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Draymond: 'When KD was here, our offense still started with Steph'

 




Draymond Green is a ride or die teammate, just ask Steph Curry. After a Twitter debate that raged on between Green and Kevin Durant regarding whether Curry or The Slim Reaper faced more double teams, the Warriors big man wanted to set the record straight in the NBA Finals Game 2 postgame presser.

Shockingly, Green sticks with his initial assertion that Curry is the draw that stirs Golden State's drink, while Durant, who is this era's most lethal scorer, did not get the type of attention that the Warriors point guard received from opposing defenses.

It's hard to argue with Green, as his Warriors evened the series against the Celtics in San Francisco, not without a few chippy moments from the fiery power forward.


Until Durant and the Brooklyn Nets take the court next season, the debate will make waves on NBA Twitter, but for a Golden State squad looking to capture a title, it's a bit odd for one of the team's leaders to be fixated on the role of a former teammate who is no longer playing in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

Kyrie vows to work on strengthening his body this summer

 


In a live stream via twitch, Kyrie Irving was his own worst critic for disappearing in the final three games of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics.


 Irving, who of practices Ramadan, fasted from sunrise to sunset. This had very little impact on him in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA playoffs and during the prior year's playoff run in Brooklyn.


 

However, Irving appeared in only 29 regular season games after the team refused to let him be a part-time unvaccinated player, before relenting and allowing him to play in road games played outside of New York and Canada.

The Nets' point guard was mesmerizing in his short sample size during the regular season, but come playoff time against a physical and swarming Celtics' defense, Irving appeared physically worn down as a lack of regular game action and conditioning took its toll on him.

Irving's Twitch stream of his Nets' highlights is the clearest indication yet that he's reaffirming his commitment not only to Brooklyn, but to the game of basketball.

Unfortunately, fans have heard this before from Irving, so his words mean very little without action behind them.

Sean Mark and the Nets have yet to engage in serious contract negotiations to extend Irving and some reports indicate they're unwilling to sign him long-term given his wavering commitment to the club.

This will be an intriguing summer for Irving to show once and for all he's all-in to make a title push.




 

Nets' Big Three's have enjoyed very little playoff success dating back to 90s




 The Nets have a history of teaming up three All-Star caliber players without much playoff success.


 

Whether the New Jersey Nets assembled Derrick Coleman, Kenny Anderson and Drazen Petrovic in the 90's, Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson in the mid-2000's, the Brooklyn Nets assembled Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Deron Williams in 2013-14 or the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden led teams in 2021-22, astonishingly none of those talented squads advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

 It's pretty mind numbing to think rosters with many future Hall of Famers could fall incredibly short of playoff success, but if Nets' history teaches us anything, it's that the sum of the team's parts are greater than the whole.

Now, Brooklyn is adding Ben Simmons to a two-headed monster of Irving and Durant, clearly not dissuaded by what the franchise's  history is trying to tell them.

The Nets most successful run in the NBA came with Kidd's Cinderella squad grinding out wins with tough defense and opportunistic fast break offense. That style, philosophy and roster construction led to back to back NBA Finals Appearances and the most successful seasons the franchise has enjoyed since joining the NBA.

Look no further than the Celtics and Warriors, the top two defenses in the current NBA, to illustrate that defensive basketball is still at the heart of championship teams.

Sean Marks and company are already so far down the road with Irving, Durant and Simmons, it's going to be hard to pivot from what is being built here, but if history teaches them anything, they'll need something beyond overwhelming star power to build a team top to bottom capable of getting back to the NBA Finals.



Brooklyn needs to reestablish Nets' Culture Beyond Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving soap opera

In 55 seasons of Nets basketball there has never been as talented a duo as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving choosing to sign with the team. Most of the franchise's legendary players came either via trade: Julius Erving, Jason Kidd, Drazen Petrovic, Vince Carter, just to name a few or via the draft: Brook Lopez, Buck Williams, Derrick Coleman, Kenny Anderson, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin among others. Never has a marquee free agent elected to sign with the Nets.
So when the dynamic duo of Irving and Durant selected to play in Brooklyn, it sent shockwaves throughout the NBA and certainly in Nets' World. Two players, still in the primes of their respective careers, aiming to bring the franchise its first ever title was a pipedream. Somewhere along with way, between prolonged absences from a supposed leader, star players playing both GM and coach, along with young assets that built an enviable culture sent packing to bring more seasoned players into the fold, everything went sideways.

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

  The Nets culture is in trouble with questions left unanswered. Who is really calling the shots? Is it Sean Marks? Is it a collaborative effort with Durant and Irving? Is Steve Nash leading the huddle? Or in the player empowerment era are the players calling their own number? How much autonomy is Joe Tsai giving Marks to do his job effectively?

