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Brooklyn Nets coach Jacque Vaughn revealed that Kevin Durant is the only player on the team with his rotation minutes set. Durant, once again, has been the most reliable player for the Nets. He has played all 25 games for the franchise this season, averaging 36.9 minutes per contest.
Here's what Vaughn said about splitting minutes between his players before the Nets' 103-92 home loss against the Celtics on Sunday (via Chris Milholen):
"Probably number 7 is the only dude that’s locked into his rotation, and these amount of minutes he's gonna play. Everybody else, let's be ready to hoop when your number is called."
Durant's numbers have also been exceptional. He is averaging a team-high 29.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 55.3% from the field. Meanwhile, his co-stars Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons have struggled with their performances and availability.
The former found himself in the middle of another off-court controversy after he promoted an antisemitic film on Twitter, leading to an eight-game suspension. Upon his return, Irving has been inconsistent with his production.
Meanwhile, Simmons has been dealing with various injuries and has missed eight games. The Australian guard underperformed at the start of the season. He recently rediscovered his rhythm but got sidelined again due to an injury.
Brooklyn's role players haven't played up to the mark either, with Nic Claxton the only player to average at least 10 points per game apart from Durant and Irving. It isn't surprising that Vaughn trusts Durant the most at this point, as he has been the only consistent performer for the team so far.
Also read: How long is Ben Simmons out for? Injury update & expected return for Brooklyn Nets star
Kevin Durant's 31-point effort in vain as Brooklyn Nets drop home game against the Boston Celtics
The Brooklyn Nets continued to struggle to provide Kevin Durant adequate support in a high-voltage game. The Nets lost 103-92 to the Boston Celtics at home on Sunday (December 4th). Durant bagged 31 points on 52.5% shooting.
However, his teammates struggled to perform well. No other player on the team scored 20+ points. Kyrie Irving (18 points on 7 of 21 shooting) and Joe Harris (13 points on 5 of 10 shooting) were the only players to score double-digits.
The Nets shot a dismal 40.5% from the field and committed 14 turnovers. Defensively, Brooklyn produced some solid stretches, including limiting the Celtics' to only 13 points in the third quarter. However, they couldn't sustain the effort for 48 minutes.
The Brooklyn Nets dropped to 13-12 for the season after loss against the Celtics. They have a decent roster. But Brooklyn needs better contributions from players not named Kevin Durant to win at a high level, especially against championship hopefuls like the Celtics.
