Suns' Kevin Durant Named Top Ten Player

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant is still considered to be one of the best in the business.

Oct 6, 2024; Palm Desert, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) high fives with teams after subbing out against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images / David Frerker-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant enters his 18th season in the NBA with numerous accolades and milestones that will see him arrive to the Basketball Hall of Fame upon first opportunity.

Durant's prime is certainly behind him, though his performance during the Olympics was a stark reminder that Durant still is one of the best players in the world.

ESPN agrees.

During their player-ranking list of the best NBA talents ahead of the 2024-25, ESPN placed Durant in the top ten at No. 9.

Dave McMenamin on why Durant dropped two spots from his seventh spot last year:

"Durant's ranking is more of a reflection of the ascension of others than any atrophy of his game. After all, last season he appeared in 75 games -- 20 more than he played in any season since suffering a torn Achilles in 2019. He was his usual efficient self, averaging 27.1 points on 52/41/86 shooting splits and earning his 14th All-Star nod. While he could have been dinged for the Suns' underwhelming playoff performance, it's hard to peg the first-round loss on him after he averaged 26.8 points on 55/42/82 shooting splits against Minnesota in the four-game series."

Durant - as previously mentioned - has notched everything possible in his belt. But Durant is on a quest for another championship ring, and that's the biggest question that surrounds one of the game's all-time great scorers:

"Durant is already recognized as an all-time great, but the only way he can even further solidify his reputation is to replicate the championship success he had with Golden State. That pursuit has stalled in recent seasons, as he has been swept out of the first round in two of the past three seasons with Brooklyn and Phoenix," wrote McMenamin.

"The franchise replaced coach Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer in the offseason and signed point guard Tyus Jones, but the team's ceiling still figures to be determined by how well Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal mesh together."

The full top ten:

10. Anthony Edwards
9. Kevin Durant
8. Joel Embiid
7. LeBron James
6. Stephen Curry
5. Jayson Tatum
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Luka Doncic
1. Nikola Jokic

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