The Brooklyn Nets continue to be haunted by injuries in the 2021-22 NBA season. Just when the Nets were about to see the strength of their "Big Three," they recently lost another member of their superstar trio to an injury. During the second quarter of their previous matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans, Nets small forward Kevin Durant suffered an injury after teammate Bruce Brown Jr. accidentally hit his knee while trying to stop Pelicans power forward Herb Jones.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Twitter, an MRI revealed that Durant had a sprained medial collateral of the left knee.
Coach Steve Nash On Kevin Durant's Injury
Durant’s injury is undeniably tough for the Nets, especially knowing that he, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have only played two games together this season. However, Nets head coach Steve Nash said that instead of "crying about" Durant’s injury, they should focus on things that they can improve until he and other injured players return to the court.
"If they get a bunch of games together, great," Nash said, via ESPN. "If they don’t, they don’t. And we’ll be playing the cards we’re dealt so it’s a little bit out of our hands. We just have to do the best we can. We can’t cry about it. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves."
Kevin Durant's Injury's Impact On Nets' Performance
Durant’s absence is expected to have a significant effect on the Nets’ performance on both ends of the floor. As Nash noted, the Nets didn’t only lose a "scorer of the highest caliber," but also size and defense. The Nets’ offense won’t be much of a concern since they still have two of the league’s best active scorers in Irving and Harden.
However, it’s worth noting that Irving could only play in the Nets’ road games since the New York vaccine mandate is preventing unvaccinated players like him from playing in a sports arena.
Kevin Durant 'Disappointed' With Injury
After he suffered an injury, Nash had a conversation with Durant, who was reportedly "disappointed" with his MCL injury.
"He’s obviously disappointed," Nash said. "The guy loves to play. It’s tough any time you’re injured, but this is just the reality, and try to stay positive and look forward to the opportunity to play and that it’s not worse."
Durant suffered the same injury in 2017 when former Golden State Warriors teammate Zaza Pachulia fell into his knee. Nash believes Durant’s previous experience gave him the ability to come back stronger after an injury.
KD's Injury Timeline
As of now, Nash and the Nets haven’t given an official date regarding when Durant would officially return to the court. However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the two-time NBA champion is set to undergo rehabilitation for his MCL injury for at least four to six weeks.
Per ESPN‘s Kevin Pelton, the "best-case scenario" for Durant is to return to the court after missing 13 games. Though he’s expected to be available when the 2022 NBA Playoffs start, his absence is expected to knock him out of the MVP race.
]]>The Inquisitr
