The Brooklyn Nets’ training facility fell into an eerie silence Wednesday morning — the kind that only follows devastating news.

Fred VanVleet, signed just this offseason to be the veteran floor general and locker room stabilizer for a young, rebuilding squad, suffered what team sources are now calling a “significant” right shoulder subluxation during a routine 3-on-3 scrimmage.

The injury occurred without contact — just a hard plant-and-drive move toward the rim, followed by a grimace, a stumble, and VanVleet clutching his shoulder as trainers rushed over.

Initial imaging revealed no structural tear, but the joint instability is severe enough that he’ll require at least six weeks of rehab before even beginning basketball activities — effectively wiping out his entire preseason and jeopardizing his availability for opening night. For a team already navigating uncertainty, it was a gut punch. And Kevin Durant — still technically a Net until his official trade paperwork clears — didn’t mince words.

“He’s hurt bad,” Durant told reporters after an informal shootaround, his voice low, eyes heavy. “I talked to him last night. He’s crushed. This guy came here to lead, to set the tone, to show these young guys how to win. Now he’s gotta watch from the sidelines while his body heals.

It sucks. Plain and simple.” Durant, who remains in Brooklyn awaiting finalization of his Phoenix trade, has taken an unexpected mentorship role during camp — pulling aside Cade Cunningham (yes, Detroit’s star, visiting for workouts), running Cam Thomas through footwork drills, even grabbing a clipboard to diagram plays for rookie center Len Schofield.

“If I’m here, I’m gonna help,” Durant shrugged. “Fred’s down. I’m up. That’s how this works.” His presence — unadvertised, unpaid, and utterly invaluable — has become Brooklyn’s secret weapon during this crisis.

With VanVleet sidelined indefinitely, the Nets’ front office didn’t panic — they pivoted. Hard. Within hours of the diagnosis, GM Sean Marks greenlit an emergency internal reshuffle: Spencer Dinwiddie, originally slated to come off the bench as a microwave scorer, will now start at point guard.

But the real creativity? They’re unleashing something never before seen in the NBA: a positionless, five-out “Point Five” system built around ball movement, constant motion, and empowered decision-making from all five players on the floor — no traditional point guard required.

“We don’t replace Fred,” Coach Jordi Fernández declared in a fiery team meeting. “We evolve beyond him. We play faster, smarter, freer. Everyone initiates. Everyone finishes. Everyone defends. That’s our identity now.”

The early results? Shockingly promising. In their first full-squad scrimmage without VanVleet, Brooklyn ran opponents ragged with dizzying off-ball cuts, backdoor lobs, and drive-and-kick sequences that left defenders scrambling.

Dorian Finney-Smith initiated offense from the top of the key. Royce O’Neale pushed pace in transition. Even big man Nic Claxton handled the rock above the break, hitting cutters with crisp bounce passes. “It’s chaos,” laughed Cam Thomas post-scrimmage.

“But like… beautiful chaos. You never know who’s gonna take the shot — and that’s what makes it work.” Analytics staff reported the unit’s assist-to-turnover ratio jumped from 1.8 to 2.9 without VanVleet — a staggering leap. “Less hierarchy. More harmony,” said assistant coach Adam Harrington. “Fred’s absence forced us to trust each other. And it’s working.”

Durant, watching courtside with arms crossed, couldn’t hide his grin. “This is fun to watch,” he admitted. “No one’s forcing shots. No one’s hero ball. They’re playing like they’ve got nothing to lose — which, honestly? They kinda don’t.

That’s dangerous.” He’s stayed late every night since the injury, running Dinwiddie through pick-and-roll reads, teaching Thomas how to manipulate closeouts, even drilling Schofield on defensive rotations.

“He’s coaching more than I am,” Fernández joked. But behind the humor lies truth: Durant’s leadership — unsolicited, unscripted, pure — is filling the void VanVleet’s injury created. “He sees things before they happen,” said Claxton. “One word from him, and the whole play changes. It’s like having a cheat code.”

Still, questions linger. Can this system survive against elite defenses in January? Can Dinwiddie, a natural scorer, consistently prioritize facilitation over isolation? Can a roster this young maintain discipline when the game slows down and shots stop falling? “That’s the test,” Durant acknowledged.

“Preseason? Everybody’s flying around. November? December? That’s when habits break. That’s when you find out who really bought in.” He paused, then added pointedly: “That’s also when Fred needs to be ready. They need his brain. His calm. His timing.” Translation: This experiment has an expiration date — and VanVleet’s return is the deadline.

Behind the scenes, VanVleet isn’t sulking — he’s strategizing. Confined to a shoulder brace and daily rehab sessions, he’s become Brooklyn’s de facto film room guru, breaking down opponent coverages with rookies, diagramming ATOs for Dinwiddie, even texting Thomas shot-selection reminders mid-scrimmage.

“He’s still our quarterback,” insisted Finney-Smith. “Just calling plays from the sideline now.” Teammates say his energy hasn’t dimmed — if anything, it’s intensified. “He’s mad,” revealed one source. “Mad he got hurt.

Mad he can’t play. So he’s gonna make sure we’re better when he comes back.” His target? December 1st — a home game against Cleveland. “That’s the goal,” VanVleet confirmed via text. “Be ready to close games. Not just open them.”

The league is watching — closely. Analysts are split: some call Brooklyn’s new system “a gimmick doomed to fail,” others hail it as “the future of positionless basketball.” What’s undeniable is the creativity.

While most teams would panic-sign a replacement PG or rush a prospect into duty, Brooklyn chose innovation over desperation. “Marks didn’t blink,” said ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “He saw a problem — and turned it into a philosophy.”

Even rivals are impressed. “They’re playing beautiful basketball,” admitted Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla after watching film. “Unselfish. Intelligent. Relentless. And Durant? He’s coaching like he’s got stock in the franchise.”

What happens when VanVleet returns? Does he slide back into the starting lineup — potentially disrupting chemistry? Does he accept a sixth-man role to preserve the new flow? Or does Brooklyn stick with the Point Five system regardless? “We’ll cross that bridge,” Fernández said. “Right now? We’re building something special. Something Fred helped inspire — even from the sidelines.”

Injuries break seasons. But sometimes? They birth revolutions. Brooklyn’s gamble — fueled by Durant’s quiet genius and VanVleet’s resilient spirit — might just be the most fascinating story of the 2024-25 NBA season. The nets didn’t just get creative. They got dangerous. And the rest of the league? Better take notice.