No team came into the 2022-23 season under more pressure to get off to a good start than the Brooklyn Nets. They did not get off to a good start and that resulted in their head coach essentially being fired. On top of that, their second-best player made a controversial post about a very controversial film that got major backlash and resulted him being suspended after he failed to sincerely apologize for that post. The Nets under their now new head coach in their assistant the previous five seasons did right the ship behind more consistent defense and their best player continuing his impressive scoring streak. The Nets though came back to Earth with consecutive losses to begin this week and the question for them is with said second-best player on the verge of returning from the team posed suspension can they build any kind of momentum to make something of this season?
Even with their 116-109 victory back on
Halloween night (Oct. 31) versus the Indiana Pacers (7-6), the Nets (7-9) were
just 2-5. That led to the ouster of head coach Steve Nash as he and the Nets mutually
agreed to part ways at the start of this month as according to Nets’ General
Manager Sean Marks the team was no longer responding to Nash’s voice.
Nash, who was hired by the Nets in the
summer of 2020 after they and now Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny
Atkinson also parted ways, posted a 94-67 mark in his 2-plus seasons.
The Nets though were considered under
achievers because of the exceptionally talented roster led by their Hall of
Fame head coach.
The Nets hired the two-time Kia MVP in
Nash because of his ability to navigate the talented but head-strong
personalities of two-time Finals MVP and two-time NBA champion in Kevin Durant
and fellow NBA champion and perennial All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. That
partnership between the three though became more of a bust.
The Nets played most of last season
without Irving who because of his refusal to comply with the New York City
mandate instituted by Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) to take the COVID-19 vaccine
shot. There was also the challenge of navigating through significant injuries
to sharp-shooting wing Joe Harris as well as an unhappy perennial All-Star and
2018 Kia MVP James Harden, who the Nets acquired in a three-team deal with
Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for three First-Round
picks, and wingman Caris LeVert and center Jarrett Allen.
For a brief period, it looked like Durant,
Irving, and Harden were going put the Nets into the championship circle in the
years ahead.
Instead, the only highlight of the
Durant-Irving era is Durant’s supposed game-winning triple in Game 7 of the
2021 East Semifinals versus the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks was ruled
a two-pointer because Durant had his left big toe on the line. The Bucks won
Game 7 in overtime and the series.
Since then, things have gone south for the
Nets with the main reason being the inability of the Nets’ front office constant
flipflopping of taking a stand with Durant and Irving and giving in to their
every wish.
Last season, the Nets front office of Tsai
and Marks telling Irving that he could not be a part-time player because he did
not want to get vaccinated. They reversed course after Durant went down with a
knee injury in the middle of January and that Irving was not going to waiver
from his decision to not get vaccinated, meaning he could not play in home
games at Barclays Center.
That resulted in the Nets never developing
any kind of continuity or chemistry the rest of the season.
Harden seeing that his chances of winning
a title with the Nets very murky requested to be traded and was dealt at the
2022 trade deadline to the Philadelphia 76ers along with Paul Millsap in
exchange for three-time All-Star Ben Simmons and sharp-shooting guard Seth
Curry.
“He has certainly not had an even playing
field over two years here,” Marks said of Nash at the start of this month. “I
can list the distractions. I don’t want to get in there, because I know how
competitive Steve is and I think if I sat here and listed one-by-one all the
things that he had to go through over his tenure here, I’d be doing him a
disservice because he doesn’t want excuses…I certainly feel some responsibility
because this does not all fall on him.”
Mr. Tsai added about Nash saying he is
“not one to shy away from challenges. That his “admiration” and “respect for
Nash” grew over his two seasons as Nets head coach.
Among the challenges Nash took on last
season was Simmons, who sat out all last season both for the 76ers and Nets
because of issues with his mental health and a back injury that required
surgery has struggled to find his place and way alongside Durant and Irving.
Simmons has looked nothing like the player
who was a three-time All-Star and one of the best defensive players in the
league, who was the runner-up for Kia Defensive Player of the Year two seasons
back.
