There was a time when Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant was considered the NBA's most plug-and-play superstar. Drop him into any scheme or situation, and he will approach 30 points per game on 50/40/90 shooting splits, as he had previously done on tours of duty for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets. And as the eighth-leading scorer in league history, he has done that job well.
But as Durant has evolved further from his tenure in the Bay Area, we have discovered that, unless you swap Harrison Barnes for him on a 73-win juggernaut, it is not so easy as plugging in and playing Durant.