The Brooklyn Nets experienced a major setback when it was announced that former, league MVP James Harden would be out indefinitely with his hamstring injury. Hopefully, he will be fully healthy in the playoffs. In the meantime, there is a silver lining for the organization and fans regarding their other former MVP in Kevin Durant.
According to the latest injury report, Durant has been listed as probable for the Nets' game against the Ph0enix Suns on Sunday. KD was initially expected to return on Friday against the Boston Celtics, but he was eventually ruled out after head coach Steve Nash noted the forward had not fully healed yet.
With this development, it could mean that Durant is close to, or at 100 percent already.
Per Nets: pic.twitter.com/ie6u3mR7QB
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) April 24, 2021
This is a welcome development for a Nets team that has been battered all season long with injuries. How they are still one of the best teams in the league is a testament to the roster's depth.
Kevin Durant has missed a majority of the season due various to health issues, but whenever he stepped on the court, he was amazing. Durant is one of the greatest scorers of all time and his unique blend of size, skill, and shooting from anywhere on the court makes him a matchup nightmare. His long arms, timing, and effort have made him an impactful defender, and he can even play the five in certain matchups.
Another benefit of having Durant is that compared to Harden and Irving, he is the one who can thrive the most in 0ff-ball situations. He can simply spot up or run through screens and still exert a lot of tension on the defense.
With championship aspirations, Brooklyn has been conservative in handling the injuries of its stars, although Harden's could have been better. Basketball fans and analysts were excited to see how a team with so much offensive firepower would mesh, but because of injuries, the Nets' best lineup has only been rolled out a couple of times.