When the NBA restarts their season in late July, Kevin Durant will watch like the rest of us.
On Friday, Durant confirmed what most were already assuming. He’s holding on his Brooklyn Nets debut until next season.
And it’s the right call, made by the right person, at the right time.
“My season is over,” Durant told Marc Spears of The Undefeated. “I don’t plan on playing at all. We decided last summer when it first happened that I was just going to wait until the following season. I had no plans of playing at all this season.”
Durant is rehabbing a torn Achilles which occurred in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, last June. When he joined Kyrie Irving in signing multi-year deals with the Nets, the plan was for Durant to sit out the 2019-20 season. When the league suspended their season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the thought of Durant being ready to play if there’s a restart became plausible.
The Nets currently sit seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. They’re in position to make the playoffs but must first fight off Orlando and Washington. Durant in the mix, obviously, changes the narrative on Brooklyn’s postseason hopes.
The decision to not play brought on a mixed reaction on social media.
There’s a high level of excitement for how the Nets will look next season. There’s also a few out there labeling Durant as “soft” for wanting to wait.
I’d like to remind the frustrated of two things.
Kevin Durant, before his injury, was arguably the best player in the NBA
His combination of size, ability to shoot, and defensive versatility put him in that conversation before he joined the Golden State Warriors… and then he led them to two NBA championships.
There’s only a handful of basketball players in the world on Durant’s level. Warrior’s head coach Steve Kerr believes “he’s the most skilled basketball player on planet earth”. You’re not getting back a role player, you’re getting back one of the world’s best. For that reason alone, making sure he’s as close to 100 percent as possible is a must for the Nets.
And let’s keep in mind the Nets have spent the last five years reshaping the franchise for a moment where they can put a top-five player on the court, with “Brooklyn” on their jersey.
Which leads to my next point…
Durant’s been here before, it cost him a year of his NBA career
The 2014-15 season, while still with the Oklahoma City Thunder, was a difficult one for Durant. He battled foot injuries throughout that year and missed significant time.
A ruptured Achilles tendon carries career-altering implications. Durant, at the time of the injury, was 30 years old. He’ll be 32 when he returns next season.
And, when it comes to having to decide on returning sooner than later, Durant’s been through this already.
Before playing in Game 5 of the Finals, Durant was sidelined for a month with a calf injury. The stakes were significantly higher then, the Warriors were trailing the Raptors 3-1 in the series. When the Warriors medical staff and coaches cleared Durant to play, it would’ve taken an army to stop him from going out there.
Risk will always play a role in professional sports. It’s knowing when to maximize that risk which separates the top from the rest.
The Warriors, amid an historic championship run, were trying to come from behind and make history with a three-peat. The Nets want Durant back at full-strength for what they’re hoping to be the beginning of their championship run.
Then there’s Durant, he wants to get back to the game he loves. This is a basketball savant we’re talking about. He knows what his return to action means for the game, Brooklyn, and his legacy.
“It’s just best for me to wait. I don’t think I’m ready to play that type of intensity right now in the next month,” Durant told The Undefeated. “It gives me more time to get ready for next season and the rest of my career.
Patience is key, for all involved
Durant and the Nets are right to think of the bigger picture.
The timing of Durant’s announcement is ideal because it clears the way for Brooklyn to focus on resuming their season.
When the NBA resumes, the Nets will play eight remaining regular season games before the playoffs begin. With Orlando and Washington right behind them, those remaining eight games will have a playoffs-type feel to them for Brooklyn.
Expecting Durant to come back now, even with six to seven weeks before the proposed start date of July 31, is a monumental task for any athlete of his caliber.
If there’s doubt that he’s not ready to play right now, then the right move is to wait. Because you already know the person you’re waiting on. You know what they’re bringing to the table. Kevin Durant already told us, “You know who I am.”
It won’t hurt to wait a little longer.
