Kevin Durant, LeBron James among stars ‘under duress’ entering NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs get underway Saturday, bringing a new level of pressure to a slew of teams and players.

Ahead of the action, FOX Sports NBA analyst Chris Broussard shared his latest “Under Duress” list — his first edition of the postseason — which features a few familiar faces.

Here’s the “First Things First” host’s top three stars whom he believes must step up in the first round of the playoffs.

Let’s get to it!

3. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

The outlook: LeBron and the 7-seed Lakers began the 2022-23 season 19-24. They then rebounded thanks to a series of trade acquisitions (D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba), going 24-15 the rest of the way. Furthermore, Los Angeles closed out the regular season by winning nine of its last 11 games. James is coming off an eye-popping 45-minute performance in the Lakers’ crucial Western Conference play-in game win Tuesday, in which the 38-year-old superstar led all players with 30 points on 12-for-21 shooting.

In 55 games this season, James has averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assist per game while shooting 50.0/32.1/76.8, helping him earn his 19th NBA All-Star Game nod.

Broussard’s thoughts: “There are some haters and detractors out there that would love to take a shot at LeBron and love to take him down a peg if he doesn’t do well in this series, if they (the Lakers) lose this series. … LeBron has been showing some inconsistencies lately, but I believe in you, LeBron! So go ahead and get this thing done [and] play well.”

2. Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies

The outlook: Brooks said Tuesday that he “wouldn’t mind” facing James & Co. in a seven-game playoff series. The Grizzlies went 1-2 against the Lakers in the regular season, their lone win coming at home. The 27-year-old Brooks averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 39.6/32.6/77.9 across 73 regular-season games for Memphis, which finished 51-31 to secure the 2-seed in the postseason.

Broussard’s thoughts: “I don’t believe in him as much as I believe in LeBron. Did he set up the Grizzlies for disaster? Did he awake a snoozing giant in LeBron James? He didn’t do it braggadociously, but he had LeBron’s name in his mouth. People don’t like that. … If they (the Grizzlies) go out here and get beat up by the Lakers, a lot of people are gonna look at Dillon Brooks and say, ‘You are the reason why, my man.’ Dillon, you gotta go out there and get it done.”

Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns are ‘under duress’ entering NBA playoffs

Kevin Durant, along with Dillon Brooks and LeBron James, make the BUD list.

1. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns

The outlook: A midseason trade from the Brooklyn Nets brought Durant to the Suns, which have gone 8-0 with him on the court. Phoenix is the current favorite to win the NBA championship, as its first-round series against the 5-seed LA Clippers tips off Sunday. Durant is averaging 29.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists this season, while becoming the first player in NBA history to shoot better than 50% from the field, 40% from the 3-point line and 90% from the free-throw line.

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has often questioned Durant’s legacy because he won his two championships with a “superteam.” Barkley said recently that for Durant to be mentioned with the legends of the game, he needs to win a championship “where he’s the leader of the team, and he’s the best player.”

Broussard’s thoughts: “KD, this is it, my man. This is what you’ve been waiting for. This is when you shut up all the naysayers who put a mental asterisk by your two championships. … He’s got this ongoing beef with another legend, Charles Barkley. What a way to silence Barkley. You talk about a trump card, you talk about ending the battle once and for all — to lead the team that Barkley couldn’t to a championship. KD it is there for the taking, and you gotta go through your old teammate Russell Westbrook, who I do believe … is gonna have a chip on his shoulder to knock you out.”

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