Ever since the Brooklyn Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the former has been their leader while the latter has been missing in action.
Kyrie has excelled next to Durant when he’s been healthy, active, or eligible to play, but he’s failed to lead the way with his superstar teammate in street clothes.
That worrisome trend has been again at a full display as of late, as the Nets have been unable to win a single NBA game since Durant fell with an injury.
Jacque Vaughn‘s team has gone ice-cold with a 0-4 record in the past four games, including losses to the struggling San Antonio Spurs and a Phoenix Suns team that was 3-13 in their past 16 games without Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
The Brooklyn Nets are now 0-4 since Kevin Durant’s injury. They just lost to a Phoenix Suns team who heading into this game was 3-13 in their 16 games without Devin Booker this season. Chris Paul wasn’t active tonight either.
— Coast 2 Coast (@Coast2CoastNBA) January 20, 2023
The Nets were the hottest team in the NBA prior to Durant’s injury but have now fallen to the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a 27-17 record.
That speaks volumes of Durant’s importance on both ends of the floor but also about how Irving and Ben Simmons continue to fail their team when they need him the most.
A pair of former first-overall picks should be enough to beat rebuilding or undermanned teams, and it’s not like the Nets lack the depth to compete at the highest level.
So, hopefully for them, it won’t be long before number seven is back to full strength and on the court again, as they don’t seem to be mentally strong enough to get the job done without their best player.
