Kyrie Irving has been among the NBA's top guards since returning from an early-season suspension. Most importantly for a Nets team bracing for an extended period without Kevin Durant, he is playing under a full-time status, unlike this time last season.

Irving has been a non-stop source of offense during a historic hot stretch for Brooklyn. Over his last 13 games, the guard is averaging 28.2 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.3 percent from three. Irving's high-level shotmaking has been amplified in clutch moments with the guard ranking second in the league in fourth-quarter scoring at 8.7 points per game.

Kyrie Irving will shoulder a heavy offensive load with his co-star sidelined, but the Nets boast a far deeper supporting cast than Durant's last extended absence. And head coach Jacque Vaughn said Brooklyn wants to maintain a team-oriented approach during the coming weeks.

“We don't want to put more pressure on Kyrie than he had three games ago,” Vaughn said Thursday. “It’s the same approach with this group… We’re going to have to be tighter on both ends of the floor, but no more pressure should be on eleven. His ability to create double teams, which will happen, and create for other guys, his ability still to play one-on-one at times for us is going to be there. We added nothing to the playbook to put anymore on his plate.”

Several new faces, notably Ben Simmons, will be relied on to relieve pressure from Irving with Durant out. Simmons is leading the Nets in assists at 6.0 per game this season. The three-time All-Star's ability to push the pace and facilitate will become even more vital to a Brooklyn team in search of offense.

Simmons will also need to shift a portion of his offensive energy to self-creation to assist Kyrie. The Aussie is averaging a career-low 3.2 drives per game this year after averaging 10.0 or more in each of his first four seasons, something that should change as he steps into a larger offensive role.

Seth Curry and T.J. Warren will see expanded opportunities as shot-creators. Joe Harris, Royce O'Neale and Yuta Watanabe will be relied on for floor-spacing without Durant attracting constant double teams, something Vaughn alluded to Thursday.

“We will have to maximize the shots we take. Do we want to shoot more threes probably from the individuals who are high-level three-point shooters? Yes,” Vaughn said. “So that goes back to creating shots for other guys, our ability to drive and kick a little bit more. Kevin has the incredible ability to turn some ugly possessions into pretty-looking possessions because of his ability to shoot the basketball. We don't want three or four dudes thinking they can shoot the same twos that Kevin shot.”

The Nets stand alone in second place in the Eastern Conference after winning 18 of 20, the best stretch in franchise history. Brooklyn was 27-13 when Durant suffered an MCL sprain last season. They would go 5-17, including an 11-game losing streak, during his absence, a period Durant would later say “derailed” the season.

Brooklyn will look to weather the storm this time around with Irving, Simmons and a well-rounded supporting cast leading the way.