After winning a pair of championships with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant decided to join the Brooklyn Nets this offseason, along with Kyrie Irving. The two could be a dynamic pairing for years to come, but Durant’s Achilles’ injury may delay this process considerably.

Paul believes Durant wants to reassert himself as a perennial MVP candidate, which couldn’t be done with all the talent in Golden State. Coming off of such a serious injury, it will be interesting to see if KD returns as the same player as before. When he does return, Brooklyn fans will be waiting for him to carry the franchise to new heights.

“He believes that he doesn’t get enough recognition,” Pierce said. “I still believe that KD believes he’s the best player on the planet, and when he won those two championships, he didn’t get that recognition. So that is probably the reason that he wants to go to the Nets and show people that he can be that player again.”