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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.



LeBron James objects to NYC's mandate impacting Kyrie




LeBron James and Kyrie Irving didn't exactly have a storybook ending together in Cleveland, but that didn't stop the Lakers superstar from siding with his former teammate.

Lots has been made regarding the hypocrisy of New York City's private business vaccine mandate that allows Irving to attend Barclays Center as a fan but not play in games.



 James is calling it how he sees it regardless of how is personal relationship with Irving deteriorated in his final season alongside him in Cleveland and in the years since both of their departures.

At the end of the day, the inconsistencies with the mandate are a bit mind numbing, but the situation is within Irving's control if he were to reverse course and comply with the vaccine mandate. 

James has a huge sphere of influence in the NBA, but it's unlikely the league will change its stance and allow Nets' owner Joe Tsai to simply pay fines and allow Irving to play.

Something has to give in a predicament where either side doesn't appear to be ready to blink.


NYC Mayor sends brutally honest message to Kyrie Irving, Nets

 



For those who thought New York City Mayor Eric Adams, an admitted Brooklyn Nets fan, would loosen the vaccine mandate to pave the way for Kyrie Irving to return full-time, that scenario appears less and less likely.

Making a public appearance to unveil a $2.2 million renovation at Saratoga Park in Brooklyn, Adams responded to a heckler in attendance that implored him to allow Kyrie Irving to play.



"Listen, Kyrie can play tomorrow. Get vaccinated," Adams fired back at the heckler.

As we all know, Irving has shown zero willingness to even discuss his rationale for not getting vaccinated, nevertheless take the vaccine. Irving has made a choice, but now he as well as his teammates and Nets fans need to deal with the consequences.

Something has to give. The Nets host the Knicks on Sunday as Irving will be eligible to sit in the stands, but not play on the court. The mandates were rightfully put into place to avoid community spread, but it's impossible to ignore the hypocrisy that Irving can sit as a fan in his own arena and practice at the team's facility, but not play in a game.

There are 15 games left in the season, only four more Irving is eligible for before the playoffs.

Irving is expected to sit courtside for Sunday's matinee matchup at Barclays Center between the Knicks and Nets.

Unless Adams reverses course in a hurry, there's no sign Irving's part-time status will be changing anytime soon.

Absurd NYC vaccine mandate allows Irving to sit courtside, but not play



 The COVID-19 pandemic is no joking matter. Let me say this upfront. As the virus enters an endemic phase of community spread, cities across the country are loosening and removing vaccine restrictions.

New York City has a pseudo-loosening of certain mandates, but in the case of Kyrie Irving, who still remains unvaccinated, he's still precluded from playing at Barclays Center or MSG as a player, but as of March 7 is now allowed to attend as a fan. In fact, Irving was spotted at Duke's conference tournament at Barclays on Saturday taking in the action from the stands.

Look we all know the 1,000 pound gorilla in the room. Irving could have made things easy on himself, his teammates and fans, by simply opting to take the vaccination. If this was the case, perhaps James Harden is still a Net and Brooklyn isn't vying for a spot in the play-in tournament.

But alas, Irving is staying steadfast in his choice, one that he rightfully has, but with it comes consequences in the form of public backlash, fines for not complying and perhaps most importantly of all, not joining his vaccinated teammates on a full-time basis in a pursuit for a title.

Former Mayor Bill deBlasio instituted the KeytoNYC vaccine mandate to minimize community spread of the virus. The hypocrisy of some of the rules within the legislation are being exposed as Irving is as much a threat to spread the virus to attendees at the game as a fan as he is as a player on the court.

Current NYC Mayor Eric Adams laid off approximately 1,400 city employees just last month, individuals who took Irving's exact stance regarding vaccination. So now the optics wouldn't look particularly great for the mayor to reverse course and allow a basketball player to resume playing and get paid, while hard working city employees lost their jobs. It's a predicament that Irving and the Nets find themselves in with the playoffs around the corner.

The fate of the Brooklyn Nets season rests at the hands of NYC politicians instead of within the control of coaches and players in the locker room. Irving's status is one to keep a close eye on over the next two weeks.



