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The questions are all the same: Can the Nets move past their troubled winter with the team’s biggest star (reportedly) asking the owner to fire his GM and coach? Can the new “big three” stay healthy, both physically and mentally, considering they were available for a total of 84 games last season? What about the three guys who didn’t play at all last season? Can you get through 5 without getting too deep? etc. etc.
All of these questions will be asked at media day on Monday, but the answers may not come for weeks or even months. The national media was mostly skeptical about the Nets’ prospects. Witness the ESPN ratings. Their basic premise is that after everything that has gone wrong in the last 18 months, why should anyone expect things to change? It’s a valid point.
Local media, in their preview, give supporters a little bit More hope. Despite the big, bad narrative, the Nets have a lot going for them, since the two prodigals returned after making peace with the organization. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are reportedly happy and ready to go. Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played in a year, has a hell of a review. They all have something to prove to themselves and their team. As Brian Lewis wrote in his Saturday practice preview, other teams have gone through worse and still won, “Sometimes talent wins.
of Yankees He won in 1977 World Series After Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin got into a physical altercation in a ditch in Boston. After a delay Lakers The great Kobe Bryant asked for a trade, won MVP that season and helped his team win titles in the next two.
And when LeBron James tried to fire Heat coach Erik Spoelstra in 2010 — an attempt summarily rejected by team president Pat Riley — Miami reached the finals in each of the next four seasons and won two championships.
Similarly, Christian Winfield wrote in his camp preview that he believes the Nets’ front office deserves a lot of credit for “steadying the ship.”
With Net GM Cynmark as a candidate for Executive of the Year all season long, this could be the year his peers tip their hats.
Marks and team manager Joe Tsai are staring an exploding situation in the face — a potential championship franchise imploding in the wake of Kevin Durant’s summer trade request — and have steered their ship through choppy waters.
KD and Kyrie haven’t spoken publicly about things, their only recent comments on social media and mostly other matters, but Ben Simmons appears to be speaking to the trio and the team this week. The old man and the three Podcast with JJ Reddick and Tommy Alter.
“He’s going to be sick. i can’t wait. I am very happy. I got a new number, a new jersey,” said Simmons, who switched from 25 to 10. “I’m looking forward to it. I think we have a special team, and if we put it all together we will be champions. This is the ultimate goal.
“Yes, I am excited. It’s New York City. I’m playing with some incredible players and a great coaching staff.
The coaching staff, especially Steve Nash, has taken the initiative. Nash’s performance last year was criticized by fans and Durant (again, reportedly) asked Tsai to fire him… After thanking twice in Aprilincluding at the press conference after Celtics The Nets did not renew the contracts of Adam Harrington and David Vanterpool. Amare Stoudemire cited a “mutual agreement” between him and the organization. They signed Igor Kokoskov, one of the league’s most respected relievers. (In response to another question from Redick, Simmons called the staff “awesome.”)
The nets they have They let their fans down and there is a lot of collective guilt. As Winfield notes.
Entering the 4th year of the Sevens Eleven, the Nets have just one Finals appearance, the Celtics have the same playoff seeding after being ousted from the broomstick in the first round last season.
Looking at things in the long run, it’s actually worse. The Nets will celebrate 10 years in Brooklyn next month and have only two winning streaks to show for it, one with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2013 and the other in 2021 with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Tsai, and before him Mikhail Prokhorov, spent a lot of money on certain returns.
So when the Nets gather at Monday’s HSS to field questions, then take the court on Tuesday, fans have every right to remain skeptical, and perhaps for a while. That’s a good thing, considering what’s happened of late.
As part of the Athletics’ league-wide training camp preview, Alex Schieffer summed it up: “Can the Nets put the drama behind them and move forward, or will the entire season be delayed?” Follow it.
