Subscribe
Follow Us
Is Kevin Durant somehow better now? The Brooklyn Nets star is now 33-years-old, but is putting up one of the best seasons of his career. Steve Nash, however, doesn't want to overdo it.
Nash was adamant that working Kevin Durant too hard goes against what the team is hoping to build in Brooklyn – and would also have its consequences. The Nets coach was vocal about it after the team's loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Via The New York Post:
“That’s the luxury of All-Star players, that they can do that. Kevin’s obviously elite at scoring and isolating, and there are times when we lean on him. But it’s important for our team that we don’t overburden [him],” said the Nets coach.
“You want to give him as many great opportunities to score out of the flow and out of teamwork, rather than have to face a loaded defense all night. So while that is a luxury — that he can make plays against anyone — we definitely don’t want to rely on that. That’s the antithesis to our vision. But that is a luxury, when he can just rise up and score over people.”
The Nets were rolling with a five-game win streak heading into Chicago. But they had also just beaten a scrappy Raptors team in Toronto the previous night and had to fly to another country to face one of the East's best teams this season some 24 hours later. They lost 118-95 after running out of gas in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 42-17.
Durant had 38 points in the contest while nobody else on the Nets notched 20. Steve Nash admitted that it's tough to strike a balance with keep KD rested while also having him play in back-to-backs like this where he carries the load.
“Obviously, we hope that we don’t have to overdo it with anyone. But that’s the kiss of death whenever you start thinking you’re going to limit guys here and there.”
Kevin Durant currently leads the league in scoring by a decent margin. He's been lifting the Nets on his superstar shoulders all season. All Steve Nash wants is to lighten his load.
