While superstar Kevin Durant of the Nets was quietly making a case to be the league’s best player, Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets was quickly moving toward winning his third consecutive MVP award.

Before he went down with an MCL sprain earlier this month, KD was averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 55.9% shooting, all while leading the Nets to a miraculous turnaround.

For most fans and experts, Durant’s play this season has been enough to include him in the MVP conversation. But for ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, that isn’t enough.

Speaking on First Take Thursday morning, he gave Durant the crown as the best player on the planet (when healthy).

“To me, when healthy, it’s Kevin Durant,” said Stephen A. “He’s averaging nearly 30 on nearly 56% shooting, over 37% from three-point range, the brother’s spectacular. Can’t ignore Giannis, can’t ignore Jokic… I look at Luka, guys like that. But for me, I’m going to always say when healthy, it’s KD. He’s the most unstoppable force in basketball.”

"I think that KD, when healthy, is the most unstoppable force in basketball."

✍️ @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/3ESCnuXwex

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 12, 2023

Somehow, after an Achilles tear in the 2019 Finals and two years of chaos and mayhem with his own franchise, Durant has been playing some of the best basketball of his life this season.

Currently, they’re the second seed in the East with a 27-13 record, but they are likely to lose osm ground without Durant for the next few weeks. Hopefully, when he returns, they can get back to playing dominant basketball.

Brooklyn Nets Face Big Questions About Their Future

The Nets are still in win-now mode, and that won’t change as long as Durant is still on the team. Unfortunately, the Nets don’t have too many tradeable assets to work with, but they have been reported to be seeking some additional star power alongside KD, Kyrie, and Ben.

Collins is exactly what the Nets are looking to add at this February’s trade deadline. An executive told Heavy Sports that the Nets are looking to add a “star” and “power-forward-like player.”

“The Nets are definitely looking for a deal, but they want to bring in a star who can play alongside what they have. They’d be in the market for a power-forward type, maybe a rebounder,” the executive suggested to Heavy Sports.

Whatever the Nets do this trade deadline, they will also have to think about what will come in the summer when Kyrie and several other key players are scheduled to hit free agency.

For now, however, all they can do is take it one game at a time and do their best to win as much as they can until their superstar returns.

Source: yardbarker.com