost this year was because of the injuries. This is the type of stuff I’m talking about with KD. I don’t get what he’s searching for. Like it worked what you were doing.”
"This is the type of stuff I'm talking about with KD. I don't get what he's searching for."
Paul Pierce doesn't understand Kevin Durant's criticism of the Warriors' offense. https://t.co/kLCJ9u5f7t pic.twitter.com/Qwf7dpRspO
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) September 12, 2019
That being said, Pierce is not convinced Durant will get what he wants with his new team. Durant and Irving will undoubtedly form a deadly duo that can unlock any defense in the NBA, but it’s hard to see the Nets’ offense being more productive than Kerr’s system.
