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Showing posts with label Featured. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Featured. Show all posts

KD, Draymond debate how Cavs defended Warriors in 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals

Golden State is playing in its sixth NBA Finals in eight seasons, but a current Warrior, Draymond Green, gave his justification for why Steph Curry has yet to win an NBA Finals MVP Award, on Colin Cowherd.

 Green and Kevin Durant, who left in the Warriors in free agency in the summer of 2019 have a history of clashes. 

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Upon joining Brooklyn alongside Irving, Durant cited his verbal altercation with Green during the 2018-19 regular season as one of the tipping points for him to ultimately agreeing to a sign and trade to become a Net. Durant didn't see things that way, at all.



The last two years, the former teammates have appeared to repair whatever reported rift existed to win the Men's Basketball Gold Medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, (delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

That was no more evident than a potential Twitter war being diffused by a simple gentleman's disagreement.


That was no more evident than a potential Twitter war being diffused by Durant respectfully disagreeing with Greene's comments about the number of double-teams Steph Curry faced compared to Durant.


 


So while the Twitter debate between two NBA champions rages on, Green and Curry will have the final say on what team hosts the Larry O'Brien trophy on Thursday night.

Kevin Durant agrees with All-time great's critical assessment of modern day NBA game

D
Don't include three-time champion James Worthy in the group of NBA fans loving the modern day 3-point happy game. 

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 In an interview with Stoney & Jansen Show, on 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit, Worthy didn't mince words when characterizing the modern NBA game and athlete. The comments made their way to Kevin Durant, who seemed to agree with the fact that modern day pro athletes are tweet-happy, but he also let it be known that the mid-range game is very much part of his scoring repotoire. It's clear that by the game and athelete has changed drastically since Worthy's playing days, but it's nice to see the league's most prolific scorer harkening back to an old school era by scoring at all three levels.

Nets need to emulate Warriors by developing youth, while chasing a title

nba.com


 If there's one thing you can't knock Steve Nash for this past season, it was his willingness to play rookies meaningful minutes during the regular season. A lot of this was precipitated by Kyrie Irving missing 52 games due to vaccine compliance issues, Kevin Durant being sidelined through the All-Star break with a knee injury and James Harden's balky hamstring sending him in and out of the lineup before his NBA trade deadline deal saw him land in Philly.

Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

Cam Thomas, Kessler Edwards, David Duke Jr. and Day'Ron Sharpe for large portions of the season saw the floor as starters or rotation players playing in key moments. 

Brooklyn had a lost season in 2021-22 from a championship standpoint, but while playoff success was lacking, the long-term benefit of building experience for the team's young depth will be invaluable in the seasons ahead.

Just ask the Golden State Warriors.

Jordan Poole,  Jonathan Kuminga,  Gary Payton II, and Moses Moody make up the young nucleus of complementary first or second year players that developed into impact players for Golden State in this title pursuit.

After winning just 15 games two seasons ago, the Warriors clinched the play-in last season  only to be beaten by LeBron James' Lakers and Ja Morant's Grizzlies.

Now, Steph Curry and company are just three wins away from their sixth NBA Finals appearance under Steve Kerr's tutelage. Following the Warriors model of striving for a successful championship run, while strengthen young assets, is a template that Nash will need to use to get things back on the up and up in Brooklyn.






Once title favorites, Nets watch helplessly as East's true heavyweights battle

How the mighty have fallen. The favorites to win the Eastern Conference by most oddsmakers, the Brooklyn Nets failed to win a single game in the 2022 NBA playoffs. It's surprising in some respects, perhaps for the national audience, but for those who followed the team's dysfunction and discord game in and game out, a first round playoff sweep by the Celtics was really par for the course.

 Brooklyn doesn't just have one Eastern Conference juggernaut to conquer, but instead: Boston, Miami, Milwaukee and even Philadelphia pose an uphill battle for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and company to overcome next year. Questions are mounting about Steve Nash's ability to make the proper coaching adjustments and the team's general manager, Sean Marks, whiffed on many free agent additions after having the Midas Touch throughout his tenure with the club.

