Whatever the case may be, Nets fans young and old, near and far, share these three fears this upcoming season.A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Nets Insider Videos
Kevin Durant ranked No. 8 in ESPN's top 10 NBA players list
Kevin Durant is undoubtedly an all-time NBA great. So how could arguably the league's best player be ranked outside the top five players in the league?
That's the question that many were asking themselves when ESPN ranked the top 10 players in the NBA.
Citing the two months he missed last season and the trade request he ultimately rescinded this off season as the main culprits for Durant plummeting down the list, even the most unreasonable Durant haters can't defend this ranking..@JalenRose had to stand up to voice his frustration with #NBArank 😂
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 22, 2022
"I love Jayson Tatum ... He ain't better than Kevin Durant." pic.twitter.com/p7qeGQCjEx
Yes, he's turning 34 and there has absolutely been turmoil in Brooklyn this summer, but his peak talents are undeniable.
With Ben Simmons now in the fold to distribute and create easy scoring opportunities both in the half court and transition for Durant, his scoring prowess will be on full display.Discover over 57 years of @NetsHistory and relive the key moments along the team's circuitous journey from Teaneck to Brooklyn. Read exclusive interviews from owners, coaches, players and team executives. BUY- A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn #nets #nba pic.twitter.com/t52P4UkFrt
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) September 16, 2022
You can be sure that Durant will be keeping receipts on those who have doubted him and knocked him off the top 5 list.
Preseason play is two weeks away, but until the regular season gets underway, Durant win just need to let this criticism fuel him for the upcoming campaign.
Nets likely facing 'Last Dance' scenario with Kyrie, KD
Between Irving's long-term contract standoff, Durant's direct trade request to owner Joe Tsai and all of the noise and hoopla that come along with the two superstars, the act is growing tired.A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Fate of Nets' franchise staying in Brooklyn, rests in hands of Irving, KD
With owner Joe Tsai accruing losses topping $100 million the last two seasons, the current business model has proven unsustainable. The Nets first failed Big 3 experiment came under a hasty owner in Mikhail Prokhorov mortgaging the future to obtain aging superstars. Flash forward to 2019 and two prime superstars dropped into Tsai and Sean Marks' laps during free agency and a third star required a haul of picks to assemble another doomed super team. With the possibility that both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could be gone at the end of the upcoming season, how can Barclays Center remain a big draw? The venue already lost heaps of money on overpriced and underachieving players who could not stay healthy or eligible to play. Since their founding in 1967, the Nets have called eight different arenas home and if this era basketball goes up in flames, who's to say another move isn't in the offing? The franchise was already struggling to build a loyal season ticket base and with non-committal players as the faces of the franchise, fans aren't exactly lining up at the ticket office to part with their hard earned money. Anything short of an NBA Finals run in this the fourth year with Irving and Durant on the roster together, (Durant missed the 2019 season rehabbing from Achilles surgery), will put Tsai even further into the red and open up the possibility of yet another franchise move. Whether that means a return to Long Island at the brand new UBS Arena, a return to New Jersey at either the Prudential Center or Izod Center, is anyone's guess. Only this much is clear, through poor marketing efforts and even more underwhelming play in Brooklyn, Irving and Durant have the weight on the franchise resting squarely on their shoulders.A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Nets History book author interview: Rick Laughland on WFAN New York
Author Rick Laughland joined host Danielle McCartan on WFAN New York's overnight program to discuss the launch of his new book: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn.
Nets History book author Rick Laughland on WFAN
Laughland talked about his inspiration for writing the book, the nomadic wanderings of the franchise and the improbable journey that brought the franchise to Brooklyn.
A limited number of autographed author copies of new #Nets history book are still available! Order direct today for $30 by sending us a message @NetsHistory! @dbearak #netsworld #Durant #Irving #nba pic.twitter.com/hbBdREm4XQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) July 6, 2022
Laughland lists his top players on the Nets Mount Rushmore and whether there's a chance the Nets could find another home outside of Brooklyn at some point in the future.
It's put up or shut-up time for Irving, KD in Brooklyn
Kyrie Irving will need to show up and show out with the Brooklyn Nets this year if he's hoping to net the long-term contract he feels he deserves.
Sean Marks and Joe Tsai were reluctant to dole out a mega deal for the talented superstar without assurances that he would be available and willing to play in the vast majority of games this year.
The contract standoff dominated the off-season chatter with Irving unexpectedly opting-in to his deal to stay with the Nets for at least the 2022-23 season.
All signs indicate that Irving is raring and ready to prove he naysayers wrong and let his play do the talking. Unfortunately for the superbly talented shooting guard, injuries, vaccine compliance issues and missing games for personal reasons have tarnished his reputation as one of the league's greats.
At age 30, Irving is approaching the prime years of his career and a crossroads where he'll either need to ball out or bail out with the Nets still setting their sights on an NBA title.
A disgruntled Kevin Durant has officially rescinded his trade request, but things can quickly go South for him and Irving if they don't start the season on a winning track. Durant's incessant tweeting and debating with fans makes for some entertaining drama, but if the Nets are a dysfunctional mess like they were a season ago, even the most staunch Durant and Irving supporters will start to turn on the dynamic duo.
Look for Irving to play inspired ball , but it still remains to be seen whether the commitment he's made to the team this off-season will stand the test of time and be sustained throughout the upcoming season. Durant is content enough now, but holding together a locker room with supersized, yet fragile egos will be a daunting task for Steve Nash and company.