"I'm just gonna play until they tell me that I'm sitting out" - Kevin Durant on his heavy workload for the Brooklyn Nets this season
NBA and Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant's incredible season has attracted a lot of media attention. One storyline that continues to prevail is that of his on-court playing time.
During the post-match press conference, Durant was asked about the heavy minutes he has played thus far and whether it comes as a concern to the two-time Finals MVP. To which Durant quipped:
"No. Let me die out there. Nah I'm just playing."
Durant then went on to give a more serious answer to the question, stating that he is not opposed to the idea of sitting out. But until that happens, his sole focus remains on "playing."
"No, I'm not concerned... Durant said "Wanna give me a day, I'll support it, but I'm not looking for one. I'm just gonna play until they tell me that I'm sitting out. But that's not on my mind when I'm playing. That's not on my mind when I'm going to a game, preparing for a game. It is what it is."
"Let me die out there. Nah I'm just playing" 🤣
Kevin Durant says he isn't concerned about his heavy minutes, but will take his rest days if the Nets implement it
"I'll support it, but I'm not looking for one. I'm just gonna play until they tell me that I'm sitting out" https://t.co/rSEqTMiugY
Is Kevin Durant's minutes a concern for the Nets?
Kevin Durant is currently averaging 29.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting the ball nearly 52% from the field and over 36% from beyond the arc, while playing an average of 37.2 minutes a night. The worry by some is that Durant's current usage rate sees him run the risk of serious injury, a state-of-being he knows all too well.
Durant suffered a catastrophic Achilles injury during the 2019 NBA Finals, which was first misdiagnosed as a calf injury. This saw KD spend the entirety of the 2019-20 season on the sidelines for the Nets, taking part in only 35 games the following season.
An Achilles injury is hard to recover from and has contributed to the end of many careers in the NBA. Which is why it is perfectly reasonable for the Nets to take precautions when it comes to protecting, arguably, their best player.
Kevin Durant is the 1st player in the Nets NBA history (since 1976-77) to record a 50-point game and a triple-double in consecutive games.
Durant is the first player to do that for any team since Damian Lillard in the 2019-20 season (Jan. 26-29, 2020).
(h/t @EliasSports) https://t.co/cHjNdiTmFZ
One of the reasons Durant is having to play so many minutes this season is due to the absence of fellow superstar teammate Kyrie Irving. Irving has been unavailable for the Nets due to the current Covid-19 vaccination mandate in Brooklyn. But Irving is now available to be selected by Steve Nash, exclusively for road games. His return should help ease the work load on Durant and reduce his minutes.
Another reason for Durant's high volume of minutes this season is because of how rusty James Harden has looked during the 2021-2022 campaign. long when it comes to scoring. Harden's current role as a playmaking point guard relies on Durant to provide the bulk of the scoring, hence the latter has been forced to play more minutes.
The Brooklyn Nets must take good care of their superstar if they do want to go deep into the postseason and win the championship because without Kevin Durant, the chances of the Nets winning the title are slim to none.