With his team struggling to find an identity and its way without Durant, Marks will need to be active ahead of the trade deadline if he hopes to contend with the top clubs in the East.Who says no?? #netsworld #nets #nba pic.twitter.com/v1MqK7WqPz
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) January 13, 2023
Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai set forth six steps that Irving needed to take to be reinstated with the club.🤞🏾♾
— Hélà (@KyrieIrving) November 9, 2022
Assuming Irving satisfied those requirements, he will be eligible to play after serving is five game suspension.Sources: Nets have delivered Kyrie Irving six items he must complete to return to team:
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 6, 2022
- Apologize/condemn movie
- $500K donation to anti-hate causes
- Sensitivity training
- Antisemitic training
- Meet with ADL, Jewish leaders
- Meet with Joe Tsai to demonstrate understanding
Doug Bearak
The Brooklyn Nets are making it impossible for even their own fan base to tolerate their complete chaos.
Steve Nash and the club mutually agreed to part ways on Tuesday, while former assistant Ime Udoka has been reportedly finalizing a deal with the team.
This comes on the heels of the bombshell report two months ago from the Celtics that Udoka had an consensual relationship with a female employee in Boston. Not many details have emerged from the report, but many believe it's a lot messier and uglier than it looks.
Before the Nets could complete damage control with Kyrie Irving, who took to Twitter and Instagram to promote a film based on a book with anti-semitic tropes, a coaching change was made.
Attention #Nets fans the preseason opener is upon us! Catch up on 55 years of the franchise's journey from Teaneck to Brooklyn! Message us for a signed author copy! #nba #NetsWorld #netslevel pic.twitter.com/qNtHG1ZgGf
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) October 3, 2022
Nash is out, Udoka is reportedly in and Irving is so far off scott free after double down on his support for a film that promotes hate speech.
It's the latest in a Brooklyn fiasco with Irving at the center of it all. In the interim, Jacque Vaughn has been named the interim head coach starting when the Nets host the Bulls Tuesday night.
To make matters worse, Ben Simmons will miss his second straight game after suffering an apparent knee injury. Since Irving and Durant's arrival, the Nets have been without a title and filled with drama, causing more headaches than triumphant moments for fans.
Things have been an on unmitigated disaster since 2019, so can you even blame Nets fans for turning their backs on this laughing stock of a franchise?
Without making any excuses for Steve Nash, who is entering his third year as Nets head coach, injuries, vaccine compliance and players in and out of the lineup have all been commonplace in Brooklyn since his arrival.
Brooklyn will need to find a happy medium where it can manage its stars minutes, but build enough cohesion as an overall unit to form a powerful team.Attention #Nets fans the preseason opener is upon us! Catch up on 55 years of the franchise's journey from Teaneck to Brooklyn! Message us for a signed author copy! #nba #NetsWorld #netslevel pic.twitter.com/qNtHG1ZgGf
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) October 3, 2022
Durant was overtaxed last season without Kyrie Irving for large chunks of the year and then James Harden after he jetted out of town.
The 34 year old Durant will need enough run with new teammates, but enough rest to stay fresh for a playoff push.
Irving has also shown to be an injury prone player and was a shell of his former self in the playoffs when conditioning and fatigue impacted his performance beyond the play-in game and Game 1 against the Celtics.
The delicate balance will be a challenge for Nash as he'll also have a trio of veterans rehabbing their respective injuries in Joe Harris, Seth Curry and T.J. Warren.
Brooklyn may need to play deep into their bench in the early season until the big guns are fully healthy.
So while Nets fans want to see the fully healthy and committed version of this club playing day in and day out, Nash and Marks will certainly keep an eye on the biggest picture, that being keeping his stars healthy, but conditioned enough to compete for a championship come playoff time.
Not much can be gleaned from NBA preseason action, unless of course certain things are completely egregious.
Tuesday night's 127-108 loss against the majority of Philadelphia's backups falls into the latter category.
With James Harden and Joel Embiid watching in street clothes, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and a cast of reserves severely outplayed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris and Nic Claxton in the first quarter.
Attention #Nets fans the preseason opener is upon us! Catch up on 55 years of the franchise's journey from Teaneck to Brooklyn! Message us for a signed author copy! #nba #NetsWorld #netslevel pic.twitter.com/qNtHG1ZgGf
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) October 3, 2022
After going down 42-26 at the end of the first frame, Brooklyn showed some life in the second quarter, but a disjointed offense and lack of close-outs on defense put the Nets in a massive early hole they couldn't overcome.
The only flashes on brilliance came during the times the Nets were able to get defensive stops to produce easy transition points.
But as far as half court offense and defensive rotations are concerned, Steve Nash's fingerprints were absent from the on-court product.
There have already been rumblings about Nash's job security this season and if the team continues this trend in the preseason and into the regular season, changes could be coming sooner than later in Brooklyn.
