The Brooklyn Nets have the highest odds of winning any NBA title this season, and it all starts with Kevin Durant. It is difficult to imagine a team without an All-Star player like KD on its roster, but that was the case for these Nets until he came along in 2017. His impact has been so drastic because his sheer force of will has been matched by healthy contributions from others around him.,
The “when did james harden join the nets” is a question that has been on many people’s minds. The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their star player to the Brooklyn Nets, and it seems like the Nets are benefiting from his departure.
The Brooklyn Nets were the preseason favorites to win the NBA championship. With an 18–8 record two weeks before Christmas, the Nets are in first place in the Eastern Conference. That’s exactly how they planned it. That’s correct. What was expected to be the Big Three’s reunion in Brooklyn after last season’s injury-plagued campaign has instead become a solo show. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, looks to be up to the task.
Last season, there was a lot of talk about how little the Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving played together. The team has played 26 games in 2021–22 and has recorded (checks notes) zero minutes at the same time. Irving abandoned his desire to become World B. Flat in favor of fighting the COVID-19 vaccination. What about Harden? This season has been challenging.
Kevin Durant and, on occasion, James Harden were the Big Three.
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Irving has not participated this season owing to a city of New York rule and his vaccination status. The Brooklyn Nets determined that having their point guard accessible just for away games was a bad idea.
Meanwhile, Harden has had a difficult time at times. He spent the winter rehabbing a lingering hamstring ailment that kept him out of the lineup last year. He’s also had trouble adjusting to a new NBA that no longer awards him two or three free shots every time he collides with a defender.
Harden is enjoying his worst year as a starter in the NBA. He had a game average of 20.8 points, 9.6 assists, and 7.9 rebounds. His 40.4 percent shooting percentage is his lowest since his rookie season, and his 33.7 percent 3-point shooting percentage is on track to be his lowest of his career.
Kevin Durant and the Role Players have taken center stage at Barclays Center instead of Brooklyn’s lauded and much-hyped Big Three.
Kevin Durant has been outstanding for the Brooklyn Nets this season.
Kevin Durant is guiding the Brooklyn Nets to the top of the Eastern Conference by doing it all: offense, defense, and playmaking. Getty Images/Todd Kirkland
Kevin Durant is the oldest and is coming off the most serious injury of the three starters for the Brooklyn Nets. During the 2019 NBA Finals, Durant tore his Achilles tendon. At the age of 30, there were serious concerns regarding his ability to return. There were even whispers that he wouldn’t make it back at all.
Durant now leads the NBA in scoring, averaging 28.5 points per game, two years after his injury. He has won the scoring championship four times. His most recent was in 2013–14.
The Brooklyn Nets, on the other hand, have been in desperate need of Durant’s services. He’s playing 36.3 minutes per game, the most he’s played since 2013–14, and he’s shooting 53.0% overall. Durant is shooting a scorching 64.7 percent from 16 feet out to the 3-point line in an NBA that looks at long mid-range shots like a mouse looks at a hungry tiger.
He’s also hitting 52.9 percent of his mid-range shots, which account for one-third of his total.
Has Durant been crucial to the Nets’ success? When No. 7 is on the floor, they’re plus-5.9 points per 100 possessions; when he’s not, they’re minus-3.5. (It’s hilarious that the official NBA analytics site wants to tell us that when Irving isn’t playing, Brooklyn is plus-3.2 per 100 possessions.)
It would be remarkable if Durant was solely responsible for the Nets’ offensive success. The fact that coach Steve Nash expects Herculean defensive effort from his superstar elevates his performance to a new level.
In crunch time, the Brooklyn Nets asked KD to defend Trae Young.
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Coach Steve Nash determined in the fourth quarter of the Brooklyn Nets’ 113–105 away victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 10 that having Kevin Durant guard Hawks star Trae Young would be the best way to slow him down down the stretch.
Why not pair a 6-foot-11 combo big with a 6-foot-1 point guard who is lightning quick? What could possibly go wrong?
Nothing worked out for the Nets, as it turned out. The two stars clashed once after some pushing and shoving, resulting in double-technical penalties. With a little more than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Young scored five points in two possessions to put Atlanta to within one point of the Nets.
Durant has to go into lockdown mode. Young was pushed into a turnover, a shot was stopped, and a drive was contested by KD. Brooklyn finished the game with a 10–3 run to secure the victory.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Durant stated the face-to-face meeting with Young was no big deal.
“With that motion, I was a little too rough, and I sort of shoved him a little,” Durant said. “I understand why he wanted me to get up and out of his personal space. It’s all part of the fun. It’s not about you. It’s all about the competition. We’re OK.”
This season, Durant may not earn his second MVP trophy. But, with Harden struggling and Irving out, he’s been the Nets’ lifeline. Whatever is required in terms of scoring and defense.
The Brooklyn Nets may not be led by a Big Three. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, has been the colossus, with some assistance from Harden. So far, it’s been enough to propel them to the top of the Eastern standings.
Basketball Reference and NBA.com provided the statistics.
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The “team durant” is a team that Kevin Durant has led to the top of the East. They have not lost in their last 4 games, and they are currently sitting at 17-6.
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