“One can make the case he needs to be in the DPOY conversation THIS season!” - Kendrick Perkins believes Kevin Durant could be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year award 

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins made a bold claim about Kevin Durant, saying the Brooklyn Nets forward could be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation this season. Durant has had an MVP-caliber year so far and is also leading the league in scoring. KD is averaging 28.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest.

"We already know that Kevin Durant is one the Best Scorers to ever play this game... but one can make the case that he needs to be in the DPOY conversation THIS season! Carry on...," tweeted Kendrick Perkins.

Kevin Durant has been the most impactful two-way player for the Brooklyn Nets and is averaging 0.8 blocks and 0.7 steals per contest as well. The Nets are the sixth-best defensive team as per the NBA's defensive ratings.

KD's size, rebounding, and ability to lock in defensively during crunch situations could be a few reasons why Perkins believes the forward could be in the running for DPOY honors.

However, being included in the DPOY conversation could be a long shot for Kevin Durant. The way some of the other defensive-minded players like Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert have been playing, it's difficult to put Durant in the same bracket as those players.

However, there is no doubt that Kevin Durant has stepped up his efforts on that end of the floor. He has looked in top condition this season and has managed to lead the Nets to the top spot in the Eastern Conference with an 18-8 record.

---

Will Kevin Durant be able to sustain his performances with James Harden misfiring and Kyrie Irving sidelined?

Kevin Durant dunks the ball during Brooklyn Nets v Dallas Mavericks

The Brooklyn Nets suffered an early blow when Kyrie Irving was suspended as he was ineligible to play home games due to his anti-vaccination stance.

Many felt that wouldn't impact the team as much, though, with James Harden and Durant leading the team. However, it has not been smooth sailing for the Brooklyn Nets as Harden has been inconsistent with his performances thus far. The former Houston Rockets star is averaging 20.9 points across 25 games, shooting on a 40/34/88 shooting split.

Nevertheless, Kevin Durant started the campaign in stellar fashion, ensuring the Brooklyn Nets remain on track to be a successful unit. He has played a team-high 36,2 minutes on average, making sure the Nets don't suffer because of Harden's on-court struggles and Irving's suspension.

Durant has mentioned several times recently that he isn't concerned about his minutes. Considering the way he has played so far, the workload doesn't seem to affect him as much, so it is safe to assume that he can carry on playing significant minutes in large swathes for now.

Consistency has pretty much never been a problem with Kevin Durant, so it doesn't seem like a difficult proposition for him to sustain his stellar performances moving forward.