Ex-NBA Great Questions Nets’ Kevin Durant Amid Early Struggles

The Brooklyn Nets have undergone some early season struggles, entering their Thursday contest against the Dallas Mavericks at 1-3 on the season and one former NBA great isn’t too impressed with what’s been shown from star forward Kevin Durant thus far.

Isiah Thomas, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and current NBA analyst, doesn’t just believe Durant, especially, is struggling. Thomas, in fact, claims that Durant’s dominance has merely become nonexistent and is “not there anymore.”

“The thing that I’m noticing right away with Durant is that he used to get 30 (points) and that meant he dominated the game,” Thomas said, per NBA TV video. “Now his 30 is just 30. Normally, like when he got 30, it was like, ‘Okay, the games over’ and his team won. Now it’s a 30 where you still asking, ‘What happened?’ And his dominance — you know, he still got great numbers. But the dominance, in terms of, ‘I get 30, we win.’ It’s not there anymore.”

More specially, Durant’s plus-minus (-58) — the lowest of any player in the NBA, as noted in NBA TV’s live broadcast — sparked the topic of discussion.

Durant, as Thomas noted, has the numbers on paper for a vintage, on-brand campaign. The 34-year-old entered Brooklyn’s latest game, against the Mavericks, averaging 32.3 points with a nearly career-low 4.8 rebounds. Durant has also shot 52.4% from the field, a second to career-worst 31.8% from 3-point territory and 87.8% from the charity stripe.

Against the Mavericks, amid a 129-125 overtime loss, Durant scored 37 points with three rebounds and five assists on 12-for-20 shooting from the field — finishing a minus-six in 41 minutes on the floor for Brooklyn.

The Nets, now dropping to 1-4 on the season, remain flirting with the bottom of the barrel in Eastern Conference standings. After three consecutive losses, Brooklyn will next take the floor against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.