The new NBA season shouldn’t be even one month into its existence, but it surely already feels just like the Brooklyn Nets are past saving. The Nets are off to a 2-6 begin and have already fired their head coach, however that’s simply the tip of the proverbial iceberg sinking this ship. In actuality, the problems that helped the Nets go from NBA title favorites to first spherical sweep fodder final season are nonetheless very a lot alive even when the situations have modified.
Those points begin with the 2 superstars that determined to takeover the franchise and lay all the pieces else to waste. The Nets ought to have figured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving weren’t an appropriate decision-making equipment the second they pressured the franchise into enjoying DeAndre Jordan over Jarrett Allen. That selling a washed up pal over a younger future All-Star is considered one of their smaller transgressions since arriving in Brooklyn is all it’s essential to know in regards to the Nets’ downfall.
The group is now in full disarray after Irving tweeted a hyperlink to a video with closely antisemitic themes final week. After double and tripling-down in more and more antagonistic media periods and refusing to apologize, the Nets suspended Irving with out pay for a minimum of 5 video games on Thursday night. Hours later, Irving issued an apology on Instagram. He’ll want to satisfy “objective remedial measures” earlier than he’s reinstated, no matter meaning.
There’s a narrative right here in regards to the Nets being of the verge of a real catastrophe. Brooklyn left itself no margin for error after they traded three first spherical draft picks and 4 future first spherical choose swaps to the Houston Rockets for James Harden. Harden after all pressured his approach out of city after simply over one 12 months largely as a result of he was dismayed Irving wouldn’t get the Covid vaccine — the notorious controversy he brought on final season. Ultimately, the Nets are a lately relocated franchise that performs in a sometimes half-empty area. They don’t have any actual historical past or tradition or sustainable connections to the fanbase — that’s a sort approach of claiming the Brooklyn Nets don’t imply something to anybody.
Really, that is about Kevin Durant. Durant is arguably one of many 10 finest gamers in league historical past. At the time he selected to signal with the Nets, he was thought-about the perfect participant on this planet regardless of having to rehab a torn Achilles. Durant had your complete NBA within the palm of his hand. He may have had something he needed. He selected Kyrie Irving.
Irving already had a historical past of being the NBA’s most unreliable celebrity after disassociating in each Cleveland and Boston when Durant determined to hitch the ultimate years of his prime to his former Olympic teammate. Former SB Nation author Kristian Winfield tried to warn you the week the 2 superstars signed. I preserve coming again to Durant’s loyal friendship with Irving this week, as a result of it’s put Durant in positions he by no means ought to have been in. On Friday, Durant was rightfully criticized for his weak response to how the Nets dealt with Irving’s promotion of antisemitism.
Kevin Durant: “I’m not here to judge somebody or talk down on the life or how they feel their views. I just didn’t like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization.” #nets
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) November 4, 2022
Durant was dragged so totally he felt the necessity to make clear his ideas on the state of affairs lower than an hour later.
Just wanna make clear the statements I made at shootaround, I see some persons are confused..I don’t condone hate speech or anti-semetism, I’m about spreading love at all times. Our recreation Unites individuals and I wanna be sure that’s on the forefront
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) November 4, 2022
Yes, Durant’s response to the query about how the Nets dealt with the Kyrie state of affairs was horrible. It shouldn’t be laborious to say that selling antisemitism and spreading disinformation is unhealthy. It can also be simply fully ridiculous that Kevin Durant of all individuals discovered himself a state of affairs the place he must disavow antisemitism. This solely occurred due to his loyalty to Irving.
Say what you’ll about KD, however the man is clearly a stable buddy. He caught with Irving by means of his incoherent anti-vax stance that legitimately ruined a workforce with title aspirations. He caught with Irving after Harden demanded out due to Irving’s habits. He was so loyal to his pal that Brooklyn’s refusal to provide Kyrie a max contract extension — trying like a reasonably good resolution now! — brought on KD to demand a commerce over the summer time …. a minimum of till he realized he needed to no leverage with 4 years left on his contract.
Durant’s defining high quality is that he merely loves basketball. He’s been to ladies AAU tournaments, broke down movie with highschool stars, and has deep information on the historical past of the sport. “Ball is life” has been Durant’s mantra since he first rose to prominence as an elite prospect out of the D.C. space. Unfortunately, he hand-picked a state of affairs the place he can’t simply hoop. Now he’s ready the place he wants to provide decisive solutions rejecting his finest buddy’s harmful private beliefs.
NBA followers misplaced their shit when Durant determined to go away the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. In hindsight, it was a reasonably smart resolution: he needed to win a championship, and the league’s finest workforce had the cap house to signal him. Durant obtained to indicate his expertise on the sport’s largest levels, profitable two Finals MVPs as he secured his two rings. Yeah, possibly these Warriors have been “unfair” to followers of different groups, however they have been most likely actually enjoyable to play with!
That is, after all, till the noise round Durant taking the simple approach out to obtained too loud to disregard. He needed to depart and show he may do it some place else, with one other celebrity that wasn’t even higher than him like Stephen Curry has been. By selecting Irving, Durant determined to do his championship chase on Hard Mode. Irving already had some actually wild false private beliefs that he wasn’t afraid to share. He was a nightmare for the Celtics. Yes, Irving’s scoring and dribbling bag is extremely superior to witness, however he’s merely not dependable sufficient on (assume: protection) or off the court docket to tether your profession to.
All the whereas, Durant merely seems like probably the most unfulfilled all-time nice in NBA historical past. Anyone who has watched his profession is aware of how good he’s, but the Warriors profitable one other title with out him final season actually was a tough search for his legacy. Durant may have had something he needed on the time he selected Brooklyn. He selected Kyrie. Now 34 years previous and caught on a workforce with zero championship aspirations, Durant’s private journey within the NBA is taking a darkish and miserable detour.
You can choose your mates however not your loved ones. KD would have been smart to maintain his friendship with Kyrie off the court docket, solely. His resolution to affix forces with this period’s most chaotic star goes to be a large blight when assessing the long-term view of his wonderful profession. He may not have a straightforward approach out of Brooklyn with three extra years left on his deal after this one, however the sooner he can discover a new house and new co-star, the higher.