Nets Insider Videos


Warriors show Nets what a true championship team looks like

 The Brooklyn Nets got a wake-up call on Tuesday night in their 117-99 loss to the Golden State Warriors.





Steph Curry's 37 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists  outdueled Kevin Durant's 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while James Harden led the Nets in scoring with 24.

Curry and company blew the doors off Brooklyn by outscoring them 35-18 in the third quarter and made the fourth quarter a mere formality.

The Nets sorely missed the scoring punch that Kyrie Irving would have brought to this marquee regular season matchup, but are coming to grips with the fact they'll have a long way to go before calling themselves true contenders.

The Nets are winless against the NBA's most formidable clubs, including Milwaukee, Chicago, Miami, and now Golden State.




Steve Nash understands that Kyrie Irving won't be walking through the doors at Barclays Center anytime soon, so if the Nets are looking for answers, they can't wait for outside help, but merely get their own house in order.

Curry pulled ahead of Durant in the early MVP race and the Warriors left Brooklyn in the dust in what many anticipated could be an NBA Finals preview.



Nets climb league rankings by refusing to wait for Irving to walk through the doors



Kevin Durant has been otherworldly and James Harden has created scoring plays for others, but the play of Brooklyn's new additions has as much to do with the team's current three game winning streak as anything.

LaMarcus Aldridge is automatic from the mid-range, Patty Mills is finding his long range touch as the former Spurs duo in impressing in early season action. The Nets roster is littered with All-Stars, but these are no one trick ponies. Mills brings defense on the perimeter along with Jevon Carter, while Aldridge and Paul Millsap hold down the paint and clean the glass.

Even without Kyrie Irving, the Nets are actually a more well rounded team than last year, even though defense and rebounding are continuously areas where they can and need to improve in.

As for Harden, he has not been his attack dog self as he spent the majority of the off-season rehabbing his hamstring with little live game action or practice under his belt to this point.

Harden can no longer benefit from touch fouls on the perimeter that he once turned into trips at the line with flailing shooting motions and rip moves. Nonetheless, Harden's lack of free throws attempts and scarcity of points in the paint are more a product of a player looking to regain his pre injury explosiveness and get into game shape than the impact the new rules have on his mindset.

The Nets are showing once again they're a force to be reckoned with whether Irving is in the picture or not.

Nets facing reality that they're simply not title contenders without Kyrie Irving



 Amidst a 2-3 start to the season, the Nets have suffered double digit losses to Milwaukee, Charlotte and Miami that have been downright ugly.

Brooklyn can't hold its collective breath hoping Kyrie Irving walks through the doors at Barclays Center anytime soon, but the Nets championship hopes hinge on that exact scenario.

There's no sense in overreacting to merely five games in a 82 game season, but Brooklyn hasn't shown the makings of a team fit to finish atop the Eastern Conference. 

In fact, James Harden is still navigating his way in the new age of NBA officiating. Harden is accustomed to being rewarded with trips to the free throw line by initiating contact with defenders by way of unnatural shooting motion or unorthodox drives to the basket.

Kevin Durant has been Kevin Durant, but if last year's playoff showed anything, even the world's best player can't carry the weight of a franchise on his shoulders alone.

Irving has made the best decision for himself and for his family, but as for his Nets family and adoring fans, the point guard is leaving the team hanging.

The Nets can't count on Irving changing his stance on the vaccine, but anything short of him returning to the club via a change in mandates or change of heart and mind will leave Brooklyn searching for answers in his absence.

Sean Marks whiffed on promised contract extensions for Irving, Harden

 



Sean Marks rarely speaks out of pocket, but this summer when he expected both Kyrie Irving and James Harden to accept contract extension offers before training camp, it had Nets fans giddy.

Brooklyn went to and from San Diego for training camp without so much as a deal. Harden said all the right things regarding his future with the Nets, but instead of putting pen to paper, the shooting guard wants to focus on his team's championship goals and enjoy the ride this season.

