Brooklyn Nets Player of the Week: Who else but Kevin Durant?

Kevin Durant is the Player of the Week for the Brooklyn Nets after two crucial wins

Let’s be honest, Kevin Durant could be the Player of the Week for the Brooklyn Nets every single week. He is one of the early favorites to win MVP and he is the No. 1 reason why the Nets aren’t just afloat in the Eastern Conference, they are in first place. Durant is the constant.

Even if Durant wasn’t perfect this week, he was still remarkable. Take Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks for example. Durant scored 27 points, but he was 9-for-23 from the floor and 0-for-5 from deep.

But his 21 points in the second half were crucial in sealing up the win against Brooklyn’s crosstown rival. He followed that up with 30 points in a win against the Minnesota Timberwolves and 28 points in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.

There are three things of note after last week: First, Durant was named a finalist for the NBA’s Player of the Week in the Eastern Conference. DeMar DeRozan, who had 29 points for the Bulls in their win over Brooklyn, won the award for this week.

Secondly, Durant is coming off of a recent Eastern Conference Player of the Month honor. Technically, he won for the months of October/November.

Thirdly, Kevin Durant is currently leading the NBA in scoring (28.6 points per game). The Nets have been relying heavily on Durant all year long. He’s averaging his highest minutes per game (36.0) since he ruptured his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals and his most since the 2013-14 season.

Nets coach Steve Nash is already expressing concern at Durant’s workload. The absence of Kyrie Irving, James Harden’s inconsistent start, and injuries have forced Durant into a tough situation. He has to be at his absolute best almost every night.

The Nets have been far from perfect this season, but Durant is willing them to first place in the better conference. And just to clarify, the East is the better, deeper conference for the first time in a very, very long time.

What’s Next for the Nets?

The Nets are getting ready to embark on a four-game road trip this week. They have games against the Dallas Mavericks (11-11), Houston Rockets (7-16), Atlanta Hawks (12-12), and Detroit Pistons (4-18).

Brooklyn has had trouble with the best teams in the NBA, but these are four winnable games, even on the road. We fully expect Durant to continue on his torrid pace as the Nets continue to hold firm to their spot atop the East.