Over the summer, 2014 Kia MVP and
perennial All-Star Kevin Durant at the start of this past offseason asked Nets
Governor Joe Tsai to either fire Coach Nash and Marks or trade him. In August
cooler heads prevailed and Durant, Tsai, Marks, and Nash agreed to move forward
together.
“It was an amazing experience with many
challenges that I’m incredibly grateful for,” Nash said in a statement about
his two seasons as Nets’ head coach. “I wish the Nets all the success in the
world and the [Nashes] will be rooting for our team as they turn this season
around.”
Marks did say that he did not consult the
players about the decision to let Nash go. Durant learned of Nash’s exit in the
early afternoon of Nov. 1 when he tuned into ESPN after “woke up from his nap.”
“I’m shocked,” Durant said of the Nets
decision to let Nash go. Durant also said that he did not feel that Nash’s
voice was being tuned out by the team. But added that he “can’t speak for
Steve.”
Taking over for Nash was assistant coach
Jacque Vaughn, who served as the interim head coach for the Nets in the 2020
restart in Orlando, FL in the midst of the global Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Pandemic.
The Nets in their first game under Vaughn
lost 108-99 Nov. 1 versus the Chicago Bulls (6-9), dropping the Nets to 2-6.
The other challenge that the Nets had to
deal with at the start of November was perennial All-Star floor general Kyrie
Irving Tweeted a link on his social media to the anti-sematic movie “Hebrews to
Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” which consisted of the denialism of the
Holocaust and quotations of antisemites from the likes of the late Adolf Hitler
and Henry Ford.
Irving was called out by Governor Tsai and
took down the post. But in Nov. 3 presser doubled down on his beliefs.
“I take my responsibility for posting
that,” Irving said in his presser on Nov. 3. “Some things that were
questionable in there, untrue. Like I said in the first-time you guys asked me
when I was sitting on that stage, I don’t believe everything everybody
post--It’s a documentary. So, I take my responsibility.”
Irving also said about the post that he
“did not mean to cause any harm” and that he was not the one that “made the
documentary.”
When asked about how surprised he was
about the backlash that has come from his post, Irving asked, “Where were when
I was a kid figuring out that 300 million of my ancestors are buried in
America?”
“Where were you guys asking those same
questions when I was kid dealing with learning about the dramatic events of my
familial history and what I’m proud to come from and why I’m proud to stand
here, and why when I repeat myself that I’m not going to stand down, it has
nothing to do with dismissing any other race or group of people.”
“I’m just proud of my heritage and what
we’ve been through and the fact that this has pinned me against the Jewish
community and I’m here answering questions of whether or not I’m sorry or not
about something I didn’t create and was something I shared, and I’m telling
everybody I’m taking responsibility, then that’s were I sit.”
Irving when asked by Nets reporter for
ESPN Nick Friedell that if he had any antisemitic beliefs, Irving seeming to
get even more annoyed said how he does not know how that “label becomes
justified.” How this is “not going to turn into a spin-around cycle of
questions upon questions.”
That he “respects” all walks of life and
“that’s where I sit.” That he “cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come
from. I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from.”
After speaking for over six minutes, a
member of the Nets’ Public Relations staff cut the Irving’s presser short.
Irving also in that presser declined to
answer a question if he had met with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). Their
CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted on Nov. 3 @JGreenblatADL, “The answer to the
question, ‘Do you have any antisemitic beliefs’ is always ‘No’ without equivocation. We took
@KyrieIrving at his word when he said he took responsibility, but today he did
not make good on that promise. Kyrie clearly has a lot of work to do.”
The day before, the Nets and Irving
announced they each would donate $500,000 to anti-hate causes.
Irving, the Nets, and the ADL also
released a joint statement on Nov. 2 that announced the donations.
Irving said in the statement that he
“opposes all forms of hatred,” “oppression,” and that he “stands strong with
communities that are marginalized and impacted every day.” That he is “aware”
of the very negative impact that his words towards the Jewish community and
that he takes “responsibility.”
