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CHICAGO – Without the injured Kevin Durant, the Nets are second-best in the Eastern Conference with a 32-15 record, just half a game behind the Sixers 32-14 without Joel Embiid.
And Brooklyn has won 17 of its last 20 games.
Prosperity, however, can be dangerously deceptive.
This pleasant and surprising turn of events doesn’t mean the Nets are better off without KD; it simply validates the depth of a roster that boasts a total of 42 All-Star appearances.
The Westgate Super Book in Las Vegas recently installed the Nets as favorites to win the NBA title in 2021 with more than 260 odds, beating the injury-decimated LA Lakers who fell to No. 2 with more than 280.
But for a championship to materialize, Durant must be in the picture.
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Even though he has appeared in only 19 games so far, KD’s impact was gigantic. By Forbes, scored at least 20 in all but one of those outings, surpassed 30 nine times, and once exploded for 42.
Sidelined with a sore left hamstring, Durant is averaging 29 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per. He’s shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from 3.
If you look up “stretch four” in the basketball dictionary, you won’t just find a picture of Kevin Durant in the definition, you’ll see an entire album.
Beyond the harsh statistics, Durant’s presence is immeasurable. It is proven to perform and deliver under the brightest lights.
IT’S SOMETHING YOU CAN’T SAY ABOUT JAMES HARDEN.
Despite embarking on another MVP season averaging 26.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game, Harden remains a question mark in the postseason melting pot.
Big as a rocket ship for most of his tenure in Houston, Harden was sadly a failure to launch during the most important moments a championship could be won. There is strong evidence that allows us to reach the conclusion.
Kyrie Irving is equally spectacular this season, pocketing 28.1 points and 5.6 dimes for. But this guy is as confusing as a Rubik’s cube,
Grumpy, unpredictable.
What if he pulls another upset in the playoffs and suddenly leaves the team for “personal reasons”?
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LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin are wonderful additions, but both are past their prime.
Which brings us back to Kevin Durant.
The Nets can win a series of regular-season games without him. But they can’t put together the 16 playoff victories needed to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.
EXTRA POINTS. With Dame Lillard and CJ McCollum leading the charge, I used to think the Portland Trail Blazers had a long shot of winning it all.
But 46 games in his season, now I think they don’t stand a chance.
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The Blazers are 29th in the NBA in the NBA in defensive rating (117.6) and 27 in points per game allowed (115.5). With such terrible defense, I don’t see them even coming out of the first round in the Wild West.
And here is something to think about.
During his 13 years in the NBA, Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell earned an estimated salary of $ 960,000.
That’s pocket change these days.
Steph Curry, the league’s highest paid salary with a profit of $ 43 million this season alone, raises approximately $ 597,222.
The pandemic has significantly affected the NBA’s business, but none of the players are getting poorer.
