Nets Two-Star Power Not Enough To Match Cohesiveness Of NBA Elite Like Warriors
Enough Tip-Toeing Around Issue--Nets Should Publicly Declare That Irving Is Letting Team Down By Not Getting Vaccinated
Nets forward Kevin Durant’s frustration was mounting throughout a third quarter from hell during Golden State’s 117-99 rout at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
It may have reached a boiling point with just under five minutes remaining in the frame when, after committing an obvious foul, KD implored his Head Coach Steve Nash to challenge the call, which was upheld in almost record time. Nash would only deign to waste that bullet to appease his superstar.
Durant, who finished with 19 points on 6-for-19 shooting, went on to misfire on his last four field goal attempts which meant, since it was pointless to have him reenter a game in garbage time, his streak of 20-plus point outings to start the season was halted at 14.
There are a host of reasons why the usually unflappable Durant could have been frustrated—from a shoulder “tweak” that everyone swears is a nothing burger to simple anger that his team didn’t put forth a better performance in such a marquee match. The former Warrior could only admire the surgical nature in which Brooklyn was dismantled.
In the end, one November NBA game won’t amount to a hill of beans come playoff time, but you couldn’t help but draw a stark contrast between how the two teams play the game of basketball. Brooklyn relies, or rather over-relies, on the transcendent talents of its two stars—Durant and James Harden. The Warriors, meanwhile, may have their own MVP candidate in guard Stephen Curry, who blitzed the Nets to the tune of 37 points on 12-for-19 shooting, including 9-for-14 from deep, but they always seem to play as a five-man unit on the floor.
The Nets hadn’t seen a team that moves that well off the ball all season. Hence, it was a death by dozens of cuts—back cuts, slip cuts, baseline cuts, etc. Golden State used old-school ball-and-player movement to score a modern era 113 of their 117 points either via the three-ball, free throws, or in the paint.
Brooklyn got the worst of all worlds in that they couldn’t stop Curry cooking nor did they take away the other guys, which begs the question: If the non-Curry Warriors shot 4-for-20 from behind the three-point line (not even counting their 6 consecutive misses in garbage time), why were the Nets so up into them on defense to the point where they risked getting beat to the rim?
In any event, I’m sure Nash would love to mimic Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr’s offensive system, except he doesn’t have the personnel. You can’t help but notice all the times KD or Harden would make the correct basketball play, finding an open teammate, but instead of getting a head start back on defense while watching the inevitable shot, they’d have to expend more energy to relocate to get the ball back and start over. Why? Because the player on the other end of those passes were usually guys like Blake Griffin, Bruce Brown, DeAndre’ Bembry, or Jevon Carter. That not-so-fearsome-foursome is now shooting a combined 40% from the floor, including 28% from three-point ranges, this season.
Among the Nets usual bench scoring options, guard Patty Mills was forced into the starting lineup due to Joe Harris’ ankle sprain and scored a quiet 8 points while center LaMarcus Aldridge was a DNP-bad coach decision in the first half when Nash was suckered into going small. By the time Aldridge entered midway through the third quarter, the Nets were down by 13 and reeling.
That’s why it was so easy for Golden State to load up on the Nets’ stars in what Nash called “junk defenses” like the box-and-one or triangle-and-two. Every time Durant or Harden had the ball on the perimeter, they not only faced their primary defender, but an additional Warrior was already in help position on the strong side. The old rule about not helping “one pass away” can be tabled when you’re helping off one of the above-mentioned non-shooting role players.
Nash, too, was a little more down than normal after a single loss, only Brooklyn’s fifth in 15 games this season. His response as to whether he was concerned that his team has fattened its record by going 8-1 (with the sole loss to defending champion Milwaukee, who has struggled since the season opener) versus sub-.500 opponents while only 2-4 against teams with winning records was honest yet chilling. “I just don’t think we’re in that category yet—we have a lot of work to do,” Nash said.
Of course, the elephant who isn’t in the room but should be so the offense can get back to humming at an NBA-record pace is the Nets third star, Kyrie Irving, who has been effectively banned from the team because he is refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine. If there is any frustration about this team’s situation, in my opinion, it should be directed at him, because this isn’t what they signed up for this season. The franchise has spent years in the darkness to rebuild this program for this moment—the season in which all the pieces are in place to finally capture an NBA title. Except now they’re missing one of the most integral pieces for the dumbest of reasons.
In his pregame media session, Nash said that he routinely speaks with Irving but they “don’t really talk about basketball.” What else could they possibly be talking about—the change in seasons?
Since no one on the Nets will do so publicly, let me try. Irving isn’t going to read this nor will he even know of its existence, but this plea needs to be made nonetheless:
GET VACCINATED!
Kyrie, you made your point. That voice that you rarely provided to the so-called voiceless has been echoed by the right-wing media you would normally despise at such a volume that U.S. courts are now ruling against the federal government vaccine mandates. Once a newly-consolidated case gets through the appellate division, the final verdict will likely be written by the Supreme Court—and we all know what direction they lean toward.
While the federal mandate has no bearing on New York City’s Executive Order 225, which set the rule that City-based performers like Irving must be vaccinated (and which the Nets surely won’t challenge no matter the outcome of the federal case), it’s not hard to envision that a stripping of the federal mandate could provoke a different business to take the City to court.
So congratulations, Kyrie. It looks like you will eventually win. So why not just get the jab now? You’ve said you understand the science behind the vaccine--not only does it protect you, but also your family, friends, the guy you buy sage from at the sage store, and everyone else in your community.
But more to the point of this missive, it gets you back with your team and teammates so you can do the thing you say you love to do. They’re going to need you and your offensive artistry to beat the better teams like the Warriors.
That’s a win-win.
Enjoyed almost every piece you've written. One of the most talented basketball minds I've seen in my time. Net fan for almost 40 years. You are completely off the rails with the vaccine nonsense. Amazes me how so many of the same people who were appalled by the "Just Shut Up & Dribble" crowd are now sponsoring and lauding the "Just Shut Up & Get the Shot" crew. Thousands upon thousands of negative side effects to it, every day we're seeing more and more evidence that the shot simply does NOT work in keeping one from getting or transmitting the virus, yet intelligent people like yourself insist Kyrie is the idiot! Instead of calling the Mayor of NYC out for his ridiculous overreach on authority, not to mention his blatant disregard for science and logic (ya know, you can play in Barclays as a visitor LOL), you, and many of your colleagues, continue to pile on a guy who is exercising his free will to NOT inject an experimental concoction into his body. Point the blame where it belongs, Steve. No government entity should be empowered to mandate that a medicine be taken for a disease with a 99.97% survival rate, and which has now proven not to work (See Gibraltor and their 100% vaccinated population) C'mon man! You're an exceptional basketball writer! SHUT UP AND WRITE (about basketball)