The spotlight is squarely on Kevin Durant with James Harden and Kyrie Irving injured
Brooklyn's "Big 3" is down to a "Lone Ranger."
Kyrie Irving exited Sunday's 107-96 loss for the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks, evening the series at two games apiece.
With James Harden already missing due to a hamstring injury, the focus now shifts squarely on Kevin Durant — the last man standing of the Nets' superstar triumvirate.
And now, as Skip Bayless of "Undisputed" put it, the spotlight is firmly on Durant.
Further testing and evaluation are expected to determine the severity of Irving's injury, but the latest reports indicate both Harden and Irving will be shelved for at least Game 5 on Tuesday.
In Sunday's postgame news conference, Nets head coach Steve Nash said the team is crossing its fingers on Irving's status, and Nash went as far as to say that Irving's injury wouldn't factor into Harden's return timeline.
It would seem that Durant now faces the unenviable task of taking down Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks without the help of his two primary running mates.
In six playoff games for the Nets, Harden averaged 23.2 points, 8.8 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Irving was posting 22.7 PPG, 3.4 APG and 5.8 RPG in nine playoff games with the Nets this year.
That's a combined 45.9 points, 12.2 assists and 12.0 rebounds per game that is now conceivably off the table for Brooklyn.
This isn't exactly a new problem for the Nets overall, but it is a unique one.
Brooklyn's "Big 3" played very few games together as a unit during the regular season, with various injuries and other obstacles keeping the full trio from getting on the floor simultaneously.
Heading into the playoffs, the three-headed monster had just eight regular-season games played with all three in the fold.
However, Durant had to go it alone only twice during the regular season, on April 13 at the Minnesota Timberwolves and April 29 at the Indiana Pacers.
It's a small sample, but he put up 31 points, four assists and four boards in a 30-point rout of the T-Wolves and went for 42 points, 10 assists and three rebounds to beat the Pacers.
In terms of teammates who picked up the slack in Irving and Harden's absences, Joe Harris chipped in 37 total points in both wins.
But Harris is already a daily starter. As far as bench options go, Jeff Green and Landry Shamet will likely be among those counted on to take on a bigger role.
No disrespect to either of those players listed, but none really holds a candle to Harden or Irving.
That's likely why Colin Cowherd said on "The Herd" that the most important teammate for Durant at this point is Brooklyn's medical team.
"The most valuable teammate for Kevin Durant this morning is the Nets training stuff," Cowherd said. "Fragile. Fingers crossed. … The Nets team doctors will decide the season. That's it. That's the series. It's come down to health."
"The Nets' season has come down to health" — Colin Cowherd on Kyrie exiting Game 4 vs. Bucks | THE HERD
Shannon Sharpe argued that his "Undisputed" cohost, Bayless, or anyone else's excuses for Durant should be disqualified.
In Sharpe's mind, if everyone wants to say Durant is the best player in the world, he shouldn't need two other MVP-level players to finish the job.
"If he is what Skip Bayless and others have proclaimed him to be, it does not matter that Kyrie's not there," Sharpe said. "It does not matter that Harden is not there."
With two NBA Finals victories and a pair of NBA Finals MVP awards, Durant's playoff résumé is extensive.
However, those triumphs came with arguably the greatest dynasty of the decade in Golden State Warriors.
Durant's present situation puts him in a tough spot, as Nick Wright facetiously spelled out on "First Things First."
For what it's worth, the oddsmakers at FOX Bet still have the Nets as the favorites to win the title, but only slightly.
As of Monday afternoon, Brooklyn is priced at +240, with the Utah Jazz (+333) and Phoenix Suns (+375) out of the Western Conference the next-highest favorites.
A lot has changed since the Nets were going off at +225 to start the playoffs, but perhaps Durant does have the potential the carry Brooklyn for a while.
What's for sure is that the spotlight on Brooklyn won't be any less bright – it will just be aimed more in one direction.
For more up-to-date news on all things Nets, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!
