The Kevin Durant led Brooklyn Nets might be one of the deepest teams in the league – But like any other, they have have their own struggles
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A first time head coach, A diva , and a struggling superstar. These are the things Kevin Durant has to deal with on a daily basis. What is really surprising is how easily he’s taken all of this into his stride. Durant is out there every game, putting up incredible numbers, garnering MVP shouts, and going back home.
KD is probably the best scorer in the league, barring a peak form James Harden. This incredible form has him leading the Nets to a 10-5 record, putting them 3rd in the east. However, they have faltered every time they played against a potential playoff opponent – something Stephen A. Smith cannot take lightly. Nor it should be taken so, since that shows this team is not ready for the big stages yet.
Smith went on a tirade after Brooklyn’s latest loss to the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors. He vehemently accused Kyrie Irving to have betrayed Durant, called James Harden a shadow of his former self, and literally said the rest of the All-Star cast the Nets have acquired are of no help at all to Durant.
This outburst is nothing but an overreaction to a loss against a team that could potentially win it all this season. A reaction that quite frankly was expected from a TV personality, because that is what you are paid to do.
This team is no way a bad team – They are Championship contenders
Stephen A.’s take on the loss isn’t true in any sense or form. He said Kevin Durant has no help – calling LaMarcus Aldrige, James Harden, Blake Griffin, Joe Harris, Paul Millsap and Patty Mills no help is treason. How can you call this team of Monstars no help is beyond anybody’s imagination.
No help is when LeBron James’s best teammate in his first stint with the Cavs was Anderson Varejao. No help is last season’s Steph Curry when the next best performer was Andrew Wiggins, and he bricked most of the time.
The passion a New Yorker shows for sports is amicable, but a reaction that is of this magnitude was purely for the clout. Saying Kevin Durant made the wrong choice going to Brooklyn is a reach. Yes, Kyrie Irving turned out to be a basketcase, but it’s not like they surrounded these two guys with a bunch of AAU players. These players are legit All-Stars and will play like one once they get going.
Wait till the mid-season break to ramble on about like this – the start of the season is not always going to be smooth. These guys will come good, and when they do (which is soon), everyone will be going gaga over them – Stephen A. Smith will be the first in line.
Kevin Durant isn’t alone at Brooklyn, a lineup that hasn’t played before together takes time to build chemistry
Take a look at the Lakers this season and the season before. They literally stuck a bunch of big name players that may sound great on paper, but did not work because there was no chemistry. The Brooklyn Nets are not that bad, but like the Lakers, they do have chemistry issues. The Kyrie Irving drama never stops, James Harden has had his fair share of struggles, and the Nets have had a few injury concerns.
This definitely disrupts any attempts to build chemistry, and the fact that one of the three prongs of your attack is out for the foreseeable future doesn’t help in any way. Stephen A. Smith was right in one way though. The Brooklyn Nets are not an institution like the Knicks are.
The fans’ reaction to winning one playoff game last season shows how much passion they have for their team. That is something that Brooklyn is missing.
In closely contested games like the one against the GSW, the fans need to be the sixth man. When you hear MVP chants not for you, but the opposing player, you know you have a weak fanbase.
