Zach Lowe says “Every time Kevin Durant gets hurt, they descend into 8th circle of hell” outlining concerns for Kevin Durant amid Kyrie Irving trade

One player who would not benefit from the Kyrie Irving trade request situation is Kevin Durant, who's currently hurt and unable to play for the Brooklyn Nets. ESPN's Zach Lowe talked about his concerns for the Nets as their chances of winning the championship this season have decreased.

Lowe noticed a pattern where whenever their star forward gets hurt, the team turns into a disaster.

​

​

"The most important thing is always Kevin Durant and what this means for Kevin Durant," Lowe said. "Every time Kevin Durant gets hurt, they descend into the eighth circle of hell. Kevin Durant can't get hurt! Every time he gets hurt, it's like chaos, complete chaos!

"The Nets are on the brink of, once again, becoming this sort of unsalvagable situation, and it's just shocking that we're here. ... They looked like a championship contender."

​

​

Last season, KD was sidelined due to a left MCL sprain. After being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, that injury triggered a 3-17 swoon. Meanwhile, James Harden forced a trade as the team's season slowly dwindled into destruction, causing them to fall into the standings.

​

​

Durant is still unavailable due to a similar MCL sprain from last season. Overall, the 2014 MVP has missed 11 straight games (of 12 total this season), with Brooklyn (31-20) going 4-7. The Nets, who were 27-13 when the injury happened, have fallen to fourth place in the East.

The Nets will play the Washington Wizards on Saturday and will try to save their season with a disgruntled point guard.

---

The pressure is on Ben Simmons to try to help Kevin Durant carry the Nets

​

Ben Simmons, left, and Kevin Durant

​

​

With Irving's trade request, there is a new opportunity for a different star to help out Durant in Brooklyn's quest to win the title this season. With Kyrie wanting out, it's upon Ben Simmons to step up his game and play second fiddle to the 6-foot-10 forward. But with his lack of aggressiveness, the Nets could be in more trouble than ever.

The 2022-23 season has been underwhelming for the three-time All-Star. Simmons' numbers have gone down, and he also hasn't shown any sort of improvement in his game. He's performing worse than when he was with the Philapdelphia 76ers.

​

But this could be a new opportunity for him to re-invent his game. Coach Jacque Vaughn might incorporate him into a lot more of the team's offense. With his skillset, it may be easy for Simmons to provide the help that the Nets and KD need this time.

​