NEW YORK – Kevin Durant, who is still sidelined for the Brooklyn Nets with a hamstring injury, is expected to undergo more imaging of the injury next week. Head coach Steve Nash said the hope is that those scans will dictate a clearer timeline for Durant.
Nash made it clear that even if the scan shows progress, Durant will not immediately return to the game action.
“He hasn’t played in a month,” Nash said on Wednesday. “So whatever the scan says, there will still be an appropriate lead time to ensure that we put him in a position to end the season strongly.”
Nash said Durant is currently capable of doing half-court work and shooting drills. He still doesn’t play five-on-five in practice or full court, high-speed running. Durant stayed in Brooklyn to work with his physical therapist, while the team left for Houston for the final game before the All-Star break.
Thursday is the 10th consecutive game that Durant has missed. Nash said while he can’t rule it out completely, the team’s medical staff don’t believe Durant’s lingering left hamstring tension was affected by the right Achilles tendon he sustained in June 2019, causing him to miss an entire season.
“We don’t feel like these two are related at all,” Nash said. “He’s doing really well now and we’re all very positive about the direction he’s going. But we just have to be very careful because he’s a very important player for us.”
Durant last played for Brooklyn on February 13 against his former team, the Golden State Warriors. Since then, Nets’ selection has shifted. The Nets added six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin, who will not play against the Celtics on Thursday. He’s on the list for left knee maintenance.
“I’m not hurt at all,” Griffin said Wednesday night. “I haven’t played in three weeks, so I think it’s smart to step up a bit.”
Griffin said he plans to talk to and smooth out with the Nets’ training staff at the end of the week when he makes his debut for Brooklyn. Nash said he sees Griffin fit to the Nets as a center with a small ball that can divide the floor by making 3s.
Griffin, who spoke to reporters for the first time since joining the Nets, said Durant was the most active player in recruiting him for Brooklyn. Griffin said he eventually chose to sign with Brooklyn because he felt he could make a big impact that could also facilitate plays.
“Anytime you have players like this, you need men to relieve that pressure,” Griffin said of Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. “And for me it’s about meaningful basketball, playing in the play-offs and competing for a championship.”