November 20, (THEWILL) – Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets’ superstar power forward, has been ruled out of Friday’s game against the Orlando Magic.
The team cited a right shoulder injury as the reason for KD’s absence. Beyond his overall value on the floor as one of the league’s best players, any injury to Durant causes concern in Brooklyn.
THEWILL recalls that Durant missed the whole 2019-20 season while recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained while playing for the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
In 2020/2021, the 33-year-old played only 35 games but still averaged 26.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from three-point range.
Durant has been the greatest player for the Nets so far this season, averaging 28.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.0 three-pointers made per game in 16 games.
With guard Kyrie Irving sidelined due to his refusal to undergo the COVID-19 vaccine, the Nets have relied heavily on Durant and James Harden this season. Even without Irving, Durant and Harden have the Nets tied with the Miami Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 11-5.
The Nets may be asking too much of anyone to recreate what the two-time NBA Finals MVP and four-time scoring champion can do on the court, but they do have the luxury of counting on Harden.
While Bruce Brown and James Johnson see more time in the rotation, Harden will be expected to take on an even more offensive responsibility, especially since Joe Harris, Paul Millsap, and Nic Claxton are also absent.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