Harden has never truly been a free agent and stands to net a lucrative deal even if he remains with the Nets as he intends.

As for Irving, he was a no show during Nets Media day due to failing to meet vaccine requirements. The floor general joined via Zoom to shed light on his unvaccinated status which at the time of this article remains unchanged.

Irving was originally allowed to play in the team's road games and Brooklyn found a loophole to allow him to practice with the club at HSS Training facility since it was considered a private facility. 

After Marks, Steve Nash and Joe Tsai met to discuss Irving's situation, it was determined they would not allow a part-time player on the roster. Thus, Irving remains away from the team with reports that a trade or retirement could potentially be looming despite him rebuffing these claims.

Marks had several things out of control develop after he issued an encouraging declaration that the Nets big three would be signed, sealed and delivered by training camp.  The GM usually carefully measures his words regarding player contracts, injuries, and roster decisions, but Marks got caught counting his chicks before they hatched in this situation.


Nets need to prepare like Kyrie Irving won't be with team this season



Kyrie Irving's vaccination status has been the focus on fans and media, but the Brooklyn Nets can't let this situation distract the team.

It's easier said than done as now Irving has left his teammates to answer questions for him as to when and if he may rejoin the team on a full-time basis.

Irving is no stranger to disappearing as he took a personal leave of absence, that was not excused by the team last season and has shown no signs he'll comply with local regulations in New York requiring anyone entering a public venue to prove they're vaccinated.

At the end of the day, it's Irving's decision to make, but the Nets have championship aspirations. Whether it's with him or without him, Brooklyn has unfinished business and getting caught up in the hoopla surrounding Irving is going to detract from the terrific roster Sean Marks has assembled and the likely prospect the Nets will be the title favorites.

As other cities impose similar regulations to New York City and Canada issuing strict orders for unvaccinated players from out of town, Irving may pay a steep price and will miss significant time if he continues down this course.

NBA GM's vote this team as most likely to win NBA Finals

 



The Brooklyn Nets are the odds on favorites to win the 2022 NBA Finals, according to a recent survey of the league's general managers.

It shouldn't come as an overall shock with the overwhelming amount of talent showcased on Brooklyn's roster.



Kyrie Irving's availability and the team staying healthy appear to be the two major concerns heading into the season.

Littered with veteran talent from top to bottom,  the Nets earned the respect of front office executives and they'll soon have an opportunity to prove they're worthy of this distinction.


Kyrie Irving's vaccine status will become more clear on Tuesday

 


The Brooklyn Nets completed their training camp trip to San Diego and will return to Brooklyn for practice on Tuesday. If Kyrie Irving is among the participants, which at this point appears unlikely, Nets fans would get the answer they were hoping for that the team's point guard indeed complies with local vaccine requirements in New York. 

The more likely scenario is that Irving will not participate with the rest of his teammates for the opening of home practices on Tuesday at HSS Center in Brooklyn. 

A recent ESPN report suggested that nearly 95 percent of all NBA players are vaccinated, but the outliers in big names Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins and Irving are still not part of that group. 

Brooklyn is two weeks away from opening night in Milwaukee, for which Irving would be eligible to play, but with limited practice time with his new teammates outside of Kevin Durant and James Harden. 

The Nets  quest for a title starts with the team that ousted them out of the playoffs last season as the Bucks will receive their championship rings on NBA's Opening Night, October 19th. 

Irving's vaccine status and lack of contract extensions for both him and Harden remain the talking point of the national media.  Instead, the main focus and storylines should center on the team trying to reach its a first NBA Finals in 19 years and capturing the franchise's first ever Larry O'Brien Trophy. 

Kyrie Irving will officially pay a hefty price for missing games in his local market




Kyrie Irving is backed into a corner. The presumably unvaccinated guard will not just be precluded from playing in all regular season home games missed, which would amount to all 41, including two games played at Madison Square Garden, but he would forgo his game check entirely.

Irving is due $33.3 million this year and would relinquish part of that for refusing to comply with New York City mandates and the newly imposed NBA penalty that will dock players pay.

