Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Brooklyn Nets: Who will lose playing time once Kevin Durant returns?

By Jerry Trotta

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets injured and not playing looks from the bench against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on February 15, 2021 in Sacramento, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets injured and not playing looks from the bench against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on February 15, 2021 in Sacramento, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

It would almost be doing the Brooklyn Nets a disservice saying that they’re in a groove on both ends of the floor. After all, they’ve won 14 of their last 15 contests, which includes a current six-game winning streak following their comeback victory over Caris LeVert and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

What makes this remarkable stretch all the more impressive is that most of it has come without superstar Kevin Durant, who’s been sidelined for over a month with a lingering hamstring injury that either refuses to heal or has the Nets being ultra conservative with his timetable.

Perhaps it’s a combination of both. Either way, fans can take solace in the fact that Brooklyn provided a clearer update on Durant’s recovery than their previously fuzzy approach. Per the team, the two-time Finals MVP’s latest scan showed signs of improvement and he will be reevaluated in another week or two.

Well, with Durant’s return looming (even if it isn’t imminent), now seems like as good of a time as any to start picturing what the rotation will look like when he reenters the fold. Maybe a better question would be who’s poised to lose playing time?

What does Kevin Durant’s eventual return mean for the rotation?

It’ll be difficult for fans to see anybody’s minutes scaled back amid the Nets’ scalding hot stretch, which has seen them pull even with Philadelphia atop the Eastern Conference. However, we can’t help but feel like it will be Jeff Green who ends up biting the bullet.

Again, this isn’t to say that Green deserves a reduced role. But there’s only room for five players on the court at one time and an exception has to be made for Durant, who was gaining steam as an MVP candidate before his injury, averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists to go with .524/434/.869 shooting splits across 19 games.

Perhaps the bigger concern for head coach Steve Nash and Co. will be how the likes of Kyrie Irving and James Harden cope with fewer touches, but that’s a discussion for another day.

The bottom line here is that Green is the ultimate teammate and will accept whatever role the coaching staff bestows upon him. If you take a look at the rest of the rotation, you’re obviously not removing Joe Harris, who’s shooting the three at an impossible 50% clip, which ranks second in the league among qualified players.

We would have zero qualms with Landry Shamet tacking a back seat, but that wouldn’t be smart given that he’s finally starting to rediscover his shooting stroke. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, his 20.6 minutes per game likely isn’t going to change very much when Durant returns.

What makes Green such an ideal candidate to lose playing time is that he and Durant have similar playing styles. Not to mention that doing so would allow the Nets to have another shooter on the floor, assuming either one of DeAndre Jordan or Nicolas Claxton are manning the paint.

Durant and Green have proven compatible in Brooklyn’s prolific small-ball rotation, and there’s no reason to think that can’t continue to be the case when the former returns. However, if we’re talking like-for-like replacements, Green is unfortunately the odd man out.