The Brooklyn Nets have been in excellent form, despite Kevin Durant being out with injury. James Harden and Kyrie Irving have turned into one of the best duos in the league in his absence, and the Nets are on a seven-game winning streak.

Durant was scheduled to return around the All-Star break so he could take part as the captain, but now he is going to sit out. He doesn’t want to further risk his injury and wants to ease his way back. Former NBA champion and teammate, Kendrick Perkins, also weighed in on his decision but started with some banter.

“Who needs Kevin Durant? Their chemistry is great without him. Why come back and mess up the chemistry?” Perkins joked.

Perkins says Kevin Durant is about the marathon and not the sprint

Later, he spoke about how he has no doubts about Durant’s ability to fit into the team that is already doing well without him and that Durant cares more about the long-term goals like the playoffs, not All-Star games.

He said, “Durant is about the marathon and not the sprint. I think he should take his time coming back. One thing about KD is he’s gonna fit in, regardless. He’s a guy that could play off the ball, efficient scorer, you could move him around multiple positions. So I’m not worried about him coming back in and fitting in.”

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Durant’s return only makes the Nets scarier

After Durant was ruled out following their game against the Warriors, the Nets have won six in a row. This run includes wins against the Lakers and the Clippers. While that doesn’t mean the Nets are better off without him, it only gets scarier for the rest of the league when he returns.

Like Perkins mentioned, Durant can slide into any role the Nets put him into and that will guarantee them another 25-30 points with complete unselfish play.

Durant’s absence from the All-Star game also means Pacers’ Domantas Sabonis gets the nod. He is having a terrific season and has been rewarded for it now. While he should have arguably made it directly into the reserves, fans will be delighted he got what he deserves. So Durant taking a break not only helps him but also other players in the league.