“I do not believe everything said in the
documentary was true or reflects my morals and principles. I am a human being
learning from all walks of life and I intend to do so with an open mind and a
willingness to listen,” Irving added. “So, from my family and I, we meant no
harm to any one group, race or religion or people, and wish to only be a beacon
of truth and light.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is
Jewish said in a statement that Irving made a “reckless decision” posting a
link to the film that contained very “offensive antisemitic material” and
needed to go further with his remorse for that post.
“While we appreciate the fact that he
agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat
antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has
not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and
harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize,” Commissioner
Silver said.
Irving’s refusal though to give an exact
apology during that Thursday led to the Nets suspending him for at least five
games without pay saying that he is “currently unfit to be associated with the
Brooklyn Nets.”
“We were dismayed today, when given the
opportunity in a media session, that Kyrie refused to unequivocally say he has
no antisemitic beliefs, nor acknowledge specific hateful material in the film.
This was not the first time he had the opportunity—but failed—to clarify,” the
Nets said in a statement on Nov. 3.
“Such failure to disavow antisemitism when
given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values
of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team.”
“We’ve have decided that Kyrie will serve
a suspension without pay until he satisfies a series of objective remedial
measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct and the suspension period
served is no less than five games.”
Following the Nets suspending Irving for
the minimum of five games, he issued an apology on his Instagram page four
hours later saying, “To All Jewish families and communities that are hurt and
affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I
apologize. I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled
Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers
and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary. I
want to clarify any confusion on where I stand fighting against Anti-semiticism
by apologizing for posting the documentary without context and a factual
explanation outlining the specific beliefs in the Documentary I agreed with and
disagreed with. I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history
regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this
unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all.”
Irving also said in his post that the
movie consisted of “some false anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and
language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion, and I take
full accountability and responsibility for my actions.”
At the close of last week, Governor Tsai
tweeted @joetsai1999 that he and his wife Clara met with Irving and his family
saying that they all spent quality time to “understand each other.”
“It’s clear to me that Kyrie does not have
any beliefs of hate towards Jewish people or any kind,” Tsai also said in that
Tweet. “The Nets and Kyrie, together with the NBA and NBPA (National Basketball
Players Association) are working constructively toward a process of
forgiveness, healing and education.”
In order for Irving to get back on the
court though, he had to complete six specific task, which they delivered to him
on Nov. 5.
According to the “The Stadium’s” and Bally
Sports NBA Insider Shams Charania, Irving had to apologize and condemn the
Anti-Semitic move. Donate $500,000 to anti-hate causes. Complete sensitivity
and antisemitic training. Meet with the ADL, Jewish leaders and meet with Nets
Governor Tsai to demonstrate understanding of why people were so upset about
his tweet about a movie that has antisemitism.
The Nets initially went 4-1 without Irving
in the lineup where they displayed some real continuity on both ends of the
floor for the first time this season holding opponents those five straight
opponents to under 100 points.
The Nets got that string of four wins in
five tries started with an emphatic 128-86 victory Nov. 4 at the Washington
Wizards (8-7), outscoring the homestanding Wizards 59-29 in the second half for
a franchise-record tying 42-point road win. They used a 27-3 run spanning the
first half and the beginning of the second half to take control of the game and
never looked back.
Durant led the way with a near
triple-double of 28 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds on 10/21 shooting. Starting
center Nic Claxton chipped in with 18 points, nine boards and three block
shots, while starting forward Royce O’Neale chipped in with 13 points and eight
boards, going 3/5 from three. Fellow new addition Edmond Sumner, starting in
place of Irving had 11 points and two steals.
Off the bench, second-year guard Cam
Thomas chipped in with 17 points and six assists. New addition Yuta Watanabe
had 14 points and eight rebounds with two block shots.
Nets outscored the Wizards 60-40 in the
paint and 50-21 in bench points. They outrebounded the Wizards 48-39; shot 55.6
percent from the field (50/90 FGs) and went 14/28 from three-point range. They
had 32 assists on their 50 made shots, registering eight steals and seven block
shots. The Nets held the Wizards to 36.1 percent from the field (30/82 FGs) and
8/34 from three-point range.
