Kyrie Irving doesn’t hold back when criticizing his own defense in the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Wizards.
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The Brooklyn Nets faced off against the Washington Wizards last night and looked to capitalize on the momentum they had been building up these past few games. With the Wizards struggling as much as they were, the Nets perhaps believed they were in for an easy win.
Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal had other plans however as they went off for a combined 78 points to put the Nets away in what is surely a heartbreaking loss for the latter.
Kevin Durant led the team in scoring with 37 points while his running mate Kyrie Irving pitched in with 26. The problem with the Nets isn’t their scoring ability; it’s their defense.
That was the main concern when going through with the James Harden trade. This lack of defense was on full display last night, with Kyrie Irving himself commenting on it.
Kyrie Irving addresses his defensive ability during the Wizards game.
Kyrie Irving isn’t a bad defender, but he most certainly isn’t a good one either. His defensive ability lies in his willingness to put effort on that end of the floor. It is apparent that when he’s engaged on ball, he can get a couple stops and even poke the ball away.
However, he seemed quite lackadaisical on defense last night and put in minimal effort in trying to help get stops. In his postgame availability, he said, “I couldn’t guard a stick today. We just have to take it on the chin and keep moving.”
The Brooklyn Nets, following the Harden trade, boast a 122.6 offensive rating which would be the best in NBA history. On the flipside, they are also in possession of the worst defensive rating in NBA history in that same time period at 119.9.
The Nets definitely need more personnel to help on the defensive end of the floor as having Kevin Durant be your best defender just won’t cut it.
