Kevin Durant has been the most consistent player for the Brooklyn Nets since he returned from injury last season. Thanks to Kyrie missing several games due to his stance against vaccination and James Harden going through issues with form and injuries at times, Durant has been the leading man for the Nets this season.
It’s a role that he has filled in capably, but he has been required to play more minutes than he normally would have, especially in the last two games. On back-to-back nights, Durant played nearly 44 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs, following it up with 41 minutes on the court against the Portland Trail Blazers.
KD spoke about his workload after the game against Portland, which ended in a loss for the Nets. He was asked if he was concerned about the number of minutes he was playing and he explained that he would play until the coaches told him that he had to sit out.
“No. Let me die out there! Nah, I’m just playing. But no, I’m not concerned. Whenever coach wants to give me a day, I’ll support that. But I’m not looking for one. I’m just gonna play until they tell me I’m sitting out”
Durant was quite productive in both games, scoring 28 points on both nights and helping the Nets beat the Spurs in overtime before they lost to the Blazers the next day. Irving was unavailable to play against San Antonio since the game took place at the Barclays Center, while Harden missed the Blazers clash due to a left knee hyperextension.
Durant can’t continuously be expected to provide these many minutes and the Nets coaching staff will be working towards managing his workload. While Kyrie’s return should make it easier in road games, Brooklyn chasing the first seed means that KD will still spend a lot more time on the court than he does on the bench in the coming weeks.
