Durant has a record of 7 wins and 17 losses in his last 24 playoff games! A prominent commentator stated: If he loses to the injury-depleted Lakers, his reputation will plummet to its lowest point.

On April 15 Beijing time, the well-known basketball analyst nicknamed "American Yang Yi," Stephen A. Smith, discussed the first-round Lakers vs. Suns matchup in his latest program and specifically highlighted Kevin Durant.

“The core point I want to make is: regarding pressure, who wins or loses, and who gains or loses more, this person is Kevin Durant, without a doubt. I believe Durant is a top-ten player in NBA history. Two championships, two Finals MVP awards, and both those titles and FMVP honors were achieved by defeating LeBron James. But you know what?This same Durant has a record of 7 wins and 17 losses in his last 24 playoff games..”

A. Smith continued: "Of course, we are not dismissing his individual performance. In those 24 games, he averaged 29.9 points, with a shooting percentage of 47%, 34% from three-point range, plus 8.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game—his stats are still outstanding. But the key point is his record of 7 wins and 17 losses in the last 24 playoff games. What has he actually accomplished since leaving the Nets? For several years now, Durant has had almost no significant presence in the playoffs."

“In fact, the only time he advanced past the first round was because Kawhi Leonard was injured. During his time with the Suns, if Leonard hadn’t been injured, they likely would have lost that series earlier. So we need to face reality. When discussing Durant’s greatness, you must remember: he should firmly belong among the historically great players, but we rarely mention him now, rarely affirm his current ability, always feeling that his glory days are past.”

“He is clearly a scoring machine, incredibly steady, exceptionally gifted. But a 7-17 record in 24 playoff games is not good; not winning series is not good; being completely out of championship contention for the past few years is not good; and the Suns actually became stronger after trading him away last offseason—think about that.”

A. Smith emphasized finally: “So when he faces LeBron James, the issue isn’t just about beating James. The Lakers are injury-ridden, playing with a depleted roster—he absolutely cannot lose. He cannot lose to a depleted Lakers team missing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, led by the 41-year-old LeBron in his 23rd season.If Durant loses this series, his reputation will plummet to its lowest point. That is the key point..”