A night later, the Nets overcame a
10-point deficit in the fourth period and a deficit as high as 12 points for a
98-94 win at the struggling Charlotte Hornets (4-12) using a 17-6 run to open
the fourth period to lead by as many as 13 points.
It was the first time in the early portion
of this season the Nets registered consecutive wins.
Durant led the way again with 27 points,
eight rebounds and three blocks on 10/20 shooting, registering 25-plus points
for the 10th straight game to open 2022-23. Durant’s 315 total
points the first 10 games of 2022-23 are the most the first 10 games of a
season in his NBA career.
“I just think we’ve rallied around each
other,” Durant said postgame about the Nets resurgence the last two games. “I
mean, it was a tough week for us and its always good to just get back to the
game, you know.”
“Once the balls tip, all the other [bleep]
goes out the window. So, I think everybody’s just waiting to just get back to
playing. We also lost three to four games before that. So, we just felt some
pride and wanted to come out here and get some W’s.”
Thomas had 21 points off the bench going
10/11 at the charity stripe. Veteran reserve guard Patty Mills had 11 points on
3/5 from three also off the bench. Claxton also scored 11 with nine boards,
three steals and four blocks.
Nets overcame a 39.3 percent night from
the field (33/84 FGs) and 12/36 from three-point range by holding the Hornets
to 37.2 percent from the floor (32/86 FGs) and 14/42 from three. The Nets also
were 20/22 at the foul line.
Kevin Durant’s Most Points Scored Through
First 10 Games In A Season In His Career
2022-23 With Brooklyn Nets: 315 Points
2013-14 With Oklahoma City Thunder: 296 Points
2021-22 With Brooklyn Nets: 286 Points
2010-11 With Thunder: 284 Points
The Nets were in position to win their
third straight, but Durant missed two critical free throws in the closing minutes
in the 96-94 loss Nov. 7 at the Dallas Mavericks (8-6).
Durant, who had 26 points in the loss on
10/20 shooting got fouled with 06.7 seconds left in regulation by the
Mavericks’ Reggie Bullock with the Mavericks ahead 96-93. Durant made the first
free throw to pull the Nets to within 96-94. But his second free throw rimmed
out, which snapped a streak of 62 made free throws to start this season. Durant
intentionally missed the second foul shot, and then the third, and the Mavericks eventually got the
game sealing board.
The Nets bounced back two nights later
with an emphatic 112-85 win versus the crosstown rival New York Knicks (8-7)
Nov. 9 on ESPN.
This was the Nets’ first wire-to-wire
victory of 2022-23 as they led by as many as 35 points.
The Nets also registered their eighth
consecutive victory over the Knicks, tying their second longest winning streak
all-time against their now in city rivals. Now three shy of equaling the
11-game winning streak they had over the Knicks from 1984-86.
Durant led the way again with his 17th
career triple-double of 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists on 10/19 from
the field and 8/10 at the foul line.
This was Durant’s 12th straight
game to open 2022-23 scoring 25-plus points, a new Nets record. He is now 20-3
in his career with the Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and Nets against the
Knicks having not lost to them since 2013.
Curry had season-high 23 points going 6/11
from three. Sumner also had a season-best of 18 points, five boards and two
steals, making three of his four triples.
Durant, who triple-double total included
his fifth as a Net, which is tied for the third most in franchise history,
scored or assisted on 26 of the Nets’ 38 first quarter points. He registered
nine of his 12 assists in the opening half, tying a career-best for assists in
any half. He also became the first player since Hall of Famer and six-time NBA
champion Michael Jordan in 1988-89 with the Chicago Bulls to score 25-plus
points in one’s first 12 games of an NBA season.
The Nets outrebounded the Knicks 55-46.
Turned 15 Knicks turnovers into 25 points. They also held their fifth
consecutive opponent under 100 points, their longest such streak since holding
eight straight opponents under the century mark in the 2014-15 season.