 The reality is, the Nets championship window is shrinking and the club is further from hoisting a trophy than they were when they formed a superteam in the summer of 2019.

 Marks admitted during the team's off-season press conference that the organization needs to get back to team building and make sure all players are fully committed to one goal. The Nets are expected to offer that wildcard player, Irving, a long-term contract extension, but Marks didn't want to makes any promises he can't keep, especially after hinting that extensions were all but signed, sealed and delivered for Irving and Harden last year. 

 NBA fans at large are rooting for the Nets' demise and so far the team is giving all fans outside of Brooklyn what they're looking for.

LeBron names KD, Kyrie or Kobe as possible teammates in hypothetical 2-on-2 matchup with MJ and Pippen

 

NBA.com

Game recognize game.

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 LeBron James is fully aware of the star power residing in Brooklyn and in an open Q&A session via Twitter, The King gave an intriguing answer to a compelling question.



Of course, NBA fans will never have an opportunity to see that legendary game happen, but it's clear James' respect for the individual skillset of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant is at an all-time high.


Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

The late-great Kobe Bryant is as good a candidate as any to play alongside James in a battle of the NBA's greatest legends both past and present.

 

D espite the last two seasons ending in bitter disappointment for the Nets, fans must not forget just how otherworldly their two superstars can be when healthy and on the court together.



Giannis feels KD's pain of losing in playoffs short-handed



 It was Kevin Durant embracing Giannis Antetokounmpo after a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the second round of the NBA playoffs last year, this time it was the Greek Freak sending best wishes to Jayson Tatum on the winning side in Game 7 Sunday.

Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

Without Khris Middleton, the Bucks failed to capitalize on a 3-2 series lead and dropped the final two contests, with Antetokounmpo leaving it an out on the floor.

Sound familiar?

Durant, with a hobbled Harden and without Kyrie Irving due to an ankle injury saw a 3-2 series edge slip away by a half shoe size in Game 7.

The irony and parallels of how the Nets season ended last year and the fashion in which the Bucks were ousted by Boston this year is uncanny.

Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

As fortuitous as Milwaukee's run to a title was last year and as unlucky as it was for Brooklyn, things came full circle this time around.

Miami awaits Boston in the Eastern Conference finals, while most Nets fans will be rooting for the Western conference winners to take home the Larry O'Brien trophy.


Nets honeymoon phase with Kyrie, KD has reached a crossroads in Brooklyn


Nba.com


 As Brooklyn Turns should have been the slogan for the 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets. A soap opera of a basketball team that had every type of drama, dysfunction and intrigue to make for constant entertainment for Nets' detractors.

 The on-court product was underwhelming due to Kyrie Irving's refusal to comply with local vaccine mandates, Kevin Durant being sideline with an injured knee, James Harden's discontentment and subsequent trade, along with a playoff sweep at the hands of the reviled Boston Celtics.

Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

Not to mention the fact that Ben Simmons' herniated disc in his back prevented him from playing a single game with the club and forced him to undergo surgery this off-season. 

All told, the Nets were a mess this past season.

Questions about Steve Nash's rotations, offensive philosophy and Sean Marks' roster construction around his two superstars are mounting.

The honeymoon period with Durant and Irving as the faces of the franchise is reaching a crossroads. The Nets have failed to get out of the second round of the playoffs, produced a 7-9 playoff record and one series win in two seasons.

Pre-order TODAY: A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn

This is unacceptable for a franchise with championship aspirations. Durant is all about basketball, but Irving's absences call into question his commitment to the team and whether the extension he's expected to sign this summer will include incentives to ensure he remains available for games. Even with those type of stipulations, Irving has shown he's willing to pass up millions of dollars in game checks to do what's in his own best interest.

Marks built an enviable culture in Brooklyn before Irving and Durant arrived and the team needs to get back to that. The Nets executive intimated that any major moves will be discussed with his stars, but at the end of the day, the Nets played 52 seasons before the duo arrived and play will go on long after they retire.

The reality is the Nets need retool the team's complementary pieces and keep everyone on the court this upcoming season. Brooklyn made headlines for all the wrong reasons this past year, now is the time to start fulfilling championship promises. No more honeymoon, it's make or break time in a marriage between the Nets and Irving and Durant that's been littered with issues, some out of their control, but many self-inflicted.

