3 Nets players who are proving they can take burden off Kevin Durant

1. Patty Mills

The Nets did themselves a huge favor by snagging Patty Mills off the free agency market during the offseason. The 33-year-old was expected to come off the bench for Brooklyn, but he’s found his way to the starting lineup.

Mills is averaging 13.3 points per game and is shooting 44.9% from the 3-point line, the most and best for him since he played in 10 games and shot 50% from long for Portland during his first season in the league.

In last Tuesday’s win over the Raptors, he scored a season-high 30 points and shot 10-of-20 from the floor and 7-of-14 from the 3-point line. When the Nets were down 120-117, Mills nailed a 3-pointer with a little over 12 seconds left to play to force overtime.

Durant finished with a triple-double on Tuesday, but it was Mills who made the biggest shot of the night. He’s performed well as a starter, but if Irving comes back, he’ll be bumped back down to the second unit. That won’t be a bad thing, considering he’s been in the running for the sixth man of the year race more than once.

He’s already proven that he’s a legitimate scorer for the Nets, but imagine him coming off the bench and hitting daggers in the playoffs.

With Harris out, Mills has been a threat from deep. He’s stepped up into an unexpected role and has done well. Brooklyn has been operating with a “next man up” mentality, and Mills exemplifies that.

Nets rookie showcase could improve Brooklyn’s trade deadline prospects

The Brooklyn Nets were down to eight players against the Raptors, but their rookies used their opportunity to showcase their talents.