Healthy Simmons, full-time Irving only a pipe dream for Nets

 


With only 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Brooklyn Nets are hopeful a heck of a lot will come together in a short period of time.

Kyrie Irving is only eligible for four more games, assuming there are no changes to New York City's workplace vaccine mandate, and Ben Simmons has yet to practice fully. Irving is almost certainly not willing to take the vaccine and Simmons has been working with the training staff to nurse his aching back.

Simmons needs to clear several hurdles before he can even consider returning to the NBA court. The Nets' newly acquired point guard will need to progress from light court work, to 1-on-1 drills, then 3-on-3, followed by full 5-on-5 practices.

Simmons is merely at the first stage of a four phase process with the regular season window shrinking fast.

Granted, if Simmons and Irving take the floor together on a full-time basis, this will put the rest of the league on notice. Yet, if you've followed the Nets closely over the last few years, many of those 'what if scenarios' relating to the health and availability of the team's stars often doesn't come to fruition.

A lot can change in a week, but the stars will need to align from a health and COVID-19 protocol standpoint for Brooklyn to enter the playoffs fully loaded.

Even if the pieces fall into place to make that happen, the Nets are currently slated to travel to Toronto for a seven versus eight seed play-in game, in a city where Irving will not be eligible regardless of NYC loosen its restrictions.

Should the Nets survive that scenario by either beating Toronto or winning the do or die game to secure the eighth seed, a team like Milwaukee or Philadelphia could be well rested awaiting Brooklyn's arrival.

A path to a championship is still visible, but the basketball Gods will need to be on the Nets' side for a change  to make that a reality.



KD, Irving silence hostile Philly crowd in Simmons'return


James Harden's decision to jump ship on the Brooklyn Nets back in February isn't one Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving will soon forget.

In fact, Brooklyn's dynamic duo combined for 47, while former Sixer Seth Curry dropped 24 in a dominating 129-100 wire to wire win.

On the losing side, Harden went 3-17 for just 11 points, while Embid led Philly in scoring with 27 on 5 for 17 from the field.

Irving, not known for his defensive prowess, dialed up the pressure on Harden with stifling play by limiting him to just six assists and five turnovers.

Durant and Embid exchanged trash talking pleasantries in the first half with the Nets superstar refusing to back down from the bruising center.

With Ben Simmons on the Nets' bench taking in the beatdown of his former club, the Philly crowd rudely, but expectedly greeted him in the arena with a chorus of boos and profanity-laced chants.

Brooklyn pulled above the .500 mark at 34-33, good enough for eighth place in the Eastern Conference and slated for a play-in game in Toronto, where an unvaccinated Irving is still ineligible.

With 15 games remaining, the prospect of Simmons' return to the court along with the potential of a full-time Irving upon anticipated loosening mandate restrictions, make the Nets a feared force in the East come playoff time.


Simmons, Harden, got what they wanted, not what they deserved

 

NBA.com

James Harden and Ben Simmons aren't all that different afterall. For Philadelphia, trusting the process just wasn't in the cards as Simmons' clash with Joel Embid saw the relationship beyond salvaging.

Simmons was a reluctant scorer throughout his Sixers' tenure and became the scapegoat for last year's second round playoff exit against the Hawks. After refusing to report to the team, save a brief appearance at the team's practice facility a couple months back, Simmons cited mental health issues as the culprit for why he was unable to play.

Harden on the other hand, became increasingly frustrated with Kyrie Irving's part-time status, Kevin Durant being sidelined by a MCL sprain and a less than stellar supporting cast with the Nets, this after he forced his way out of Houston in January of 2021. Throughout the first half of the season, Harden looked to still be battling through the hamstring injury he suffered last year and fans didn't see him showing the same joy he did on the court in his first year with the Nets.

As the trade deadline drew closer, reports began to surface about Harden's frustration with the organization, being unhappy living in Brooklyn, among other concerns about his role in the offense and the team's handling of Irving's vaccine situation. Despite a Harden for Simmons swap being classified as nothing more than a juicy trade rumor initially, things really began to gain steam when Nets' GM Sean Marks and Harden had a phone conversation that all but affirmed all of the assertions in various reports about him being unhappy.



