"To be honest, I feel like our season was derailed by my injury," Durant said after Monday's practice. "So I'm not looking at it like we're just not a good basketball team. It's like there wasn't a lot of continuity with me and Kyrie out of the lineup, that's just what it is. When we're all on the floor together, I like what we got."
...the Nets...were 27-15 [when Durant got hurt] at the time and still playing with Kyrie Irving on a part-time basis.... [They] went on an 11-game losing streak and were 5-17 in Durant's absence.
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Durant is on record as saying that Irving, who is not vaccinated against COVID-19, does not deserve more blame for this season...
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Even after getting Durant back on March 3 and getting Irving back full time on March 27...the Nets have struggled to find a rhythm.
"Who cares?" Durant said when asked whether he has looked at the standings. "Whoever we play, we play. I don't care who we play. I don't care that we're in the play-in. Just tip the ball up, see what happens. That's all you can control. It's too stressful thinking about we're trying to dodge a team, lining up, just play the game. We'll see what happens.
"You can talk about expectations and what you see this team on paper -- I always said this, but every day matters. You want to be a champion every second that you step on the floor, not just when we play a good team or the playoffs coming up. I think being a champion is in the habits and the work ethic, the care that you have for the game. It's a lot of champions out here that never won a ring, but they approach their work that way.
"...[Adversity] doesn't stop you from having the championship mentality every day as an individual."
That champion doesn't care who his team plays but I'll you what, if I was on the other team I would not want to play him and his team.
