The Nets are hanging on for dear life as they wait for the return of Kevin Durant sometime after the NBA All-Star break. The good news for the Nets, who are in need of it after dropping their 11th straight game, is that Durant seems to be recovering well.
In his first appearance with local media, the Nets cornerstone said that he was getting better every day.
“It’s obviously a process to get back on the court and I’m going through that every day,” Durant said. “I’m feeling better. Much better as I go as each week passes. It’s slow, but I’m looking forward to ramping things up.”
Durant suffered a sprained MCL back on Jan. 15 against the New Orleans Pelicans. He has been on the court doing some work, but he hasn’t been cleared to do anything high intensity. He also wouldn’t commit to playing the Nets first game after the all-star break on Feb. 24 against the Boston Celtics, according to the New York Post.
While the injury could have been much worse, the Nets have struggled without their superstar on the floor.
Brooklyn has gone a dismal 2-12 since the injury occurred and they’ve dropped all the way down to eighth in the Eastern Conference, which puts the Nets in a play-in spot. They also own the league’s longest active losing streak.
“We know we’re in some deep s–t, don’t get me wrong,” Durant said of the Nets current situation. “We do understand that with a win, one win, it could just put us on the right track. And that’s what it takes in this league and things can change pretty fast.”
Whenever Durant does return to the floor, he will do so to a Nets team that will look much different than the one he played with before. The Nets were able to unload disgruntled star James Harden to Philadelphia before Thursday’s trade deadline in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.
While the end of the “Big 3” era came quicker than anyone imagined, Durant said the Nets can now push forward with the group they have.
“I’m sure there was a lot of uncertainty in the locker room about what our future was going to be as a group,” Durant said. “So many different things happened as far as injuries and guys in and out of the lineup, COVID. It was an up and down first half of the season for us. I think everybody is now settled in on what they need to do and as we get more and more bodies back we’re starting to figure out our roles. Then just keep rolling on from there.
“Everything is a process and we just looking forward to going through it.”