“I just like how we were all on the same
page, you know. I’m only as good as my teammates,” Durant said after the win to
ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth about the Nets teamwork on both ends of the floor.
“Them setting me up. Them being there for
me, especially on defense when I’m guarding one-on-one. Help me rebound. So, it’s a team effort for me to get going because
a lot of teams are putting a lot of attention on me offensively. So, I got to
rely on my guys to get me open.”
Earlier in the day, the Nets made it
official naming Vaughn their new head coach, signing him through the 2023-24
season.
In his pregame presser before their tilt
versus the Knicks, Marks said there were a number of factors in why Vaughn was
the right person to be named the 22nd head coach in Nets history.
For starters is him knowing Coach Vaughn going back to their playing days with
the San Antonio Spurs. How he has been a part of the Nets since being an
assistant since 2016-17. The “person” Vaughn is. The connection he has with the
players.
“I obviously look at what has happened
over the last sort of four games,” Marks added about his evaluation of Vaughn.
“But you know, it’s not entirely that’s what we’re looking at. We’re looking at
the big picture here and having a relationship with him for seven years. His
connection with players. His competitive spirit, you know. A lot of that goes a
long way. And we’ve seen how this team to be quite frank has responded to him
lately.”
At the start of November when the Nets
announced they axed Coach Nash, there were reports that the Nets had plans to
hire former Nets assistant coach and former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka
as their new head coach.
Udoka took the Celtics to The Finals a
season ago in his first season on their sidelines. But he was suspended by the
team before the start of this season because of “violating team policy.”
It was reported by “The Associated
Press" that Udoka was suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for having
an inappropriate relationship with a female subordinate within the Celtics
organization.
While Udoka, 40 would have been a major
upgrade, just the optics of hiring him not even 100 days into his suspension
(40 days to be exact) were not something the Nets really could afford at the
moment.
Also, the team has responded well to Coach
Vaughn and unlike his first head coaching opportunity with the Orlando Magic,
where he went 58-158 from 2012-15, he has a talented roster and so far, it has
worked.
Vaughn, who played in the NBA for 12 years
(1997-2009) with the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks, Magic, then New Jersey Nets, and
Spurs is the fourth former Net to be named head coach, joining now Mavericks
head coach Jason Kidd, Hall of Famer Willis Reed, and Ernest “Kiki”
VanDeWeghe.
“It means a lot,” Vaughn, who went 7-3 as
the interim head coach of the Nets in the 2020 restart in Orlando, losing in
the First Round 4-0 of 2020 Playoffs versus the Toronto Raptors said being
named the Nets new head coach. “I played for this organization (2004-06). I’ve
been here for seven years and really been a loyal servant along the way. Now I
get to serve in a different capacity, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Coach Vaughn added jokingly about being
named the Nets new head coach that in referencing this past midterm election
cycle that he was “the write-in candidate.”
But he said he’s “okay” with that and
added that he said to his now wife of over two decades that she might not have
been her first choice in terms of a long-time mate.
“I can all work out. So, off we go” Vaughn
said.
After the win, Durant presented Coach
Vaughn with the game ball for his first official victory as the new head coach
of the Nets.
“The interim tag is gone. Head coach’s
first win. Congratulations,” Durant said as he handed Coach Vaughn the game
ball while giving him a hug.
“I was excited for him,” Durant said about
Coach Vaughn during his postgame presser. “I know the work that he puts in
every day. I know how much he cares about the development of each player and
this team as a whole. Looking forward to playing for him.”
“All the guys have responded to how he
wants us to play. And so, I’m looking forward to how we progress after this.”
The good times kept rolling for the Nets
as they opened their four-game West Coast road trip with a 110-95 victory at
the Los Angeles Clippers (8-7).
Trailing 86-84 with 7:42 left in the
fourth period, consecutive threes made by Curry, a layup by Claxton, and a
three by O’Neale capped a 20-2 run that put the Nets up 104-88 with 2:22 left.
