How Kevin Durant's injury shakes up playoff, MVP race

Brooklyn (27-14) was on a roll before Durant went down. After sitting as the 11th seed following a loss to Indiana on Nov. 25, the team caught fire, posting an 18-2 record until Durant suffered his injury.

Durant's absence is a reason to be concerned, but to what degree?

Since the beginning of last season, Brooklyn is 9-20 in games without Durant. The Nets have a better roster this season, but without their leading scorer could still plummet in the standings. 

With tremendous star power and a tight competitive balance, the East has never been more contested. There is a five-game gap between the No. 1 and 5 seeds, and just two games separate the second-seed Nets and fifth-seeded 76ers (25-16).

It is likely that Milwaukee (27-15), just half a game behind the Nets, will pass them while Durant is out. Giannis Antentokounmpo is having his standard MVP and DPOY-caliber season, and Milwaukee’s getting it done without its All-Star swingman, Khris Middleton.

Cleveland (27-16), the East’s current four-seed, might also jump the Nets. A four vs. five seed first-round matchup with the Cavs could be the worst-case scenario for Brooklyn; Cleveland is 18-4 at home this season, the best in the East. The Nets must do everything in their power to retain a top-three seed. 

On the MVP front, this year’s race has the chance to be one of the tightest ever, and the time missed will probably cost Durant his second career MVP Award. He was No. 3 on NBA.com’s Jan. 8 Kia MVP Ladder, but due to his injury has fallen to sixth in Friday’s updated rankings. 

The betting market reflects NBA.com's new list. According to OddsChecker, Durant has the sixth-best odds for MVP, behind Dallas’ Luka Dončić, the favorite, followed by Denver's Nikola Jokić, Boston's Jayson Tatum, Antetokounmpo, and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. 

Until Durant returns, Brooklyn will need better output from its star PG Kyrie Irving, who dropped 24 points Thursday but was highly inefficient. 

The Nets would also take anything productive from Ben Simmons at this point. The 6-foot-10 forward’s disinterest in scoring appears to have reached a new height Thursday, as he’s now passing up shots in the team’s pre-game layup line. 

If “The Slim Reaper” fully recovers, it might not matter what seed the Nets end up as; they’re still a legitimate title contender. Despite Durant’s injury, Oddschecker gives Brooklyn the fifth-best odds to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year.