Durant's trade request this past June was made in part based on Nash's decision-making last season, Sean Marks' roster maneuvering and the overall trajectory of the franchise. Things cannot continue to go down this course because if they do, either Nash will be on the chopping block or Durant may ask out yet again.
Be careful what you tweet about Kevin Durant because he might just reply and roast you in front of a massive audience.
The Nets superstar took aim at a few random Twitter accounts nitpicking his place among NBA greats.
Can’t ask mediocre people about legendary activities… https://t.co/jmb7eIj7Q2
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 3, 2022
The chatter didn't stop there as Durant made a point of putting mere mortals in their rightful place yet again.Attention #Nets fans the preseason opener is upon us! Catch up on 55 years of the franchise's journey from Teaneck to Brooklyn! Message us for a signed author copy! #nba #NetsWorld #netslevel pic.twitter.com/qNtHG1ZgGf
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) October 3, 2022
If I think ima legend. Ima legend. It’s really that simple lol https://t.co/Y1oqed5Spk
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 3, 2022
Durant is notorious for mixing it up with trolling fans on Twitter and while the Nets' leader is a surefire Hall of Famer, he's not all that thin-skinned when it comes to criticism.
Well, stop questioning me https://t.co/cyOnbJoTXa
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) October 3, 2022
As a public figure in the most esteemed basketball league in the planet, criticism is part of the job description.
Durant can push back on all the casuals as much as he wants, but his play and the Nets' performance this year is the only thing that will ultimately impact his legacy.
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
The aggravating part about the whole scenario is that the week long drama sidetracked the front office from addressing other important components of the team's roster. Brooklyn still holds Bird Rights to Bruce Brown and Nicholas Claxton, thereby matching any team's offer, if Tsai is willing to go above the luxury tax threshold. There are a few free agent targets that make sense for the Nets, as they try to get more athletic wings and bigs that can play both sides of the floor. PJ Tucker, Otto Porter Jr and Gary Payton II are top of mind as unrestricted free agents. Andre Drummond is an unrestricted free agent and the Nets will need to determine whether he fits into the team's plans for this season. One star player who's been linked to the Nets is John Collins. Atlanta will likely command either Joe Harris or Nicholas Claxton with a combination of draft picks to make things work. It's never been more apparent than now that the Nets championship window is here and now. With Irving committed, or so we think, to the team for this upcoming season, Marks will earn his paycheck and make up for a subpar 2021-22 off-season with additional roster manuevering to position t.he team for a legitimate title run .A History of the Nets-From Teaneck to Brooklyn, coming out July 11! Order your signed author copy for $30 today! Send us a DM @NetsHistory w/ your email address & ship address, and you can take home a piece of @BrooklynNets History! #netsworld #nba #netslevel #nets #Kyrie #bklyn pic.twitter.com/lf3i076KtQ
— Nets Insider (@NetsHistory) June 27, 2022
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.
Super teams never seem to settle well with fans. From Miami's big three, to Golden State and now Brooklyn, no one roots for Goliath.
The Brooklyn Nets are fully loaded with a plethora of star talent, but what rubs fans the wrong way about this club?
Is it how James Harden forced his way out of Houston and showed up out of shape and unwilling to play for the franchise?
As for Kevin Durant, was joining a 73-win Warrior team enough to annoy most? How about unceremoniously leaving the Bay Area in the middle of a potential dynasty? Or to add insult to injury, joining forces with Kyrie Irving and Harden in Brooklyn?
Irving all but mailed it in during his time in Boston and showed every inclination to join his childhood team in the Nets and bring a first ever championship to the franchise.
With a littany of reasons to despise how this Nets team has come together and the polarizing nature of each star's personality, Brooklyn is an easy target for those still drinking the hater-ade.
Whatever the case may be, the collection of basketball prowess Sean Marks somehow collected out of thin air is nothing short of astonishing.
The Nets are the talk of the NBA world and the benchmark by which every other team is measured.
For the first time in their NBA history, the Nets are the team with the bullseye on their back.
The club that catches the vitriol and animosity of fans of the other 29 teams, is the odds on favorite for a title. The heavyweights are primed to knockout the competition, much to the chagrin of the viewing public.
The Nets have 44 combined All-Star appearances on the roster with marquee names like James Harden, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap headlining a fantasy basketball lineup.
All this is fine and well, but if the Nets fall short of a championship as they did a season ago, they'll be alongside the likes of the 2015-2016 Warriors, the 2003-2004 Lakers, the 1992-1993 Suns and the 2017-2018 Rockets as immensely talented squads that all go in the history books for all the wrong reasons.
Brooklyn needs a clean bill of health with Harden and Irving missing portions of last year's playoff run and Steve Nash needs to show a willingness to go into his newly rebuilt and more experienced bench when things get tight during the playoff run.
