The hottest team in the NBA will now have to survive without its best player.
Kevin Durant will reportedly miss at least two weeks with an MCL sprain in his right knee after a collision with Jimmy Butler on Sunday. KD has been fantastic so far this season, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the red-hot Nets, who are 17–2 since Nov. 27. Unfortunately, injuries are becoming somewhat the norm for Durant. He played in only 35 games two seasons ago and 55 games last season. He missed six weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee last year, and Brooklyn went 8–19 without him in the lineup.
There are reasons to be optimistic for this upcoming stretch, however. The Nets have been significantly less of a train wreck since Jacque Vaughn took over the team. Brooklyn has seemingly escaped the self-inflicted drama and distractions that have plagued the team for much of the last two years. While winning without Durant will not be simple, unlike last year, the Nets will not also be dealing with trade rumors and Kyrie Irving playing only part time.
