Kevin’s return is
Kevin Durant thought it was an ordinary hamstring strain, a grade one at best. Then the Nets got a second MRI scan on his left leg that showed the injury was a bit more severe.
Speaking to reporters for the first time since Feb. 13, Durant echoed sentiments similar to what head coach Steve Nash had
“It was one of those things where I’m not feeling a ton of pain, but you don’t want to force one of these injuries and go out there and make it worse,” he said before the Nets played the Hornets on Thursday. “In my mind, I was like, ‘Damn, I could play,’ but then, it was also like, ‘Man, you’ve got to be smart and cautious with this type of injury.’”
Durant’s return is near, and the Nets hope the cautious approach will pay dividends in keeping him on the floor for their playoff and championship run. The team’s All-Star captain has missed the last 21 games with an injury he got in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors. He is the most critical piece to a championship jigsaw puzzle: A two-time Finals MVP averaging 29 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game, but has only appeared in 19 games this season.
“Him missing significant time, we miss him. We can’t wait for him to get back, literally,” Kyrie Irvng said. “But we’re all staying patient. We know what he brings to the table. We know the respect that he garners from all of us in terms of a leader on our team, but we’ve got to figure it out, gameto-game, until he’s back.”
The Nets have been extremely cautious in handling Durant to the point where some thought they may have held him out unnecessarily or that he would have been able to return had the games had higher