Nets News: Irving Takes A Hit, No Durant For Brooklyn This Season

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams to watch this season although their full potential will not be seen. As most know, Kevin Durant is questionable as he recovers from his injury. General manager Sean Marks set the records straight recently, saying they do not have plans of playing the former Most Valuable Player.

According to ESPN, Durant is recovering well from that injury he sustained during game 5 of the last NBA Finals. He is aware that the second overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft wants to play for his new team this coming season but the Nets are employing a cautious approach.

Hence, the attention will be on Kyrie Irving as he tries to lead the Nets next season. Uncle Drew gave Brooklyn a bit of a scare recently when he received an inadvertent elbow during a pickup game. The one-time NBA champion was brought to the hospital but Marks explained that this was all part of due diligence.

"I wouldn't even want to speculate at all, but I think it's just a case of doing our due diligence," Marks said, adding that coach Kenny Atkinson accompanied Irving to the hospital. "Kyrie goes and gets checked out like he would anywhere else and we always send staff with him, and it's a great opportunity for Kenny, too."

Irving is reportedly fine and suffered no serious injury. Marks is all praise for his prized point guard, baring that the 27-year-old guard has been religiously working out at the team's practice facility. He has stepped as the team's new leader and adds that camaraderie is already building between the team's veterans and young guys.

As for Durant, all he can do for now is cheer his team from the sidelines. As mentioned in a previous post, the two-time NBA champion is confident that his new team can rise to the occasion even without him around for the coming season.

Durant also added that he expects the young and old players to step up in his absence. Standing in the way of the Nets are the defending champion Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks, two teams who made a good run last season. Brooklyn hopes to make an impressive run of its own with its retooled roster.