 Personal milestones and highlight reel plays are ahead for the dynamic duo, but at the end of the day, the success of this era of Nets'basketball will only be measured by playoff success, more specifically championships.


New Nets History Book reveals untold story of how franchise landed in Brooklyn



Nets fans can now pre-order the new book: A History of the Nets, From Teaneck to Brooklyn on Amazon today! CLICK HERE to Pre-order Today!

The Book is set to hit bookstores July 11 throughout the New York metropolitan area, but why wait? Preorder your copy today!

 CLICK HERE to Pre-order Today!


BOOK DESCRIPTION:

  The Nets have led a wandering existence spanning over five decades since their founding. The team has been known as the New Jersey Americans, the New York Nets, the New Jersey Nets and now Brooklyn Nets, while constantly relocating throughout the New York metropolitan area.

Though often plagued by instability and futility, the franchise has celebrated seminal moments in the course of ABA and NBA history. Julius Erving's legendary play led the team to a pair of ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. The meteoric rise of European superstar Drazen Petrovic with the Nets starting in 1991 followed by his tragic death in 1993 is etched into basketball fans' hearts and minds worldwide. CLICK HERE to Pre-order Today!

Jason Kidd's iconic grit steered New Jersey to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003.The untold story of how a call from the late-NBA commissioner David Stern to the Nets President paved the way for the team's move to Brooklyn.  Author Rick Laughland charts the brutal lows and the exuberant highs throughout the history of the Nets.  

CLICK HERE to Pre-order Today!

No Sleep in Brooklyn tonight as KD, Kyrie swept out of playoffs by C's

The Nets were their own worst enemy at times this season and the dysfunction and disjointed nature of the club derailed a potential championship winning season. Tip your cap to the Boston Celtics for sweeping the Nets right out of the playoffs. Had Brooklyn kept its own house in order, things may have been vastly different. 

 A defiant Kyrie Irving put his personal beliefs over the priorities of the team and fans by refusing to comply with vaccine mandates, which was well within his rights by the way. James Harden jetted for Philadelphia after Durant went down as he didn't want to deal with a then-part-time Irving and clashed with Steve Nash over offensive philosophy. Kevin Durant missed significant time with a left MCL sprain, logging heavy minutes when healthy to make up for an ineligible Irving then overtaxing himself down the stretch to get the Nets in the best possible playoff situation. 

 Top to bottom, this Nets season was an unmitigated disaster, but a disaster that was preventable. Brooklyn needs to learn its lesson from a lost season and make sure history doesn't repeat itself. The reality is, another year of prime Durant and Irving is in the books without a title to show for it. 

With only a few more runs to make a title push, Brooklyn needs to get its house in order fast. The first order of business will be the free agent status Irving, who wants to remain with the Nets long-term. Next, will be examining whether Nash is the right man for the job, whose body of work so far leaves a lot to be desired. 

There's no sleep in Brooklyn tonight and Sean Marks and Joe Tsai will need to take a hard look in the mirror to retool a flawed by talented roster and shakeup a coaching staff that weathered adversity, but didn't bring out the team's potential.

Kevin Durant's turnover problems nothing new for Brooklyn

Kevin Durant has made 13 field goals on 41 attempts and 12 turnovers in the first two games against the Boston Celtics. Unsurprisingly, Brooklyn is down 0-2 and squandered a 3-point lead with 46 seconds remaining in Game 1 and a 17 point lead in Game 2. Durant has been outmuscled, knocked off his spots and flat out distributed thusfar. The turnover bug bit the Nets' star throughout the regular season. Whether it's the 43 different starting lineups Steve Nash has used this year, the rotating carousel of the supporting cast members, or simply dumb basketball, Durant is absorbing plenty of blame. Meanwhile his running mate, Kyrie Irving, followed up his masterful 39 point outing on Sunday with an eerily quiet 10-point game. Brooklyn's season is slipping away quickly and a perimeter oriented offense without wing players who attack the rim has left the team exposed. Brooklyn hosts Boston on Saturday looking to get its first win of the series.

