Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are in a duel for the 2022 MVP award. According to the latest odds, Curry is the odds on favorite and KD is right behind his former teammate. Even if neither superstar is too focused on regular season accolades, even if both would say they're simply doing what it takes to win games, they're competing nonetheless and it has been awesome to watch.

As of Monday, the Brooklyn Nets are 14-6, good for first place in the East. The Golden State Warriors are 18-2, the best record in the entire NBA, although the Dubs have an epic showdown looming against Devin Booker, Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns who are just one game behind them.

But ironically, Durant's best chance to win 2022 MVP is for his teammates to step up so that Brooklyn doesn't have to rely on the Texas product so much.

Earlier in the season Nets coach Steve Nash said the team did not want to overburden Durant by leaning on him too much for buckets. “That’s the luxury of All-Star players, they can (carry you at times). And Kevin’s obviously elite at scoring and isolating,” Nash shared back in November. “While that is a luxury, that he can make plays against anyone we definitely don’t wanna rely on that. That is antithesis to our vision but it is a luxury at times when he can just rise up and score over people.”

That last point about it being “antithesis to the Nets' vision” is important. Through 19 games, both Curry and Durant have scored 544 each, the highest marks in the NBA. But the type of basketball that Steve Nash wants to see is more egalitarian and fast with more players getting involved.

Before the last loss at home to the Phoenix Suns, now winners of 16 in a row, coach Nash talked about some ways his teams struggles.

“I think the nuts and bolts of that is just playing earlier,” Nash explained. “Getting organized, getting the ball down the floor, getting into actions quicker, getting to the second side quicker. Different things that can help us with this current roster, not play against a locked defense and make things difficult. If we can alleviate as many of those possessions as possible slow, walking it up, playing against a set defense, not having the movement or quick decisions that we preach every day, I think that's when we really struggle.”

There was some foreshadowing there. The second-year head coach continued on that theme after the loss to Phoenix. “I think tonight it was crowded in [the paint] and we didn’t move the ball enough, so we gotta be able to move it, get off it quicker.”

That is the essence of this point; the team needs better ball-movement. They tend to get static against top opponents. The Nets only have four wins against teams with winning records.

Nash wants the team to play faster so that they get into the paint (usually it's James Harden not KD who initiates that action), collapse a defense, and then kick it out for an open shot. When the shot isn't there, he wants the Nets to swing the ball to the “second side,” also known as the weak side of the floor; basically, the side opposite the initial action or penetration.

Ideally his team is passing the ball quickly, getting everyone involved, and keeping a defense moving side to side and scrambling. Of course it doesn't always work out that way and it sure is a luxury to have Durant, who essentially has a mismatch every time he touches the ball. They just want to minimize how dependent they are on him isolating.

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But if Nash gets what he wants, would Durant continue to lead the NBA in points per game? Likely not. So why would that be his best chance to win the MVP? It seems a bit counterintuitive. But that's where narrative comes into play. The whole missing Kyrie Irving thing, James Harden struggling with new officiating and his conditioning, Durant's own battle back from Achilles surgery in 2019, KD has the name brand recognition to get the votes for MVP if he's in the conversation. Achieving the East's best record would help his case. He'll need help to get there.

If the Nets continue on the path they're on, they probably won't win enough games to keep up with the other top teams in the NBA. It's not only “antithesis” to the way the team wants to play, it not only risks burning out Durant, it's also a recipe for less wins overall.

Durant's likeliest path for MVP would be if his team steps up and they win the Eastern Conference's top seed. But achieving that, and continuing to keep pace over teams like the Milwaukee Bucks or Miami Heat (one game behind Brooklyn for first place), will mean better ball movement and more role players showing up.

Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge abd DeAndre' Bembry have all been better than expected. James Harden, Joe Harris, Nic Claxton, Blake Griffin (due to a combination of injuries, or other factors) have been a bit worse than expected.

With Joe Harris now set for surgery, there is even more need for help. KD would be the first to remind us that as far as he cares, Steph can have the MVP as long as it's Durant the hoisting his third NBA Finals MVP instead. He'll need some more help to win either accolade with the Nets.