As a championship favorite at the beginning of the season, the Nets did not play the good results expected by the outside world. Before All-Star Weekend, they only finished with a 31-28 record, ranking eighth in the East, and if the regular season ends today, they will have to pass through the playoffs to get tickets to the playoffs.
In the last game before the All-Star Weekend, the Nets lost to the Wizards, and the team guard Mills was arrogant in an interview with the media, bluntly saying that he was not worried about the team's record ranking, and the team would soon be back on track after the All-Star... Reality, however, gave him a blow in the head.
According to the US media The Athletic, Nets general manager Max recently gave an interview to the media, in which he revealed some of the team's recent plans, including Durant's injury situation and Simmons' debut time.
Max said neither Durant nor Simmons is expected to return in the next 3-4 days, meaning they will miss the next two games against the Celtics and Bucks, whose debut with the team has been delayed again.
But Max later added that he would also observe their physical condition and then make a final decision. Despite losing 12 of their last 14 games, Max still seems patient enough to make sure the two fully recover before playing.
Although Durant and Simmons are expected to return to the game in the near future, this does not mean that the Nets have emerged from the crisis, because there are still too many uncertainties within this team: Irving's delay in vaccinates, he can not play in the team's home game, the team's tactical stability has also been affected; Simmons last played in the playoffs last year, his status needs to be beaten to an unknown, and more importantly, this is a defender who can be sent to the free throw line by his opponent; at the same time, Durant is also not an emotionally intelligent leader, he is not very good at handling chores in the locker room...
The Nets' goal has never been to playoff, and with the talent and ability of this team, not winning a championship means losing. If they want to achieve this goal steadily, they must get rid of all the distractions before the playoffs start.