The Brooklyn Nets have quietly risen to the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference, but their rise to the top has been marred by the controversy brought along by their players. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have created more noise outside the court than on it to concentrate on the good basketball they’re playing.
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They are the most in-form team in the league—that is a fact. Kyrie Irving may not have played multiple games, but when he does play, boy is he good. The man knows no limits; no dribble is too difficult for him. And no basket is too far away. Left, right, through the middle—Kyrie can get it done.
On the other hand, Kevin Durant is quietly having the best shooting performance ever in the game’s history. His true shooting percentage is 67.5, the highest for someone averaging 30 points per game. Much is being said about LeBron’s longevity, and Durant isn’t far behind.
Two pure hoopers who cause the most controversy make a combo that is detrimental to the organization, but Rob Parker thinks they should embrace it. Just look at the good it did for the Detroit Pistons—their nickname is literally “The Bad Boy Pistons.”
Kyrie Irving may implode at any moment – if anyone can hold him together, it’s the Slim Reaper
Uncle Drew cannot stay quiet for long—that’s just not him. The wokeness in him just has to come out; otherwise, he’s Mt. Vesuvius. Having his temperament under control is something he needs to do, which is something Durant can do.
KD hates drama; one more wrong step by Kyrie, and he knows he’s kicking him out. Just like how he got rid of Steve Nash, Irving knows he’s hanging by a thread. The Brooklyn Nets organization is running out of patience, and Irving knows it.
Salary cuts, fans’ wrath, and sponsors’ reneging There are three things a basketball player fears, and Kyrie has had all three of them.
Durant seems to favor the soon-to-be Laker because of his talents, and that may not be for long.
Public opinions matter in sports – The Brooklyn Nets only seem to give people memorable negative news
On paper, the Nets are built to win multiple championships; their antics are what are causing them to underperform. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are a guaranteed winning duo; the addition of Ben Simmons should just make it that much sweeter.
But the way they handled themselves benefited no one. Jose Tsai had to deal with so many nightmares at a time that it was impossible not to gnaw his nails. But all of that seems to be water under the bridge now because they are all clicking together.
If they do stay fit and out of trouble, there is no reason why the Nets cannot win it all. That’s what every reporter has been writing: a Lakers-Nets final, but both teams have failed for different reasons.
While the Lakers have been the good guys in public opinion, their poor plays have brought them down. In a classic case of Seinfeld’s episode “Opposite”, the fortunes of the West and East teams shifted as soon as their star players became available or unavailable.
