The split between Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry is even more interesting now

He traded Stephen Curry for Kyrie Irving two years ago. That’s a swap others might’ve hesitated to do even before Irving took a controversial vaccine stand that effectively forced him to take a seat.

Undoubtedly, Kevin Durant is an individual who carves his own path, sets his own standards and marches to the beat of his own drum – luxuries afforded to him as one of the top two or three NBA players in the world. Durant secured this privilege long ago by showcasing his ability to empower himself and any franchise fortunate enough to have him. In such a scenario, you exercise your freedom to your own contentment and no one else’s.

Your choice, however, does come with consequences — same as everyone else’s. And right now, examining the current state of his previous and current teams, and weighing the worth of Curry and Irving, it’s fair to wonder: Did Durant choose wisely when he bailed on the Warriors in 2019?

In the early stages of a new season, the Nets are dealing with perplexity. They’re stuck in a situation where winning the championship is the only acceptable outcome, leaving no room for mistakes. This intense focus is the result of having three prime players who are future Hall of Famers, all brought together for this very purpose.

But the early returns of a long season are complicated for Durant and the Nets. They’re searching for that championship traction. James Harden is off to a mild start and the former Kia MVP is possibly bedeviled by new rule changes that no longer honor his ability to draw fouls. The supporting cast is fine, but again, they’re for support only.

In any case, it all comes down to the unaddressed issue, which the Nets instructed to stay away and remain at home.

Irving is busy sitting, while Curry is busy cooking. Nobody knows how long either will trend in those directions, but the safe money is on Curry for obvious reasons. He’s coming off an MVP-finalist year and is closing in on the NBA’s all-time lead in 3-pointers made. He recently dropped 50 points and 10 assists in a game and still remains the best teammate Durant ever had.

Durant and Curry are the two leading scorers in the league right now, respectively, while also holding down the top two spots in Michael C. Wright’s latest Kia MVP Ladder. Both are also the reigning NBA Players of the Week.

Meanwhile, Irving remains steadfast in his refusal to get vaccinated. Who would have guessed that the same man who shattered the Warriors’ reign in 2016 with an unforgettable jump shot, would reject not just one, but two vaccine shots?

In a curious coincidence, that Game 7 pull-up 3-pointer by Irving was launched over Curry’s outstretched fingertips. It was a cold-blooded Finals moment frozen in time and gave Irving and his talents the ultimate stamp of approval.

In a surprising move a few years later, Durant, as a free agent, abandoned Curry and the Warriors after three successful seasons. He unexpectedly secured his future with Irving, marking a second approval.

As Durant prepares to meet his former co-star and team Tuesday when the league-leading Warriors play in Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT), the Nets are leaning heavier on Durant than they originally thought, or wanted to, at this point. Crazy thing is, Durant is more than capable of carrying the freight. He has scored 20 or more in all 14 games to start the season, one shy of Karl Malone’s record.

Kevin Durant is currently averaging 29.6 points per game with an impressive shooting percentage of 58.6%. In addition, he’s pulling down 8.4 rebounds per game and giving the opposing team’s bench a headache, something that’s become quite standard for him. As Durant once famously quoted himself, “you know who I am.” And indeed we do.

Keep in mind, this super team was created for superstars – more than one. Harden, Irving, and Durant, a legendary trio, are ready to overshadow the Knicks in the minds of New Yorkers, secure championships, and provide a response to the renowned question echoed in the largest borough: Where’s Brooklyn?

This could potentially occur if Irving’s moods and the moons are in alignment.

Durant has publicly maintained his confidence in the Nets. Early in October, he stated “of course we have enough” to win without Irving – a statement that isn’t particularly daring in the regular season.

He added: “While we are playing in a game, I am not going to sit there and say … when we get down or it is a tight game, like ‘Damn, we don’t have enough.’ We definitely want Kyrie Irving out here on the floor. And he is a huge part of what we do. But it is not happening right now. So we got to figure it out … no one is going to lose confidence and hope Kyrie comes to save us. We got to play. Everybody here has confidence in what they do.”

However, in the present situation, Durant and the Nets are facing the possibility of Harden’s performance being affected by rule changes and perhaps by age. They are also dealing with the potential scenario of Irving refusing to return for the remainder of the season.

The local government’s vaccine mandate means Irving will not play any home games at Barclays Center, and the Nets, weary of the drama, didn’t want a part-time player in the lineup so they told Irving to skip the road games, too. The franchise could stick to its guns and hope Irving’s love of basketball eventually overwhelms his distaste for the vaccine, but who knows who’ll blink first?

Meanwhile, there are no such worries with the 11-2 Warriors. Curry is following up an epic season with the makings of another. His jumper remains pure (and could get even better) and his determination to lift the Warriors back among the contenders remains firm. An argument can be made that Curry is still the most difficult assignment in the league, putting him in very small company — one that includes Durant.

Once upon a time, they were a formidable pair, alternately wielding their skills to intimidate and defeat any team that dared to challenge them. The only obstacle that came between them and a third title was Durant’s Achilles tear in 2019. Other than this, nothing could put an end to their rule unless either Durant or Curry decided to leave.

Curry, the home-grown and adored star, wasn’t going anywhere. He committed to a four-year extension with Golden State during the offseason. In contrast, Durant craved for something that re-signing with Warriors couldn’t offer him. Hence, he chose to leave, which was his right, and teamed up with Irving. When Harden managed to extricate himself from Houston, the Nets ended up boasting a three-man core that, theoretically, appeared to be as potent as the Curry-Durant-Klay Thompson trio.

Speaking of Klay: He’s on the mend from a pair of major injuries and anxious to prove that he belonged on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. That fuel should only help the Warriors elevate themselves among the best in the West … but how much better off would they — and Durant — be if they’d remained intact together?

There’s no point in revisiting the past and the what-ifs of that game. Durant appears content with his current situation – he even signed a contract extension this summer – and as always, his primary focus remains on winning, irrespective of the circumstances.

Curry, on the other hand, was unable to lead the Warriors to the playoffs last season — a situation largely attributed to Golden State’s numerous injuries. However, the task of bringing the Warriors back to their former glory has evidently sparked a sense of determination in him.

This sums up the core issue: The challenge facing Durant in Brooklyn is far greater than the ease he enjoyed at Golden State. Thus, we should commend him for choosing a path fraught with more peril.

We will revisit this issue and update the scorecard in the next spring and summer. Until that time, Durant’s choice is unmistakably clear at this moment.

While Irving is preoccupied with drawing DNPs, Curry is engaging in drawing applause.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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