They outscored the Clippers 35-24 in the fourth quarter
Durant led the way in the win with 27
points, six boards, two steals and two block shots on 10/16 shooting and 3/5
from three.
Curry had 23 points on 9/15 from the
floor, including 4/8 from three, scoring 14 of those 23 points in the fourth
period on 5/6 shooting overall from the floor, including 4/4 on his triple
tries.
“Trying to be aggressive, make plays,”
Curry, who has gone 10/15 from three-point range the last two said to YES’
(Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network’s) Meghan Triplett after the win.
“Been working hard on my game the past couple of weeks. Just trying to get my
legs back into it. So, just trying to get some confidence out there. Just
getting good shots and I knew they would eventually fall.”
“But like I said, guys are making it easy
on me. K (Durant) been doing a good job setting screens, moving the basketball
and everybody’s a threat out there.”
Claxton had a double-double of 13 points
and 14 rebounds with three blocks. O’Neale added 12 points and five boards,
going 3/6 on his threes. Sumner had 11 points and three steals, scoring in
double-figures for the third time in his five starts in place of Irving.
The Nets defensively held the Clippers to
9/21 from the field in the fourth period (42.9 FG%), including 2/7 from three.
Perennial All-Star Paul George scored just 17 points on 5/21 shooting and 1/6
on his threes.
“I felt like all night we made then shoot
over our hand,” Durant said of the Nets defense against the Clippers. “The
shots they did make were all tough, you know. I felt like, you know, you’ve got
tough shot makers over there. Marcus Morris [Sr.], PG [Paul George], John Wall,
Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard. They all made tough shots. But you’ve got to live
with some of those…But we hung our hat on making them shoot tough shots over
us.”
To put into context the Nets improved play
at the defensive end since Coach Vaughn took over on Oct. 31, the Nets have
been ranked entering their tilt at the Clippers No. 1 in “The Association” in
points allowed (96.3) and opponent’s field goal percentage (40.1 percent) as
well as No. 5 in opponent’s three-point percentage (31.9 percent).
The Nets came back down to Earth with
consecutive losses in California with a 116-103 loss Nov. 13 at the struggling
Los Angeles Lakers (3-10) and an embarrassing 153-121 defeat this past Tuesday
night at the surging Sacramento Kings (7-6) on TNT.
The Nets allowed the Lakers to shoot 48.4
percent (44/91 FGs) from the floor; were outrebounded 45-41, including 12-8 on
the offensive glass; and were outscored 56-48 in the paint.
Durant was sensational again with 31
points, nine rebounds, and seven assists with two blocks on 13/14 at the foul
line. Thomas had 15 points off the bench and Sumner had 13 points. Watanabe had
11 points and five boards. Joe Harris had 10 points and five rebounds.
The Nets just had no answers for perennial
All-Star Anthony Davis who had 37 points and 18 rebounds on 15/25 shooting. He
scored 21 of his 37 points in the second half, including 15 points in the third
quarter. Davis had a career-high tying 10 offensive rebounds.
New addition Lonnie Walker IV had a
season-high of 25 points on 9/15 shooting, including 4/5 from three-point
range. Former 2017 Kia MVP Russell Westbrook also had a double-double with 14
points and 12 assists with six rebounds off the bench.
It did not help that the Nets were without
Curry because of left ankle management and Simmons (sore left knee). Claxton
was also lost in the third quarter to a left eye contusion and did not return.
Two night later, the Kings torched the
Nets in their second straight outscoring the Nets 117-91 the final three
quarters, using a 27-4 run in the second quarter to put the game out of reach
leading by as many as 39 points. The Nets allowed 59.6 percent from the field
for the evening (56/94 FGs), including 20/41 from three-point range and 21/25
at the charity stripe.
The Nets were outrebounded by the Kings
43-29, including 9-3 on the offensive glass, outscoring the Nets 11-1 in second
chance points. The Kings had 39 assists on their 56 made shots. They scored 25
points off 17 Nets turnovers. Outscored the Nets 26-10 in fastbreak points;
66-44 in the paint and 83-63 in bench points.
