West Notes: Suns, Kevin Durant, Warriors, Grizzlies

Suns

The Suns will need more from star forward Kevin Durant if they are to overcome their 2-0 deficit against the Nuggets, wrote Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com.

Durant finished 10-of-27 from the field in the Game 2 loss.

“They were good looks, just didn’t go down,” Durant said, via Bourguet. “I couldn’t knock ‘em down. Felt like they were good leaving my hands, but it is what it is.”

• Added coach Monty Williams: “He just missed a ton of shots, but we got a lot of the shots we wanted. He and (Devin Booker) took most of the shots, we just didn’t shoot a great percentage tonight. And that kind of stuff happens. They only scored 97 points. Our defense was much better tonight, we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole.”
• In case you missed it, starting point guard Chris Paul is expected to miss about a week with a groin injury. Paul is officially considered day-to-day. We have more details here.

Warriors

Forward Draymond Green defended the missed 3-pointer by guard Jordan Poole that would have tied the Game 1 loss to the Lakers with about 10 seconds left.

“It was also good to see Jordan get going … He hit six threes, but that’s neither here nor there,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show. “I know everyone’s talking about the last three that he missed. Quite frankly, I liked the shot. Obviously, you know, you tell him to eat up the space and take the three a little bit closer.

“He could’ve eaten up the space, but Jordan can shoot the ball, and he got a good look at it.”

Green added that, yes, Poole maybe could have moved a little closer to the basket.

“Yes, you want him to take a couple steps in and get an even closer three, but Jordan taking that three is not why we lost that game,” Green said. “And I know everyone’s going to point at that one play and say he never should have shot that three. Prior to that three, he was 6 for 10.

“You’ve got a guy 6 for 10 that you know can shoot the piss out of the ball and you get an open three, you live with it.”

Grizzlies

The Grizzlies will be looking to add perimeter shooting this offseason after their playoff loss to the Lakers revealed their need for that type of talent, per John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Along with that, the absences of injured center Steven Adams and forward Brandon Clarke hurt them in the area of rebounding and battling near the basket, Hollinger added.

Now that they’ve made it clear forward Dillon Brooks won’t return as a free agent, the Grizzlies have created some salary space and a roster spot to be able to explore some of their glaring needs.

“Brooks had a miserable series, a far cry from his electric performance two years ago against Utah, and his impact on the spacing rendered him nearly unplayable by the final two games,” Hollinger wrote. “Memphis had no real alternatives either. Luke Kennard was targeted on defense and only got off 23 shots in five games, and Santi Aldama spaced the frontcourt in a way Xavier Tillman couldn’t, but he also got torched on defense.”