7/11 Returns to the court: KD and Kyrie star in first games back
Basketball players don’t recover from achilles tears. In 2013, a study found that in a 23-year span (1988-2011), out of the 18 players who suffered the injury in the NBA, seven never returned to play basketball again. The other 11 players missed an average of 56 games and saw declines in their player efficiency ratings in their first two seasons back. So, when Kevin Durant ruptured his right achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, people doubted that the four-time scoring champion and former MVP would ever play at a superstar level again. Last month, Durant returned to the court as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. To the surprise of many, he may have done the impossible: make a complete recovery. With fellow star Kyrie Irving, a healthy Durant can lead the Nets to the Finals and win a championship.
In his first four games, Durant played quite well. He scored at least 20 points in each of the contests and averaged 28.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.5 APG shooting 52.2% from the field and 58% from three. So far, he’s posted a player efficiency rating of 29.3, an increase over his previous season. Though some believed his injury would diminish his lateral speed, Durant’s defense has been excellent. For example, on Christmas Day, in his 2nd game against Boston, Durant showcased his ability to guard elite wing players like Jayson Tatum. Throughout the game, Durant prevented Tatum from receiving the ball off screens multiple times; forced Tatum to commit two turnovers; and heavily contested four of Tatum’s shots, all of which were misses.
After only playing 20 games last season due to a shoulder injury, Kyrie Irving also performed well in the first few games of the season. In the four-game span, Irving averaged 28.3 PPG and 6.0 APG shooting 53.1% from the field and 47.2% from three and recorded a player efficiency rating of 28.5. So far, Irving has demonstrated his elite shotmaking ability, shooting 3-3 in his attempts outside of 30 feet from the basket. He has also shown why he is regarded as one of the clutchest players in the NBA, leading the league in points per minute in the 4th quarter.
Before the 2020-21 season began, media pundits like Fox Sports' Skip Bayless doubted that Durant and Irving would be able to play well together on the court. He, like others, characterized Irving as a ball-dominant guard who wouldn’t be able to share the ball with a scorer like Durant. However, the duo has worked quite well together. In their first three games under head coach Steve Nash, Durant and Irving nearly played with each other for all of their 95 minutes. When the two were on the court, the Nets outscored opponents by a total of 64 points. In contrast, when the two rested on the bench, opponents outscored the Nets by a total of 23 points.
Although the NBA season has hardly begun, Nets fans can remain optimistic as Durant returns to an MVP level and the team continues to develop chemistry, building on their offensive sets and perfecting their defensive rotations. Assuming the team remains healthy, it may find itself in a position to challenge for a title come June.