The Nets allowed the most points in a
regulation game in their history and is the most points allowed since they gave
up 161 points in their 161-157 double-overtime loss ironically enough to the
Nash led Suns on Dec. 7, 2006.
After allowing just 94 points on 38.8
percent shooting the first six games under Coach Vaughn, the Nets allowed on
average 134.5 points on 54.3 percent from the floor in their two losses at the
Lakers and Kings.
Durant in defeat led the way with 27
points and six rebounds on 11/11 at the foul line. Sumner had 18 points. Thomas
had 12 points. Simmons had his first game scoring in double-digits this season
with 11 points and five rebounds off the bench, while Watanabe also scored 11
points on 3/5 from three.
While the Nets have gone 4-4 under Coach
Vaughn and have somewhat picked themselves off the canvas, they are still
behind the eight ball in terms of where many felt they would be at the start of
this season. With Irving poised to return to the lineup having completed the
aforementioned six task necessary to show his understanding of how
disrespectful he was to the Jewish community. Will his return make a
difference?
The last time Irving played was on Nov. 1
just a couple of days after posting a link to film with antisemitic content, he
scored just four points on 2/12 from the field, including missing all six of
this triple tries.
A report from “The Athletic” said that
Irving will return from suspension on Sunday night when the Nets host the Memphis Grizzlies
(9-6) at Barclays in Brooklyn, NY.
While Coach Vaughn would not confirm or deny that report, he did say when Irving does return, he better be ready to full amerce himself into the Nets new true team concept on both ends of the floor.
“My approach is, the trains going to keep
moving,” Coach Vaughn, whose team has gone 4-3 without Irving said before the
Nets Thursday night contest at the Western Conference leading Portland Trail
Blazers. “That train is: playing hard, playing together, being a team and that’s
going to continue. And that’s going to be up to me to get our group to
incorporate everybody.”
As important as it is to get Irving back
into the fold, the Nets as a whole need to play at a consistent level on both
ends of the floor if they have any sliver of hope of living up to their
championship expectations if those expectations remain.
They showed a spirt of that as mentioned in a five-game stretch where they played solid defense and had some cohesion offensively to where Durant was the focal point as the point forward where he scored at a high level as well as facilitated.
That facilitation led to the likes of Curry getting open shots that he made at a high clip. He and Harris have to continue to strike a match from the perimeter at a high level if the Nets want to get back on track.
The Nets also need for Simmons to some
way. Somehow find his game again on both ends. He showed some signs of life
with his first game scoring in double figures of this season with 11 points off
the bench with five rebounds in the previously mentioned loss at the Kings on
Tuesday evening.
He really showed out for the first time in
over two years with a double-double of a season-best 15 points with 13 rebounds
and seven assists on a perfect 6/6 from the floor off the bench in the Nets
110-107 win on Thursday night at the Trail Blazers (10-5).
What was even more eye opening about the
performance by Simmons was that he made three of his four free throw attempts.
Simmons was part of a total team effort by
the Nets, who overcame an 11-point deficit late in the third quarter.
Durant led the way again with 35 points
and eight boards on 13/22 from the field and 8/10 at the foul line. Watanabe
scored 11 his 20 points off the bench in the third quarter with seven rebounds
on 5/7 from three-point range. Harris had 15 points on 4/8 from three-point
range. O’Neale, who had the game-winning tip-in with 00.7 seconds left in
regulation capped his first career triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds,
and 11 assists.
The Nets defensive effort on Thursday
night equated to them outrebounding the Trail Blazers 47-39 and held the home
team to 38.7 percent from the field (36/93 FGs).
“He was incredible tonight,” Durant said
of Simmons’ stellar performance. “I thought he did a good job of commanding the
offense, commanding the team on the defensive side of the ball. He was able to
control the game and get us back into it.”
It has been well documented that a big
reason why the 76ers in 2020-21 went down in flames in the postseason two
springs ago when the lost to the eventual East runner-up Atlanta Hawks in the
2021 East Semifinals was Simmons dismal free throw shooting and how he simply
lost confidence in his ability to perform on both ends of the floor.
