Kyrie Irving hasn't been ready to play so far this season, James Harden has been sidelined for triggering a health deal, and the Nets have as many as seven players sidelined for triggering a health deal, but the Nets still have four straight wins. With neither Irving nor Harden playing, Spurs veteran Patty Mills became a sharpshooter and became Kevin Durant's right-hand man.
Irving's problems have long been a headache for the Nets, and now Harden, Aldridge, Bembry, Brown, Carter, Johnson and Millsap and seven other players have officially triggered a health agreement on December 14 and are not allowed to play, but even under such unfavorable circumstances, the Nets have won four consecutive games and held the first place in the East.
Durant's powerful performance is the key to the Nets' ability to continue to win. In those four games, Durant was able to average 37.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.8 blocks per game with 50.0% shooting and 40.0% three-point shooting, with an average plus or minus of +9.5 per game! Alone, Durant has achieved such a beautiful number and joined the 180 club, which shows his personal ability.
However, in this NBA era where star groups have become the mainstream, it is becoming more and more difficult for superstars to lead the team to win by themselves, and even LeBron James, who has participated in the Finals 10 times, cannot do without the help of his superstar teammates, and Durant is not exempt. During the Nets' last four-game winning streak, only three Nets players have played the same four games as Durant, with 33-year-old Patty Mills' impressively accurate three-pointer.
Mills made 4-of-8 three-pointers in the Nets' win over Philadelphia, mills made 7 of 14 three-pointers in the Previous Game in the Nets' near-victory over the Raptors, and Mills also had 4-of-10 three-pointers in the Nets' victory over the Pistons, averaging 4.0 three-pointers per game with 42.1% of three-pointers during the four-game winning streak, which can be called the "sharpshooter". Mills, who averaged 18.3 points per game during this time, became Durant's right-hand man.
Selected with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft, Mills, who became famous from the Spurs, joined the Nets as a savior this season and has averaged 3.2 three-pointers per game in 29 regular-season games for the Nets this season. So far this season, only Stephen Curry, Buddy Hield and VanVleet have averaged more three-pointers per game than Mills, but none of them have reached 40.0 percent from three-point range. The Nets have been able to hold the number one position in the East under difficult circumstances so far this season, and Mills has done a lot!