Things literally came down to the wire, but Sixers GM Daryl Morey reunited with his prized player in Houston by sending a disgruntled Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two future first round picks to Brooklyn for Harden and Paul Millsap.

When all the dust settled, Harden got what he wanted, to land in Philly with MVP candidate Embid and for Simmons to play with the best  player in the world in Durant along with a part-time but lethal scorer in Irving.

If you take both players at their word, Harden was truly too injured to play the week leading up to his ultimate trade and Simmons was dealing with legitimate mental health concerns.

Even if there's only an ounce of truth in both cases, both players quit on their respective clubs by seeking a change of scenery and  a complementary supporting cast to their skillsets.

It shouldn't come as a surprise in the star-driven league where players recruit and assemble superteams like playing ball in a park, but this is the state of affairs in the NBA.

Players can dictate terms to organizations and if they're willing to absorb the financial penalty, wait things out and ultimately get that they want. While this trade may benefit Philadelphia in the short-term and Brooklyn now and in the future, it sets a dangerous precedent for how unhappy players conduct themselves at the end of their time with an organization.



Oddsmaker sets surprising likelihood of Nets' trading Harden




If you follow all the reports over the last few weeks regarding James Harden's chances of being dealt to Philadelphia, you'd think it's almost a forgone conclusion that he is leaving Brooklyn.

In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth.

According to OddsChecker, Harden has -500 odds, or a 83.3 percent chance to stay with the Nets.

Again, a quick scroll on #NBATwitter and its gloom and doom in Nets' World and near celebration in the City of Brotherly Love.

While it's clear that Brooklyn's GM Sean Marks and Sixers' GM Daryl Morey have had an open trade dialogue, the same can be said for the other 28 GMs across the league.

For Marks, he has to at least listen to what Morey is willing to offer, but anything less than a king's ransom shouldn't keep him on the phone for long.

Things will only heat up with less 48 hours until Thursday's trade deadline, but for the time being hedge your bet that Harden remains a Net.



'Scary Hours' takes on new meaning for Nets

 

NBA.com

Things are getting scary in Brooklyn. Not the kind of scary that James Harden alluded to when he dubbed the Big 3 lineup including himself, Kyrie Irving and Durant with that exact moniker, but a different kind of scary.

The prospect of breaking up the Big 3 era before it really even started, the idea that Harden is now a malcontent by mirroring his final days in Houston, is the media narrative swirling around NBA Twitter.  A proposed Ben- Simmons for Harden swap is making the rounds with fans and media speculating a deal could be imminent.

The reality is, the Nets won't trade Harden, that is unless Philadelphia includes Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle as a starting point. Sean Marks, by all reports, isn't shopping Harden, and by his own remarks, Harden wants to stay in Brooklyn.

However in today's social media age-the age of misinformation-it's become gloom and doom around Nets' World.

Reading the tea leaves and casting aside erroneous reports and clear media plants to drive up and down the value of a particular player, it's almost a certainty that Harden will remain a Net past Thursday's trade deadline. 

Sixers' GM Daryl Morey covets Harden and can't wait to unload Simmons, but Philadelphia will need to offer a king's ransom to even get Marks' attention.

Any deal in-season is in all likelihood off the table, but depending how the Nets' season plays out, the trade rumors will start circulating this off-season.

The Sixers don't have the cap space to sign Harden outright, so a sign-and-trade scenario is the only way Morey can hope to pry Harden away. The reality is, mired in an eight game slide with Durant injured, Harden hobbled by injury and Irving available only part-time, from the outside looking in, it seems like the sky is falling in Brooklyn.

Things can change quickly in the NBA. Durant is reportedly right on schedule with his rehab, Joe Harris needs to make a decision in the next two weeks to continue rehabbing his ankle or opt for a second procedure, while Irving still remains unvaccinated with no end in sight to New York City's vaccine mandate.

There are a lot of  'what ifs' in Brooklyn, but if Irving is eligible to play full-time and Durant and Harris' rehab go well, people will be singing a much different tune in March.

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