Kevin Durant is the face of the Brooklyn Nets, and he has led them to the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference. There’s no doubt that they are in a fantastic position, but that hasn’t stopped people from being concerned.
Some concern towards the Nets stems from the fact that there are times where Kevin Durant has had to play extremely heavy minutes in order to get wins. There’s no doubt that for a star, it’s good to manage their minutes during their regular season in order to keep them ready for the playoffs.
Coach Steve Nash has recently commented on Kevin Durant playing heavy minutes and stated that the alternative is Kevin Durant playing less, and the Nets losing more. The Nets would obviously be a much worse team with Kevin Durant getting load management, so Steve Nash is right in that regard.
Steve Nash on Kevin Durant playing 40+ minutes: "I don't know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more."
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) November 30, 2021
Kevin Durant later commented on the heavy minute load he has been getting and stated that he actually enjoys playing a lot of minutes, and even claimed that he wants to “play 48 minutes”.
Kevin Durant talks about logging more minutes this season
"I'm a basketball player. I enjoy to play. I want to play 48 minutes…I'm sure for the rest of the season, I'm going to try to sneak some of those 40+ minute games in 'cause s–t, I like being out there" pic.twitter.com/6919Tjizot
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) December 1, 2021
I’m a basketball player. I enjoy to play. I want to play 48 minutes. That’s just what it is…I like to play… My basketball life is not that long, so I want to get the most out of it… I’m sure for the rest of the season, I’m going to try to sneak some of those 40+ minute games in ’cause sh*t, I like being out there.
Hopefully, this approach works well for the Brooklyn Nets. The key will be keeping their stars fresh, and perhaps they can do that while fulfilling Kevin Durant’s desire to play more. That being said, there’s something to be said about staying in rhythm, and perhaps a solid slate of minutes will help Durant do that.
The Brooklyn Nets are doing well even without Kyrie Irving, as evidenced by their position in the standings. Perhaps we’ll see Kevin Durant win his 3rd championship this year, and it’ll certainly be interesting to see if he is able to do so. After losing to the Warriors, Kevin Durant claimed that things were going to get better”, and the Nets have won 5 of their last 6 games. Hopefully, winning basketball will continue in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant at the helm.
