The Brooklyn Nets picked up a hard-earned victory over the Philadelphia 76ers during Thursday night’s NBA action.
The Nets are down seven players because of the league’s health and safety protocols, putting them just above the minimum of eight healthy players. In addition to the players in the protocols, they are without Joe Harris, who underwent ankle surgery.
With a limited roster of available players, some are being relied upon heavily to help keep the team afloat in the meantime. Carrying the heaviest load is Kevin Durant, who is the sole player Brooklyn can rely on right now to create offense for himself and teammates.
Durant had a great game against the 76ers, scoring 34 points to go along with 11 rebounds, eight assists and one block in 39 minutes. That followed a 34-point triple-double against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday in which he played 48 minutes and a 51-point masterpiece against the Detroit Pistons over the weekend that he played 41 minutes.
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Managing minutes for players is tough enough for a head coach when a team is at full strength. When as shorthanded as the Nets are, Steve Nash is put in a bind.
Nash is concerned about the workload that Durant currently has, and rightfully so. While winning games in the regular season is important, the Nets have bigger goals and need Durant healthy to achieve them.
“It’s a really important topic,” Nash said before the game on Thursday night. “I don’t know we can continue to lean on him the way we have. It doesn’t feel right.
“I know he’s enjoying it. I know he’s enjoying playing at the rate he’s playing at and trying to bring his teammates along with him and all the responsibility that he’s accepted and crushed, basically. It’s just been incredible. But, at the same time, it’s not safe or sustainable to lean on him like that. There’s gonna be a lot of consideration and we’ll have to figure out ways to give him breaks.”
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kyrie Irving Starts Process To Return To Brooklyn Nets
Durant has said that he doesn’t mind playing major minutes and that he would play all 48 if he could. But, at 33-years old, having missed the entire 2019-20 season recovering from an Achilles rupture and playing in only 35 games last season because of hamstring injuries, it is understandable why the Nets are concerned.
Durant is up to 37 minutes per game this season, the most he has averaged since the 2013-14 season when he was 25-years old playing 38.5 minutes per game. He has played at least 37 minutes in 12 consecutive games and it is hard to imagine that streak stops any time soon given how shorthanded the roster is.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Kyrie Irving Starts Process To Return To Brooklyn Nets
Some help is on the way at some point in the near future with Kyrie Irving taking steps toward making his return to the Brooklyn Nets. He will have to test negative for COVID-19 enough times to satisfy the NBA’s requirements. While he will only be able to play in road games, it can still take pressure off Kevin Durant.
