NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Brooklyn Nets have become the laughingstock of the NBA this offseason and rightfully so. How did they go from a team being mentioned as a title contender to possibly getting set to have Ben Simmons as your best player in just under a month? With Kevin Durant requesting a trade, it gave people time to discuss what has broken down right in front of our eyes. However, to some, the blame game starts with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Not so fast.
We can go back to the dismantling of the D’Angelo Russell and Caris Levert-led team but we won’t. Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of how the front office personnel are the real culprits of what’s happening to the Nets now.
COVID-19 was the headline heading into the season, but it was NYC as a city that stopped the Nets. With the city COVID Mandate in place, Irving was not allowed to play any home games while visiting players were able to suit up. Was it fair? No. But that was the rule. What made things even worse was that the Nets front office did not try to hide the fact that they were disappointed in Irving’s decision to not get vaccinated.
The front office made a few bad decisions. The first one was bringing in Steve Nash as coach. Nash is not the coach the players wanted as Irving even stated he could coach himself. That was a clear indication that things were not going to work out well. As the 2021-22 NBA season wore on, we would see that Nash was in over his head.
But to those on the outside looking in, the real troubles were with the three-headed monster that consisted of Durant, Irving, and Harden. This is the main issue the front office has refused to shoulder the blame on. Let’s break this down.
Harden wanted out during the trade deadline. No one knew why at first so it looks as if Harden was pulling the same move he did in Houston. But not at all. The Houston situation was a bad one for Harden. That team was hell-bent on a rebuild and Harden was not getting any younger. A move was needed. Coming to Brooklyn seemed to be a safe bet as he was paired with Irving and Durant but that grew tiresome as Durant fought injuries and Irving was being forced to sit due to the COVID Mandate in NYC. The trio was not on the court as a whole and Harden was carrying the weight. That’s not what he came here for.
Then, in a move that probably signaled the end, was the trade for Ben Simmons. This is where the front office really drew a line in the sand. The Nets traded away Harden for a player many around the league might have a silent issue with. He quit on the Philadephia 76ers and now he’s a member of the Nets. To make matters worse, Simmons never touched the floor as a member of the Nets last season. So, Harden is traded for a player who couldn’t or as some think, refused to help.
Another early playoff exit with no real resolution in sight and then the GM goes national and puts Irving on blast saying he only wants players who are committed. Things like that can be said behind closed doors. Now, it gets even worse from the front office end when they refused to sign Irving to a long-term deal. Not too shocking, but they also know that Irving and Durant are pretty much tied at the hip. Durant came to Brooklyn to play with Irving, not Bruce Brown or Cam Thomas.
With Durant tied to the team for another 4 years, the front office believed they had Durant in their pocket. Not so fast. Durant, learning of the Irving issues, decided he wanted out. In the news, it appears that Durant is pulling a Harden, but the real issue here is with the front office. For some reason, they just can’t seem to get it together. It’s easier to look at the players and their demands and call them spoiled.
Now we’re hearing that Durant and Irving may stay with Brooklyn. The reason being, the trade market. Trading both players is not as easy as it sounds and that’s on the front office. The asking price is not being met and how will that look to Durant and Irving if they’re here for the start of the season? The Nets understand their price may be too high and that could be a ploy to make Durant return. There could be bad blood which in turn can alter another year for the team.
Whatever happens with this Irving and Durant trade drama needs to be resolved quickly. The Brooklyn Nets must head into Training Camp with their team in place. Will they be in rebuild mode or be a contender? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain, the direction of the team does not fall solely on the shoulders of the players. It’s the ones up top making the call. Accept the blame and move on.
