With Brooklyn’s big three separated again, as the clock runs out in the regular season, the question is do they have time to mourn before the postseason?
As Kevin Durant finally made his long-awaited comeback on Wednesday, after missing 23 consecutive games with a hamstring strain, James Harden was lost with his own hamstring strain. Between their injuries and Kyrie Irving’s multiple absences, the terrible Nets trio was much more of a rotating dynamic duo.
“In terms of time and chemistry, it’s not ideal,” admitted coach Steve Nash. “At the same time, we are not worried about the things we can control. When he is healthy and ready to go, he is about our hands; it is until that neck is ready.
“So we will not spend a lot of time worrying about the negative ramifications. We will spend time adjusting in the meantime and excited when he returns. “
After Brooklyn hosted New Orleans on Wednesday, there are only 20 games left in the program. Their three big ones played shockingly only seven times together all season, just six starts.
Of course, the 5-1 score in those starts shows a tempting promise – but it is based on good health that they have rarely enjoyed.
And with the Nets saying Tuesday that Harden wouldn’t even be reevaluated for 10 days, it will be a precious little time to get everyone on the same page before the playoffs.
Even if Harden had somehow thrown himself back in line after 10 days, there would be only 16 games left. The loss of another five days – which certainly seems feasible, given Brooklyn’s conservative history of injuries – would leave only 13 dates in the program.
The problem becomes obvious. However, the Nets are confident that, given the basketball IQ of their stars, there will be enough time.
“Maybe a few games, a few practices, not too long,” Bruce Brown said of achieving playoff cohesion on the field. “Everyone knows how to play basketball. Everyone knows each other’s power and what everyone likes to do on the floor. So I don’t think it’s going to take too long. ”
Brooklyn fell on Wednesday against the Pelicans, who played 2,483 minutes this season. Three Great Ones were on the field together for only 186 of them, or less than 13.3 percent of them.
With what COVID-19 has done in terms of schedule, the teams have essentially lost their training time. So whatever cohesion the Nets players build will have to be a quick course on the field, by intentionally tying it.
“Well, we don’t get to practice with this program very often. So we try to get teaching moments, scenarios and constructive pockets wherever we can, ”said Nash. “Especially in the case of injuries this year, you can’t add the physical load of the boys on days off or very rarely. It’s all about teaching, learning, collaborating, connecting. So everyone’s going through this around the league.
“It was not ideal. But we have much to recognize; our boys put in a lot of effort. I think they will continue to push and come together and find our chemistry, whether it is forbidden by injuries and training time or not. Our boys will put the time on the field to invest in each other, they will put the time on the field when we travel to invest in each other. This is one of the strengths of our team. ”
They will need that power. Since the last time Durant played, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge had not been signed, while Nic Claxton was still injured. This iteration of the Nets has not yet played a second together, although former Net Kerry Kittles said with stars of this magnitude, they will solve it.
“It’s definitely not great. You need to have some time together, ”Kittles told Fullcourt on Flatbush, the Post’s Nets podcast. “(But) I really think a few games before the playoffs, as long as his (Harden) hamstring is healthy before the start of the postseason, that’s what I care about.”