NEW YORK — Kevin Durant is as bankable of a commodity in the NBA as anyone during normal times, discounting the fact he’s still recovering from a sprained MCL in his left knee he suffered in January probably added somewhat to his underwhelming playoff performance.
He looked very much like the MVP and the game’s most dangerous player before the injury (29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists) and took on a heavy load (at least 39 minutes in 15 of 23 games after his return) to drag the Nets past the play-in tournament.
But normal times don’t last forever, and if he’s approaching the time of his career where the years are more precious than precocious, the Brooklyn Nets don’t have the time to trifle with the future right in front of them.