On this night when the Trail Blazers began
intentionally fouling Simmons with 3:28 left in the final period, the career 59
percent foul shooter made three of his four tries at the charity stripe to keep
the Nets in front 103-99.
“I love those moments. I’m not going to
shy away,” Simmons said. “That was their plan, but obviously it didn’t work.
But I’m just building. I love those moments.”
“People make it seem like I had a sprained
ankle or something. I came back from back surgery, that’s not easy,” Simmons
said after the win. “I’m getting there.”
Durant concurred saying about when Simmons
went to the foul line made those crucial foul shots saying, “We had no doubts
when he went up there.”
Three seasons back, Brooklyn Nets and
their GM Sean Marks and Governor Joe Tsai swung for the fences and brought in
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, giving up nearly everything about their
team-first culture in hopes of winning the franchise’s first NBA title.
They said goodbye to head coach Kenny
Atkinson, who helped to build a decent Nets roster from the ground up. They
replaced Atkinson with Steve Nash, who had a longtime relationship with Durant.
Then the Nets decided to shoot for the stars in trading for James Harden two
seasons back, giving up three First-Round draft picks as well as swingman Caris
LeVert and center Jarrett Allen.
The experiment of Durant, Irving, and
Harden lasted just 16 total games because of injuries and the fact that Irving
as mentioned made more headlines for his unavailability then his availability.
They won only one postseason series together, the 2021 First-Round over the
Boston Celtics 4-1.
There without question the Nets are in
this position because of how they have conducted business with their star
players and their inability to hold themselves as an organization and the
players accountable.
With the eventual return of Irving from an
eight-game team posed suspension at the end of this weekend to rejoin Durant
and Simmons, the question for the Nets is can they put it all together the rest
of this season and be a serious threat in that Eastern Conference? Simmons
thinks so.
“Regardless of what people say, we’re here to win,” he said. “We’re here to win a championship. It’s going to take everybody to do that. Everybody’s got to say focused, locked in and stay the course, not get caught up in all the other things going on.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 11/2/2022 “Newsday” story “Report: Udoka To Get Job,” By Barbara Barker and “Nash Out As Nets Coach,” By Laura Albanese; 11/3/2022 www.espn.com story, “Kyrie Irving Suspended At Least 5 Games By Nets; Apologizes;” 11/3/2022 www.espn.com story, “Kyrie Irving Cites ‘Responsibility’ Stops Short of Apology,” By Nick Friedell; 11/3/2022 www.espn.com story, “Commissioner Adam Silver Disappointed Kyrie Irving Didn’t Apologize;” 11/4/2022 1 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” presented by Kia With Chris Miles, Jamal Crawford, and Candace Parker; 11/6/2022 1 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” Presented by Kia With Jared Greenberg, Brendan Haywood, and Greg Anthony; 11/7/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today” on ESPN With Malika Andrews, Zach Lowe, Chiney Ogwumike, Kendrick Perkins, Richard Jefferson, Brian Windhorst, and Vince Carter; 11/9/2022 7:30 p.m. “Knicks versus Nets” on Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) With Ian Eagle, Sarah Kustok, and Meghan Triplett; 11/10/2022 7 p.m. “Inside The Association,” presented by AT&T 5G and Fanduel Sportsbook With Camron Smith, Shams Charania, and Pat Garrity 11/12/2022 10 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime,” With Nabil Karim, Dennis Scott, and Greg Anthony; 11/12/2022 4 p.m. “Nets vs. Clippers” YES With Ryan Ruocco, Sarah Kustok, and Meghan Triplett; 11/17/2022 11 p.m. WABC 7 “Eyewitness News at 11,” With Bill Ritter, Sade Baderinwa, Lee Goldberg With Weather and Ryan Field With Sports; www.espn.com/nba/standings; https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameid/401468376; https://www.nba.com/game/bkn-vs-por-0022200221; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Brooklyn_Nets_head_coaches; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Reed; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiki_VanDeWeghe; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacque_Vaughn.