Opinion: The Brooklyn Nets Are Not A Team They're A Group Of Talent
The Brooklyn Nets have one of the most talented rosters in NBA history.
Are they really a team though?
At least right now?
For starters, their seven-time All-Star guard, Kyrie Irving, is not even with the franchise.
Kevin Durant missed all of the 2019-20 season, and only played in 35 regular season games last year. Therefore, he will just need to show at 33-years-old he can stay healthy for the entire season.
James Harden puts up video-game numbers, but he is only entering his first full-season with the group.
Add all that to the fact that Steve Nash (one of the greatest players ever) is still pretty new at this coaching thing.
If all the pieces were aligned properly this could be a team that wins title(s), but after a 127-104 loss on opening night to the actual NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, it's starting to feel like the Nets have a long ways to go if they even want to make the NBA Finals.
Sure, it's the regular season, but the Bucks are the team that went into Brooklyn last season and won a Game 7 on the road to send the Nets home on their own court.
Shouldn't the Nets have wanted to come in and spoil their celebration night?
Where is their pride?
The Bucks had total control over the entire game, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
Harden shot less than 38% from the field, and was a -20.
Durant had an efficient 32 points, but he was also a -20.
The best performance of the entire night for the Nets was Patty Mills who had 21 points and went 7/7 from the three-point range, and he was not even on the team last season who lost to the Bucks.
There's another 81 games to go, and at the end of the day the Nets will be fine.
But fine is not good enough when three of the top 50 players in NBA history are on the same team.
The Nets need to find an identity, and gain some pride, and do it fast.