Ben Simmons ruled out for Game 2, Nash leaves door open for Game 3 return

Ben Simmons is nearing a potential return. The former Sixer was cleared for contact and played 4 on 4 action on Monday. Simmons' next progression would be full 5-on-5 practice without any setbacks to be cleared to play. Brooklyn travels to take on Boston on Wednesday night and while Nash has all but ruled out Simmons for Game 2, it's appearing more and more likely that Game 3 at Barclays Center is a potential target for his return. The Nets are in dire need of a defender to help contain Jayson Tatum and Simmons is the perfect candidate to fill that team need. Brooklyn trails the series 0-1 after a gut wrenching buzzer beating loss on Sunday, courtesy of a Tatum game winning layup. While the Simmons news is encouraging, the Nets need to first equalize the series on Wednesday to avoid a 0-2 hole before Simmons can even take the court.

Nash needs to summon Nets' unused weapons off bench in Game 2

The Brooklyn Nets guard heavy lineups are nothing new for Steve Nash, but when it comes at the cost of letting a playoff game slip away, it raises eyebrows. LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin watched helplessly from the bench while undersized guards Patty Mills, Goran Dragic, Seth Curry and Bruce Brown were bludgeoned on the boards and manhandled by Boston's big men. Brooklyn was out rebounded 43-29 overall and 14 to 3 on the offensive glass with only Nicolas Claxton and Andre Drummond providing any presence in the paint. Not only did Nash opt for a small ball lineup, but he stuck with a switching defense putting grossly undersized defenders in compromising positions and allowing the Celtics second chance possessions. Despite these tactical flaws, the Nets could have and probably should have stolen the series opener. If Brooklyn hopes to turn the tide Wednesday in Game 2, Aldridge and Griffin will need to play a role in the defense and rebounding department. Nash has answers on his roster, but he'll need to summon them from his bench and trust his big men to make a tangible impact.

Kyrie Irving questions Elon Musk's future plans for Twitter

It's not unusual for Kyrie Irving or Elon Musk to be the focal point of the media's attention, but when both their paths cross in the public space, things reach an entirely new level. This week Musk made a $43 billion bid to buy Twitter, which raised eyebrows across the globe, including Irving's. Musk's supposed plans to privatize Twitter and put the future of the company entirely into the hands of shareholders has drawn concerns that profit, stock price and other factors will supercede freedom of speech. Big tech has been under fire for censoring and even banning certain public figures from joining the discourse on the free, public platform. Irving has been a major proponent of the free speech and advocate of social justice before and through tumultuous times amidst the pandemic. Irving is posing an interesting question regarding how a potential sale to Musk will impact any people with dissenting views, particularly those belonging to marginalized communities. Musk, a business leader and forward-thinking entrepreneur, and Irving, an otherworldly athlete and outspoken social justice advocate, bring intriguing, but contrasting world viewpoints that will hopefully create an open and healthy dialogue regarding big tech and censorship.

Nets cryptic tweet sends mixed messages about Ben Simmons' status

 Call in marketing, or call it a simple tease, but anyway you slice it, the Brooklyn Nets are not closing the door on Ben Simmons returning to action during the playoffs. The Nets tweeted out footage of Simmons shooting during practice at the HSS Training Center over the weekend. No, he's not participating in 1-on-1 or 5-on-5 drills, but the development is significant on the dawn of the playoffs.


Previously, head coach Steve Nash indicated he's not counting on Simmons returning in time for the play-in tournament, which begins next Tuesday or even the first round of the playoffs, assuming the Nets advance to that stage.

Brooklyn has been notoriously mum on the injury status of its players and only revealed within the last month that Simmons needed an epidural to calm down the herniated disc that was flaring up in his back.

It's difficult to say whether the Nets are playing cat and mouse games with the media and the rest of the NBA by tweeting out Simmons' progress, but it appears that both the player and the organization are not ruling out a potential return barring any setbacks. 


