Kevin Durant has left a great deal to be desired at times during his Nets tenure. And last summer was not exactly his finest hour.
But credit where credit is due., Durant has been tremendous of late. The Nets are rolling. And funny is funny.
Kevin Durant and the Nets have won 11 of their last 12 games and are one of the hottest teams in the NBA.
Yet they won’t be playing on Christmas Day — and Durant says it’s “probably” his fault.
“I’m probably responsible for us not playing on Christmas,” Durant told reporters after the Nets demolished the Golden State Warriors, 143-113, Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
After Durant demanded a trade in June, NBA schedule-makers in August left the Nets off the Christmas Day schedule — and did not give them many prime time games — under the assumption that Durant wouldn’t be on the team.
Look, from this vantage point it still seems very likely — if not inevitable — that this grand experiment will eventually blow up for good without a title. Durant is not going to end his career in Brooklyn. Kyrie Irving is going to do something stupid again. Ben Simmons is going to miss time again. Et cetera. But right now, all is well. Jacque Vaughn has been a major upgrade from Steve Nash and the team is playing hard for him. They even seem to have a bit of self-awareness seeping in. It’s OK to believe again if you are so inclined.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
