NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in a tight spot heading into the final few games of the season. Making the Play-In Tournament appears to be a lock but advancing is not a sure thing. While the Nets pose one of the deadliest offenses in the NBA led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, that duo alone is not enough to lead them to a title.
As good as they are, the Nets will need a total team effort. It seems easy enough, however, the Nets appear to have an ego problem with one of their stars.
While the early fingerpointing headed in the direction of James Harden, the real issue the Nets face in winning a title is the play and ego of star point guard, Kyrie Irving. Irving has missed the majority of the season due to COVID-19 related issues. Prior to last week, Irving was not allowed to play in home games which is the reason the Nets find themselves in the position they’re in.
The Nets issues go deeper than wins and losses. Durant and Irving have yet to fully integrate their talents with the rest of the team as injuries and personal issues have become a staple for the Nets’ season. Before Harden was traded, the team relied on Harden while Durant was out with a knee injury and Irving was still dealing with his vaccination status.
In the 27 games since he rejoined the team, Irving has focused on scoring the ball more than setting his teammates up. It appears that Irving has a chip on his shoulder as if he still has something to prove to everyone in the NBA. At this stage in his career, Irving’s focus should be on bringing a title to Brooklyn instead of trying to score 30 points every outing.
What the Nets need from Irving is his ability to elevate others. Since his return, Irving has had 6 games with 7 or more assists. While his career average is slightly under six per game, the Nets need Irving to do less scoring and more facilitating. With James Harden on the Nets roster, he was the primary ball-handler. Now that Harden is in Philadelphia, Irving must take control of the offense and make sure his shooters are in the best position to do what they do best.
In 27 games, Irving has attempted 21 shots per game while Durant has averaged a tad over 20. Irving is a capable scorer but Durant is a far superior scorer than his point guard. The Nets have capable shooters in Durant, Seth Curry, and Patty Mills, and yet, Irving has had trouble getting those guys the ball in their sweet spots.
One would think, a player being coached by one of the All-Time greats in Steve Nash would have a better understanding of ball distribution. Durant is the main scorer for the Nets but even he at times will allow Irving to go off even if that means falling back and watching the Nets struggle against lesser competition.
Entering the playoffs, the Nets will play either the Atalanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, or the Charlotte Hornets. The best part for fans and maybe not the Nets regarding either of those matchups is that all three teams have excellent players at the PG position. And this is where Irving may hurt the Brooklyn Nets more than he helps them.
Scoring 30 points a game is a great feat, however, when one or two of your teammates are hot, it’s Irving’s job to keep feeding the flame. In their most recent game against the Hawks, Durant was cooking to the tune of 55 points. But two staggering facts about that feat continue to stand out. One, the Nets lost the game despite Durant’s offensive outburst. The second glaring fact was that while Durant was on fire, Irving still felt the need to outshoot Durant (32-28) and managed no free throw attempts.
Heading into the playoffs, Nash must find a way to reel in his All-Star guard. Now is not the time to show off. The goal is to win. If Irving can get on the same page as the rest of the team, the Nets will be a tough out for anyone. However, if he continues to use the offense as his personal statement platform, the Nets will exit the playoffs just as quickly as they came in.