Report: NYC Mayor to lift vaccine mandate making Kyrie eligible to play at home




 New York City Mayor Eric Adams didn't show any signs publicly that he was ready to peel back the private sector vaccine mandate that prevented unvaccinated Kyrie Irving from playing at Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden.

According to Politico, Adams has reversed course and intends to lift the mandate, thereby allowing Irving and other unvaccinated professional athletes including Mets and Yankees players to play in NYC.




The reported decision comes approximately two weeks prior to the NBA playoffs starting and with optimism Irving would be eligible on a full-time basis at an all-time low in recent days.

The private sector mandate is reviewed Thursday each week and the official word is expected by tomorrow.

Brooklyn is two games back of Toronto for the seventh seed and three games back of Cleveland for sixth with ten games remaining.

The Nets have won five of the last six games and were hoping to avoid the play-in tournament and if the mandate is officially lifted, achieving the sixth seed with Irving fully in the fold is with their reach.


 

Nets wasting prime KD due to unvaxxed Kyrie, injured Simmons

 



None of us are getting any younger. The same can be said for superstar Kevin Durant who will turn 34 at the start of next season. Kyrie Irving, who is still unable to play, but can spectate at Barclays Center, is only available for road games not in Toronto or at MSG. 

Ben Simmons, who it was revealed this week has a herniated disc in his injured back, will need everything to go right in order to make a return in time for the playoffs.

Irving, 29, and Simmons, 25, are still approaching the prime of their respective careers. Durant, 33, is at the apex of his prime, arguably the league's best player and in dire need of his runningmates to be available and healthy for a championship pursuit.

While Durant signed with the club for five years, his commitment to Brooklyn is unwavering, but how long can he maintain his status as the NBA's premier player as he gets up into his mid-to-late 30's?

It's a question not enough people are asking and frankly, one Nets fans may wish to avoid addressing.

It's the 1,000 pound gorilla in the room, but any way you slice it, if the 2021-2022 campaign falls short of a title, it will be an utter disappointment and a lost season for the Nets and Durant.

Injuries have ravaged the Nets' current trio of stars and even impacted former Net James Harden throughout the regular season and last year's playoffs.

Harden's unofficial trade demand was a combination of factors including philosophical differences with Steve Nash, Irving's refusal to get vaccinated, and Durant being option 1 in the offense.

 Harden is ultimately in the place he wanted to be, Philadelphia, reunited with former GM Daryl Morey and teamed up with MVP candidate Joel Embid.

He left Durant and the Nets for greener pastures, but Brooklyn ultimately won the trade in perhaps the short term and long-term with a knockdown 3-point specialist in Seth Curry, a rebounding giant in Drummond and a budding star who became disenfranchised with his teammates and fans in Philadelphia in Simmons.

If the Nets ever put all the pieces together, the rest of the league will be put on notice, but with a part-time Irving and Simmons yet to practice, this could ultimately wind up being a lost season with prime Durant for the franchise.

Report: Ben Simmons has herniated disc in back, aims to play this season

 


Per Shams Charania in a report for The Athletic, Nets point guard Ben Simmons is nursing a herniated disc in his back that has kept him out of practice since Brooklyn acquired him in February.



Simmons received an epidural and the team is seeing how he responds to the treatment before ramping him up from individual drills then to full practice mode, and eventually game action.

Time is dwindling for the Nets to see their trio of stars take the court together, but another interesting nugget from Charania's report is that despite pubic comments by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to the contrary, internally and throughout the league, the expectation is the private sector mandate preventing Kyrie Irving from playing at Barclays Center will be peeled back in time for the playoffs.

Despite all these question marks, the Nets have the shortest odds to win the Eastern Conference at +300. The stars will literally need to align in Brooklyn and that needs to happen fast for those championship expectations to become a distinct reality.

Kyrie left fate of Nets' season up to nonsensical NYC mandate

 


Blame Eric Adams, New York City public officials or whomever you'd like for why unvaccinated Kyrie Irving can't play at Barclays Center but can attend as a fan, yet the reality is rules are rules.

No matter how nonsensical, arbitrary or not rooted in science the rules are, Irving and the Nets had to know his part-time eligibility was a likely scenario.