The NBA is playing hardball with regards to vaccine requirements and while the NBAPA has rebuffed the idea of a vaccine mandate, this course of action by the league is forcing its players' hands.

Irving hasn't ruled out the idea of joining his teammates for activities in Brooklyn at some point, but the latest step by the NBA has drawn a line in the sand.

Things will get very interesting from here on out, because we'll see if Irving stays steadfast in his anti-vaccine beliefs or whether the hefty price he'll have to pay will be enough to convince him to comply with local vaccine mandates in New York.

David Letterman's humorous exchange with KD served alternative purpose for Nets




 The Brooklyn Nets are a shrewd organization from top to bottom. So, when former late host made an appearance at Nets' Media Day with a noteworthy humorous exchange with Kevin Durant, his presence was as much a public relations stunt as it was anything.

While Kyrie Irving's vaccination status was a major talking point among fans and pundits, having Letterman pose as a reporter and eat into time dedicated to Durant's presser helped take some of the heat off the Nets' star left to answer for his absent teammates.



With the media somewhat disarmed by Letterman's dry humor, that video went viral and served as a distraction to the difficult reality that Irving appears willing to miss home games and practices in light of New York City's vaccine mandate.

You have to give a tip of the cap to Nets' PR because on a day that was nothing short of a disappointment for many Brooklyn fans, SportsCenter and many digital platforms featured the light hearted moment to create a positive story around the team.

It's the oldest public relations trick in the book, create a misdirection and inviting a celebrity to media day accomplished exactly that. Letterman was one of the stars of the show, but didn't entirely overshadow Irving's frustration situation. At least it provided cheerful moments for what will be a complicated conundrum for the team to navigate.

Kyrie Irving doesn't want to be a 'distraction' to Nets, but that's exactly what he is

 



Kyrie Irving made an appearance at Nets' Media Day, but it was via Zoom and not in person since he still remains unvaccinated.

Brooklyn's floor general insisted that he wanted to make things a private matter, and asked the media and fans to respect his privacy.

Irving declined to comment on his vaccination status or availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn this upcoming season.



The Nets' point guard indicated that he didn't want to serve as a distraction to the team, but the fact that his vaccination status has been the main storyline of the day and not the team chasing a title is evidence enough that it is indeed a distraction.

Reading between the lines, it's clear that Irving is still unvaccinated, but he's also the vice president of the NBA's Player Association with significant klout and influence over matters related to the league.

The NBAPA has declined a proposed league mandate on vaccines while New York City and San Francisco vaccine mandates supersede anything the league has in place.

From the sound of it, it appears Irving is willing to sit out home games and remain unvaccinated, but he's clearly fighting behind the scenes to revise eligibility for unvaccinated players.

Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver can't influence lawmakers in both cities to reverse course or amend the mandate, so it appears both sides are dug in and at this point Irving's availability will be a major distraction throughout the season, at least until a resolution is put in place.

Member of Nets' Big Three gives verbal commitment to stay in Brooklyn long-term




 Sean Marks has had conversations with James Harden and Kyrie Irving about inking long-term extensions to remain in Brooklyn, and the former appears committed to bringing a title to the organization and willing to commit long-term.

Harden's comments put Nets' fans minds at ease regarding his future with the club, and while a long-term extension has yet to be officially reached, the team's top playmakers don't appear to be going anywhere else anytime soon.

Harden dubbed the Nets' big three as "Scary hours" last season and with a fortified bench stockpiled with grizzled veterans, he's now updated that label to, "Scarier Hours."

The cliffhanger for the organization is the free agent statuses of Irving and Harden, so it's fresh on Nets'fans minds.

Irving's availability for home games and practices in Brooklyn is a major storyline as New York City's vaccine requirements preclude him from participating in events at Barclays Center and HSS Training Center.

On a day where Irving's resistance to the vaccine remains a hot button issue, Harden's verbal commitment creates positive vibes around Nets Media Day.



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)