 The word culture is overused across all sports, but it's paramount to understand how Brooklyn went from a highly thought of and praised organization by other teams and their fans, into a laughingstock that basically put Irving and Durant in the driver's seat directing the trajectory of the club. The reality is Marks will need to regain full roster control and importantly leverage with Irving in potentially negotiating a long-term extension.

 Irving has shown a willingness to pay the ultimate price by missing games and in turn game checks and that has done nothing to disuade him from following his personal beliefs above the team's need for him to be available. While the Nets don't have a storied history littered with championships and a winning tradition, the fact of the matter remains the team played 52 seasons before Irving and Durant signed here and will play another 52 after both are either long retired or at other destinations. 

No two players, no matter how talented or earth shattering their decision to join the team can be, should be allowed to dictate the course of the franchise. Now is the time for Captain Marks to take control of this sinking ship and navigate it through rough seas and set a new course for the championship hungry squad to follow.

Celtics magical run making Nets sweep look better by the minute

When you're winless in the first round of the NBA playoffs, it's not often you'll have bouquets of flowers thrown in your direction. But when the team that swept you goes on to become Eastern Conference Champions and steals Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the road against this era's dynastic Warriors squad, it starts to raise some eyebrows.
The Nets fell victim to the closest sweep-point differential-wise, in NBA playoff history. Not a single Nets fan wants to hear it but the sweep was closer than meets the eye. Brooklyn had a tumultuous season with an NBA record 43 different starting lineups taking the court. 

A disgruntled James Harden forced his way out and the centerpiece of the trade with Philadelphia never made his highly anticipated Nets debut in the playoffs and underwent off-season back surgery.

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

 

Kyrie Irving played in only 32 games and Kevin Durant missed 27 games with a sprained left MCL. 


 When you look at the avalanche of problems, some self-inflicted and some out of the team's control, it's not shocking the Nets lost to a Celtics team that was the hottest in the league the second half of the regular season. Building chemistry and continuity with Brooklyn's big three, while Sean Marks will need to replace LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin with younger more versatile pieces this off-season. 

 On paper, a first round exit to an Atlantic Division rival never looks good, but given all the turmoil in Brooklyn and magical run that Boston is on, the Nets are not an that far off from returning into the championship conversation.

Kevin Durant takes aim at basketball pundits in latest Twitter rant

 Kevin Durant doesn't pull any punches when criticizing NBA media pundits and how they portray him and the league overall.

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

 

In his latest exchange via Twitter, Durant calls out ESPN and FOXSports1 personalities for setting the game of basketball back due to how the game is covered.



The war of words didn't stop there, as Durant's assertion saw a strong response from one of the most recognizable and loudest NBA pundits out there. Leave it to Durant to get the last word in. The Brooklyn Nets star tweeted out a comical video clip to illustrate just how much the media's opinion matters to him.

This Brooklyn-Atlanta trade would transform underachieving Nets into true contenders next season

The Brooklyn Nets have an embarrassment of riches as far as perimeter shooting is concerned. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Patty Mills and Joe Harris are all long-range snipers of the highest order. But are the Nets too perimeter oriented? Absolutely.
Brooklyn doesn't get to the free throw line with regularity, outside of Durant and Irving attacking the rim when they're able to split double-teams. Harris and Curry will both be coming off ankle surgery, while Mills showed that heavy minutes in a starting role wore him down in the second half of the 2021-22 NBA regular season. 

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

 Curry and Mills are both undersized and below average defenders that teams hunt in Steve Nash's switch happy scheme. Yes, Ben Simmons is expected to make his Nets' debut next season, but he's hardly a score-first point guard and shies away from going to the free throw line. Sean Marks needs to get creative this off-season and target a big man who can do it all: defend 1 to 5, shoot 3-pointers, rebound and attack the basket. With Trae Young carrying the scoring load, Atlanta slid down the Eastern Conference rankings this past season and has been rumored to shake things up. 

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

 Brooklyn could send Harris, Kessler Edwards and one of the future first round pick it obtained in the trade with Philly centered on Harden and Simmons. Edwards is a dynamite young player who will need more time to develop as 3-an-D option for Brooklyn, but the clock is ticking on Durant's prime with Irving as his likely running mate. 

 A starting five of Simmons, Irving, Curry, Durant and Collins with Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond and Mills as the first three options off the bench would instantly transform a Nets team lacking physicality and defensive toughness into a formidable squad. The Nets are likely losing both Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge this summer and getting a quality big still approaching the prime years of his career isn't something Marks and company should pass up.
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