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Latest Kevin Durant news adds more controversy to Nets’ slow start

By Adam Weinrib

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 03: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center on January 03, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Wizards won 123-122. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 03: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Barclays Center on January 03, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Wizards won 123-122. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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Nets star Kevin Durant is out due to COVID protocols.

The Brooklyn Nets’ 2-0 juggernaut start has quickly devolved into the sort of madness we thought we’d avoid in the early slate.

Come playoff time? Sure, we foresaw fans complaining about rookie coach Steve Nash’s rotations, the suddenly-too-thin bench, and chemistry issues, real or imagined, emerging among the team’s key players.

But Week 2 of the regular season? Even with a shortened offseason period all concentrated into one fearful chunk, we didn’t expect all this nonsense so soon.

Now, we’ve finally received the piece of the puzzle we were all worried about as a cherry on top of the…puzzle. Echoing the team’s issues with virus compliance in the spring, star Kevin Durant will miss Tuesday’s game due to the league’s health and safety protocols. Durant already tested positive for the virus himself back in mid-May.

Per NBA insider Shams Charania, Durant will now quarantine for seven days to adhere to contact tracing measures.

So…what’s this all about, then?

This season was expected to be more challenging league-wide than even the bubble setup of 2020, which proved functional yet not sustainable. After all, when hundreds of players, coaches and league officials signed up for an NBA tenure, they weren’t agreeing to live in complete isolation in Orlando, Florida for the entirety of a year spent away from family.

Then again, with certain expectations comes newfound responsibility. If players are going to be allowed to play in their hometowns, they should be reasonably expected to keep extraneous travel to a minimum. We’re not sure what Durant did to put himself among others who tested positive (as the league learned from its contact tracing initiative), but it was likely behavior that should be avoided moving forward.

Somehow, the Nets are now 3-4, with Durant’s four games missed set to come at exactly the wrong time for a roster hoping to stem a negative tide before it overwhelms them.

Can’t say we didn’t anticipate something of this nature, though.