Aside from the Dream Team and All-star teams, the Nets could go toe to toe with any club from any era. Time Will tell whether this club delivers on a championship promise, but if one thing is for certain, Brooklyn's talent level is otherworldly and rightfully make it the team to beat heading into the 2021-2022 campaign.
Flash forward ten years and adding a pair of 36-year-olds even to a star-studded roster doesn't nearly have the same impact.
Brooklyn had a glaring weakness in regards to the quality depth of its front court last season and that was no more evident than by their second round ousting at the hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Aldridge, a seven-time All-Star and Millsap a four timer have all the credentials to step in and make an immediate impact with the franchise.The concern and question marks revolve around the mileage and age on both players and how much they'll be able to bring to the table.
Sean Marks and Steve Nash will likely employ heavy load management to Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, but how will they handle the minutes from the newly signed veterans?
During the playoffs, the versatile big men will provide a boost in the rebounding and inside scoring department, but depending on the matchup, teams can utilize small ball lineups that would likely force Aldridge to the bench.
Raining on the Nets free agency parade isn't the goal, but age and minutes restrictions during the regular season may minimize the duo's impact along with potential playoff opponents' pace of play and utilization of a small ball lineup to negate Nash using frontcourt depth.
In May of 2021, Lin hinted at his retirement from the NBA after playing for the Warriors G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors. The cultural icon took his talents to Beijing at the start of this year too serve as the Ducks starting floor general.Beijing Ducks player @JLin7 has been discharged from a hospital in #Shanghai on Thursday upon recovery from #COVID19. Lin thanked all of the “brave” medical staff in a Weibo post and said he is “so touched” and “very healthy.” Lin is currently quarantined in a hotel. pic.twitter.com/kbJGZ5sx9q
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) September 2, 2021
Extending Kevin Durant, and with likely extensions for James Harden along Kyrie Irving are major factors for why Brooklyn's bunch is above the rest of the pack. Signing Patti Mills, James Johnson, drafting the 2021 rookie class' premier scorer in Cam Thomas, and re-signing Blake Griffin add to Sean Marks already sterling resume. The health of the Nets big three will be the major storyline throughout the year and ultimately determine if they'll remain on top at season's end. Depth in the front court with DeAndre Jordan's future with the club murky at best is another hole Marks will have to fill. As far talent, continuity, and overall lethal scoring capability, the Nets are head and shoulders above the rest of the league. With a full off-season to recoup from a playoff run derailed by injuries, Durant, Irving, Harden and company will be extra motivated to claim what they believe should have been theirs if they were healthy last season.Following the draft and free agency, the Nets sit at the top of our NBA Power Rankings.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 23, 2021
Check out the full list here ➡️ https://t.co/zU413JQdeL pic.twitter.com/Tb4pYDIxrD
urther, on the verge of agreeing to long-term deals should excite Nets fans. With the trio of stars in the fold for the foreseeable future, Brooklyn maintains its status as an Eastern Conference powerhouse. Harden and Irving are fully recovered from injuries suffered during the Milwaukee playoff and have revenge on their minds with the regular season two months away.Harden has to opt-in to his 2022-23 contract and extend for an additional 3 seasons.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 11, 2021
The first year of an extension cannot be less than the option year that is declined. https://t.co/UzIpSJiKsg
Durant, 32, Harden, 31, and Irving, 29, are in the prime of their careers and more than willing to sacrifice their personal accolades for the betterment of the team.Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant plans to sign a four-year, $198 million contract extension sometime after he becomes eligible on Saturday, @RichKleiman tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 6, 2021
For more on the deal, go to @Boardroom: https://t.co/99HDz3oVik
The Nets are notorious for keeping contract talks and injury updates under wraps, but the fact that not even a single report has surfaced that Sean Marks is actively involved in discussions to extend Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden is mildly alarming.
All three players hold player options following the upcoming NBA season and while fans fully expect them to be back in Brooklyn on long term extensions, having that loose end hanging out there throughout the 2021-2022 campaign is less than ideal. It would be the backdrop to the team's championship pursuit and force three players who aren't exactly media darlings into answer questions time and time again about their futures.
While Durant is pursuing a Gold Medal with Team USA in Tokyo, Irving and a svelte Harden are in the lab and making use of a full off-season, Marks will need to get their ears and find a mutually beneficial deal to agree to.
Owner Joe Tsai has shown a willingness to spend into the luxury tax and that will be a reality if the Big Three remain in the borough for the foreseeable future.
The Nets have a championship window with three of the top 7 players in the NBA and need to capitalize on the situation as much as possible. Marks can't take his eye off the eight ball now as inking his top playmakers needs to be a top priority before the season starts.
to solidify his status as an all-time great by putting a trophy in his case. Injuries are part of the game, and this is no slight to either the Suns or the Bucks, but they did not face fully healthy opponents on their way to the championship round.