Kenny Atkinson not worried about Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving beng disconnected from Nets while rehabbing
Kyrie Irving, right, chats with teammate Kevin Durant on the Nets bench on Jan. 7. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
WASHINGTON — Now that Kyrie Irving has joined Kevin Durant on the injury shelf, it is possible the Nets’ two free-agent superstars might become disconnected while they remain home to work on their rehab and their teammates spend much of the final portion of the season on the road. Irving flew to Los Angeles for the Kobe Bryant memorial service Monday and still has no date set for his pending shoulder surgery coach Kenny Atkinson said before the Nets faced the Wizards Wednesday night at Capital One Center.
Asked if he’s worried about a disconnect,” Atkinson said, “No, we’re around them enough. The priority’s got to be what’s best for them from a rehab standpoint. That overrides everything. Sometimes, they want to come, and we’re like, ‘No, you need to be on [specialized exercise equipment] at home. We just can’t provide the same type of rehab conditions on the road, and that’s priority No. 1. I think in the future, you’ll see that change as the rehab processes get farther down the road.
“I’m not going to give you any timetable. It’s just when we can say we can do the same thing on the road rehab-wise. I know those guys would be thrilled, and we’d be thrilled to have them come. It’s an advantage any time we can be around those guys.”
More opportunities for Kurucs
Veteran forward Wilson Chandler missed the Wizards game for personal reasons, but Atkinson said his absence will be a short-term thing. Chandler is a part of Atkinson’s regular nine-man rotation, and without him, it figured to create an opening for second-year forward Rodions Kurucs, who only played in five of the previous 12 games.
“I think [Kurucs will] have an opportunity, and I think he’ll have opportunities going forward,” Atkinson said. “I’m trying to find the right time, right place. Obviously, with Wilson out, he’ll definitely have an opportunity.”
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
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