When Irving elected not to take an FDA approved vaccine that has flattened the COVID-19 pandemic curve significantly, he left the fate of his and the team's season up to local officials.

And, here we are, approaching the final ten games of the year with Irving's status still in limbo. The Nets even reversed course on their initial decision to preclude Irving from playing in games to start the year as a part-time player, only to allow him to return in January.

Irving had a personal choice to take the vaccine and he put his priorities ahead of the team's, the city's and the fan's. Any way you slice it, basketball is a team sport that calls for sacrifice in many regards, and while it would be acceptable if Irving had a medical it religious exemption, that is not the case.

Irving hasn't truly revealed the reason behind his unwillingness to get vaccinated except to say that he's doing it for the people who are losing their jobs for making the same choice.

Ironically, Mayor Adams fired approximately 1,400 city employees for not complying with local vaccine mandates and now everyone is clamoring to make an exception for Irving.

Is it fair to fire people living paycheck to paycheck for not getting vaccinated, while allowing Irving, a multimillionaire, generational talent to play for Brooklyn?

Absolutely not.

Irving had an opportunity to avoid this disastrous scenario, but made an unpopular choice that he and the team are now bearing consequences of.

In a pandemic that has taken the lives of millions worldwide and there's little room for pity and empathy in Irving's case.


KD, Kyrie first teammates to set long-standing NBA record



 When the Brooklyn Nets signed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant back in the summer of 2019, they could only dream of how great both superstars would be together on the same team.

This past Sunday afternoon against the Knicks, Durant dazzled with 53 points on 19 of 37 from the court. It was hard to imagine that his running mate, Irving, could top those special numbers, but boy did the Nets' point guard show out in Orlando.

Irving notched 41 at halftime and 60 for the game, shattering the old franchise mark set by Deron Williams in February of 2010.

The duo of Irving and Durant became the first teammates to score 50-plus in back to back games in NBA history.

 Steve Nash took Irving out with 8:30 remaining in the fourth and his team blowing out the Magic by nearly 30 points.

Irving was wildly efficient from the field, going 20 of 31 overall and 8 of 12 from 3-point range.

Irving became the 32nd player in NBA history to score 60 or more points in a game. 

Most importantly, the Nets have now won four in a row and sit three games in the loss column behind seventh seeded Toronto and four behind sixth seeded Cleveland.

With 13 games left, Irving is only eligible for three games with the private sector mandate absurdly prohibiting him from playing at Barclays Center, but allowing him to attend as a fan.

Irving's availability for future home games will be among the most major developments impacting the Nets' pursuit of a title.

Nets' over reliance on KD's brilliance is a troubling sign

 



When you have arguably the greatest scorer of the modern era on your team, it's easy to see why teammates give him the ball and let him cook.

And Kevin Durant was cooking with gas on Sunday afternoon against the Knicks as he poured in 53 points at Barclays Center.

Durant's jaw dropping play cements him as the league's premier player and had he not missed significant time with a sprained MCL in his left knee, he'd be the leading candidate for MVP.

Among all the superlatives to describe Durant's game, the rest of the Nets' utter reliance on him to singlehandedly carry the team to victory is not a sustainable formula moving forward.

Look no further into the past than the 2021 NBA semifinal playoffs against the Bucks. Without Kyrie Irving and a banged up Harden hobbling around the final three games, Durant scored 49 in Game 5 and 48 in Game 7 to put his undermanned team with tenths of an inch from advancing.

Brooklyn's offense was stagnant for large stretches of that series as teammates merely ball watched Durant and aside from Jeff Green were somewhat non-existent.

To beat the NBA's elite clubs in the playoffs, the Nets, and specifically Steve Nash, can't only hitch his wagon to Durant's hero ball, but need to be clicking on all cylinders to make a championship a reality.

At 33 years of age, Durant is still in his prime, but heavy minutes and even heavier usage rates are going to tire out even the most highly conditioned athlete.

Nash and company can count on Durant to carry them for stretches of games, particularly in the clutch moments, but Brooklyn needs a more balanced attack the rest of the regular season and playoffs if it hopes up achieve its ultimate goal.