The Nets' worst fears have happened. In today's game against the Pelicans, Durant accidentally sprained his left knee during a defensive round and subsequently withdrew from the game. After the game, the Nets officially announced that Durant would undergo further tests tomorrow to determine the severity of the sprain. Irving stopped, Durant was injured halfway through, Harden led the team alone, this plot Nets fans are familiar with, this is completely the script of last season. Recently, the Nets have just come out of the quagmire of losing consecutively, and Durant is injured at this juncture, which can only be said that the Nets' luck is really a little worse.
Knee sprains, before the results of the examination do not come out, no one can make a conclusive conclusion, because the recovery period for knee sprains varies from person to person, from one season to one week. Taking Brother Alphabet as an example, last year's playoff Brother Alphabet also suffered a serious sprain on his left knee, but Brother Alphabet completed his comeback within a week, and the state of the game did not have any impact. Davis, on the other hand, also suffered a knee sprain last season, but his recovery period lasted half a season and he missed almost the entire regular season. Alphabet Brother's physical recovery ability is almost tied with James, while Davis is the league's famous glass man, referring to Durant's recovery after the Achilles tendon rupture, his absence time will not be very long, but it is difficult to complete the comeback within a week like Alphabet Brother. Judging from the situation on the scene, Durant was only slightly hit by Brown's calf, compared to the letter brother being injured by a heavy center like Capela, Durant's injury situation will not be too pessimistic.
Harden's form seems to have picked up recently, and in the last three games, Harden has averaged 26 points, 7.3 rebounds and 13.3 assists, which makes Durant's injury not make the Nets feel too pessimistic. Still, that doesn't mean the Nets can sit back and relax after Durant's absence. Fortunately, the Nets' next schedule is not cruel, the next 6 games, the Nets will face the team is not a championship team, if there is no accident, the Nets will not lead to the record of Waterloo because of Durant's absence, which also wins more rest time for Durant. But the Nets will not sit still, and if things are left to develop freely, Harden will become the next player to be injured, and the Nets will return to the same season.
Durant is injured, the importance of Irving is more obvious, even if Irving can play in away games to share the pressure on the team, but this is still a drop in the bucket for the Nets, perhaps with Durant's injury as an opportunity, the Nets will once again test Irving's attitude. According to the Nets reporter, the Nets will not give up any possibility of allowing Irving to play full-time, Durant's injury will be an important node, and the Nets will once again test Irving's attitude toward vaccinations. Since Irving's return to the team, it can be seen from pre-game and post-game interviews that Irving is still concerned about the Nets, and Irving will try to do things that are more beneficial to the team. If the Nets can successfully convince Irving on the grounds that Durant is injured and the team has entered a difficult period, then the Nets will also be a blessing in disguise.
There is another piece of good news waiting for the Nets, and if nothing else, Harris will return in late January, which also provides a good complement to the Nets. Although Harris did not play well in some important games, it has to be admitted that without Harris's pulling on the outside, the Nets' offensive fluency is indeed much less than before, and during Durant's absence, Harris's return can help Harden more comfortably complete the task of holding the ball big core.
Durant's injury is not accidental, it seems to be an unpredictable situation, and it is actually closely related to Durant's recent high playing time. Even if the Nets recall Irving to share the pressure on the team, the pressure on Durant is still not small, and if Irving can't return full-time, the next tired player may be Harden. Harden is no longer the Ironman who has maintained high attendance for 9 consecutive seasons, and if Harden suffers another injury, referring to the recovery time of last season, then Durant really has to lead the team alone in the playoffs.