The Nets are adamant a litany of injuries scuttled what would have been a title-contending season, and they seem intent on avoiding a repeat next year.
Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie all suffered significant injuries, and now Nets parent company BSE Global is looking for a Head of Performance Therapy. They posted an ad for the job Tuesday.
Kyrie Irving
With the Big 3 all under contract through 2022-23, keeping them not only extended, but also healthy is priority No. 1. It should be noted that there is no change at the top of the department, so this doesn’t represent any kind of punitive firing. It’s more likely to be an addition and possible restructuring.
The Big 3 logged just 202 minutes together all regular-season, spread over only eight games.
Durant missed time with a hamstring injury. Harden strained his hamstring 43 seconds into the Eastern Conference semifinals before coming back in Game 5 clearly compromised. Irving sprained his ankle in Game 4 and never returned. Dinwiddie tore his ACL in December and hasn’t played since.
In terms of an analysis of games lost and salaries lost, the Nets suffered the most (and the Bucks the least), according to NetsDaily.
The responsibilities for the aforementioned job include, but are not limited to:
- Day to day management of all performance therapy and rehabilitation related issues to senior playing group:
- Elite level manual therapy and corrective exercise programs to assist with player performance objectives
- Co-creation and maintenance of world class, evidence based guidelines for the prevention and performance-based management of injuries (and consequences of previous injury)
- Rehabilitation of all team players as required including both traveling with the team or remaining with players at the training center to supervise aspects of their program
- Contribution to player monitoring, injury prevention, load management and recovery programs
The Big 3 may not have logged a lot of time together, but they hawked a lot of gear.
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The Nets finished second only to the Lakers in jersey sales, according to data released by the league. LeBron James finished No. 1, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Durant was third, with Irving eighth and Harden ninth.
The Nets were the only team with three players in the Top 10.
Durant is on the new NBA2K22 cover. It’s the first time a Net has been on the cover. (Jason Kidd was on the NBA Live cover in 2003.)
“I love everything about 2K. I wouldn’t change anything,” Durant said on his Boardroom media network. “It’s perfect how it is. It’s still surreal. It’s a dream come true to be in the game, to be in the NBA that provides us with this opportunity.”
Well, Durant would change one thing. He didn’t agree with being rated 96 last year.
“Absolutely not. I think I should be higher,” Durant said. “I don’t have any Hall of Fame badges, which I think is absurd.”
The Nets are expected to have free-agent center Nerlens Noel, 27, on their radar. Blake Griffin and Jeff Green are both unrestricted free agents for the Nets.
SNY reported that the Hornets, Mavericks and Raptors also all are expected to have interest in Noel, the Knicks big man. The Nets have the $6 million mid-level exception, but Noel made $5 million last year and could be due for a raise.
