2 min read • March 03, 2022
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The struggling Nets, who have plummeted to the No. 8 seed in the East, indicated on Wednesday that star Kevin Durant will make his long-awaited return on March 3 against the No. 1 seed Heat.
Durant suffered a minor sprained MCL and potential patella subluxation on Jan. 15 and had a timeline of 4-to-6 weeks after an MRI the next day, and he returns after missing the last 21 games.
Although the ProBasketballDocs were initially optimistic for a return after 3 or 4 weeks, the Nets elected to take a slow approach to ensure a full recovery, even as the team endured roster turmoil and a disastrous 5-16 stretch without Durant.
Despite the absence, the 2014 MVP should not experience any ill-effects from the sprain and will be able to seamlessly return to his pre-injury form, which had him averaging 29.3 points with 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 52% shooting.
His process mirrors his rehab after a similar left MCL injury in February 2017, during which Durant missed 19 games and returned with enough time to condition and re-gain chemistry with the team ahead of a dominant 16-1 playoff run that saw Durant win his first championship and Finals MVP.
The 33-year-old comes back to a team that looks drastically different than the one he left, with Kyrie Irving potentially soon able to play at home with relaxed vaccine mandates and Harden swapped for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond, in addition to a 32-31 record and the worst scoring defense among East playoff teams.
While Durant is returning and Irving is close to unencumbered availability, new Net Simmons is currently week-to-week and may not play at all in March, according to Brian Windhorst.
Windhorst said on Wednesday that the Nets have scrapped a plan that would have seen Simmons playing in the March 10 matchup with the 76ers, but that he's "not close" yet, and he will likely be back closer to the beginning of the playoffs in early April.
Simmons has not played this season as he tackles his mental health that he said he has struggled with even before this absence.
Shams Charania reported on Feb. 26 that Simmons was dealing with back soreness that would require further strengthening and slow his return, although head coach Steve Nash described the issue as "not like an injury... he hasn't played a game since June so that's just part of the process of returning."
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