Following a first-round playoff exit in 2019, the Brooklyn Nets were about to get a dramatic makeover. Shortly after Independence Day that year, they acquired three All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan. Although Durant was coming off of a devastating injury, the plans for a super team were put into motion.
Fast forward to January 13 when they landed James Harden in a trade with the Houston Rockets, and many people were already anointing them champions. The deal did cost them a lot of their depth though, and that became a major concern for the team as they dealt with injuries and strange absences with some of their players.
The Nets haven’t been able to see their “big three” on the floor very much. Irving played just 20 games in his first year in Brooklyn, while Durant missed the entire season rehabbing from his injury. Both Durant and Harden have played 62 games with Brooklyn, and while Irving has yet to play this season, that is about to change.
Just in: All-NBA star Kyrie Irving has started process to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Irving is ramping up, has begun team COVID-19 testing, and his season debut date is still to be determined.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 17, 2021
With none of these players having logged 75 games over the course of three seasons, the identity of this team is still a bit of a question mark. After a slow start to open the season, the Nets now own the top spot in the East after winning 11 of their last 14 games. They have won four straight with matchups against Orlando, Denver, Washington, and Portland before their date with the Lakers on Christmas.
The organization has decided to allow Irving to be a part-time player this year, playing in games outside of New York and Toronto. It will take some time to get his conditioning right, but it could be just what the doctor ordered for this team.
Brooklyn has been dealing with missing pieces just like everyone else, but they have been hit especially hard this year. Last week they had nine players listed as out with either an injury or Health and Safety Protocols. Teams are required to have eight players in order to play, and the Nets had just enough on Thursday night when they hosted the 76ers. Durant was questionable to play heading into that game, but suited up and put on another dazzling performance with 34 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in their victory.
Durant has won the season scoring title four times and is leading the league once again this year. He nearly leads the league in minutes, which has been a topic of discussion recently. His 37 minutes per game is only eclipsed by Toronto’s Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. Head coach Steve Nash shared his growing concern. “It’s a really important topic,” Nash said. “I don’t know we can continue to lean on him the way we have. It doesn’t feel right. There’s gonna be a lot of consideration and we’ll have to figure out ways to give him breaks.”
Although it may not be pretty at times, Brooklyn has been taking care of business. They rank 8th in offense, 6th in defense, and 6th in net rating. They have been especially good in crunch time, putting together a perfect 4-0 record in games decided by three points or less. Durant has been taking over in the final possessions, and no one has been able to stop him.
Kevin Durant is the 2nd player in Nets history to score at least 150 points over a 4-game span, joining Vince Carter who did it in 2005.
Durant is also the 1st Nets player to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists in 3 straight games since the Nets joined the NBA in 1976. pic.twitter.com/lG9UZclFbo
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 17, 2021
The Nets have been especially good on the road, which is somewhat surprising considering all of the roster turnover. With all of the moving parts and pieces, several players have stepped up when the team needed them to. Patty Mills has been an admirable fill-in for Irving. LaMarcus Aldridge was a major part of their offense early in the season. The veteran big man came out of retirement and took the starting role away from Blake Griffin.
Speaking of Griffin, he has stepped right in after being out of the rotation for a while. He knows his role and has an exceptional basketball IQ, which doesn’t get mentioned enough. He leads the league in charges drawn, despite not playing in a handful of games this season.
If Durant is Superman, Harden was supposed to be Brooklyn’s Batman. At this point, he looks more like Daredevil or Green Lantern. He has been out of shape since before he began last season with the Rockets. His conditioning has been one issue, which has led to injuries. The other problem he has been dealing with is slightly more alarming.
A big deal was made out of the rule changes that were implemented this season. Guys like Harden and Trae Young have had to adjust their playing styles, no longer being able to bait referees into foul calls. There are fewer opportunities at the free-throw line, and he has not been able to beat guys off of the dribble to get to the rim. Age and conditioning have made him a shell of himself, and he even admitted that he doesn’t really know what role he should be playing.
James Harden says,
“I’m trying figure out when to score, when to playmaker … When to do everything. It’s been difficult.”
— Ajayi Browne (@ajayibrowne) November 28, 2021
Durant was supposed to be teamed up with All-NBA guards Irving and Harden. He was supposed to be playing with his buddy DeAndre Jordan, who now wears purple and gold. The Nets moved on from Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Landry Shamet. All of those guys are gone, and Joe Harris remains out for the foreseeable future. With a healthy roster, this team is nearly unbeatable. This isn’t fantasy basketball though.
Brooklyn can count their blessings that Durant has remained healthy, and just loves to play the game. He doesn’t mind the high minutes, playing with role players, and carrying the bulk of the load. He relishes in that role, just as he did with Team USA this past summer in the Tokyo Olympics. That came on the heels of nearly carrying this team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
This is a different version of Durant than we saw in Oklahoma City and Golden State. All of the pressure is squarely on his shoulders and he is carrying the load. Only 14 players in NBA history have ever won the regular season MVP and a championship in the same year. Durant has a serious shot at joining that exclusive club this season.
From a statistical standpoint, Durant has had better seasons in scoring, rebounding, assisting, and efficiency. Be that as it may, there is no denying that what he is doing this season is arguably just as impressive. The way he has lifted this team is remarkable when you consider all of the missing/moving parts. While most teams have two or three star players, the Nets have been doing it with just one.
Dallas has one star in Luka Doncic, but their team is struggling. The same goes for Philadelphia with Joel Embiid and Denver with Nikola Jokic. We all know the story with Damian Lillard in Portland.
The accolades are endless. A league MVP. Two-time champion. Two-time Finals MVP. The 11-time All-Star has been named to an All-NBA team nine times. He was named to the league’s 75th Anniversary Team, featuring the greatest players to ever hit the hardwood. His talent is undeniable. His skill set is unguardable. His love for the game is immeasurable.
The G.O.A.T. debate has always involved Michael Jordan and LeBron James. With respect to the other legends of the game, it is time to start including Durant’s name in that discussion.
