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“Because Kyrie Irving is not vaccinated and Ben Simmons hasn’t played all year, Brooklyn aren’t contenders this year”: Magic Johnson pencils in Kevin Durant and his Nets for another season of disappointment, looks ahead to next season

Amulya Shekhar
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"Because Kyrie Irving is not vaccinated and Ben Simmons hasn't played all year, Brooklyn aren't contenders this year": Magic Johnson pencils in Kevin Durant and his Nets for another season of disappointment, looks ahead to next season

Magic Johnson reacts to the blockbuster James Harden trade that has sent Ben Simmons the other way to the Brooklyn Nets.

The Brooklyn Nets are in as tough a spot as anyone could’ve predicted ahead of the season. This juncture has come about, in large part, because Kyrie Irving has refused to get vaccinated.

It was, thus, left to James Harden and Kevin Durant to make the best of the season. And the duo seemed mostly up to the task, running their record up to 22-9 by Christmas.

However, things went downhill from there as a leaguewide Covid-19 outbreak crippled their roster availability. Things went from bad to worse when Durant was ruled out for several months with an MCL injury.

Meanwhile, Harden found himself in a similar situation to what he had in Houston. The former MVP had forced himself out of the Rockets in the hope to win a championship, playing alongside KD and Irving. According to several reports, Irving’s part-time status had irked Harden to a great extent.

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With an agreement between the Nets and Sixers falling through, Magic Johnson reacted to this development on Twitter.

Magic Johnson gives his take on the James Harden-Ben Simmons trade.

The recent trade between the Sixers and Nets has sent shock waves across the entire basketball fraternity. Though many believed it was too late for the deal to fall through, Sixers President Daryl Morey ensured he was there to help his good friend and former Rockets superstar, Harden.

The deal had Nets receive Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two 1st round picks while the Sixers got Harden and Paul Millsap. In what it seems, the trade was worth the wait for Philly fans, who found themselves in the middle of the Simmons-Sixers deadlock.

With the above trade setting social media on fire, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson tweeted the following.

The five-time champion believes a part-time Irving and a rusty Simmons won’t be enough to help Durant bring the city of Brooklyn a championship this season. However, Magic is confident of the team’s prospects the following season.

On the other hand, Magic seems optimistic about the Sixers’ chances to win the chip this season. Harden and Embiid make for one of the scariest duos in NBA history. The fact that both the superstars have been regular this season, gives them the edge over the inconsistent Nets lineup.

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Magic does make some compelling points, as in the past, we’ve seen some of the biggest teams fail due to lack of chemistry. Having the best of talents on one roster is no guarantee of success and there is enough evidence to prove that.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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