Even while injured, Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant moved up on this week’s NBA.com MVP ladder.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Durant placed No. 3 in the MVP rankings behind Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
NBA.com’s Shaun Powell explained why Durant improved from No. 6 on the ladder last week to No. 3 today:
“Bummer for Durant — a strained left calf will keep him benched for a few weeks, just as he was pressing the accelerator. Not only was he productive for the Suns pre-injury, but he averaged just shy of 39 minutes a night, his most since 2010-11. Pure durability is acknowledged and rewarded by an MVP race.
“If Durant keeps up this performance pace when he returns, he’ll also get nods for the Kia Clutch Player of the Year Award. Durant came up big in most of the Suns’ seven crunch-time wins in the first few weeks, and in those situations, he led the league in points scored. Which raises a point about his value — Durant missed the last three games and the Suns lost two of them, one in overtime when they could’ve used his presence.”
https://t.co/wWGNmWnCY9’s updated MVP Ladder:
1. Nikola Jokic
2. Jayson Tatum
3. Kevin Durant
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
5. Anthony Davis
6. Stephen Curry
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo
8. Luka Doncic
9. Donovan Mitchell
10. LeBron James— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 15, 2024
Durant is averaging 27.6 points in .553/.429/.836 splits, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks, and the Suns are 7-0 in the clutch (games within by 5 points in the final 5 minutes) and 8-1 overall when he plays. As mentioned by Powell, Durant led the league in points in the clutch before getting injured.
Phoenix (9-3) has now lost two of its last three without Durant, who is scheduled to be re-evaluated from his calf injury next Saturday.
The Suns, who are also without Bradley Beal (left calf strain), play their third of a four-game road trip tonight against the No. 1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Keys to victory: How undermanned Suns can bounce back against Thunder
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
