The Brooklyn Nets retooled their roster at a time they needed it the most, trading away disgruntled veterans James Harden and Paul Millsap to bring in Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. The biggest move of the 2022 NBA trade deadline could pay off very well for the Nets in the long term.
Simmons, who has sat out this season, has to get adjusted to the game again. When he does, he will provide some excellent defense and playmaking. Still, the Nets will have to deal with Kevin Durant's MCL injury and Kyrie Irving being unavailable for away games for the time being.
Before Brooklyn extended its losing streak to 10 games by falling to the Washington Wizards, Charles Barkley came up with a hilarious new nickname for Irving — Half Man, Half A Season.
Article Continues BelowChuck calls Kyrie Irving "Half man, half a season" pic.twitter.com/Kzl0Ts3TGo
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) February 11, 2022
The Chuckster's play on Vince Carter's nickname is pretty clever. Irving only being able to play half of Brooklyn's games has also led to fans calling the trio of Durant, Irving and Simmons the “Big 2.5”. However, because of possible changes to New York City's vaccine mandates, Irving may not be a part-time player for much longer. The Nets may have themselves a full “Big 3” once the playoffs roll around.
The Nets' league-leading losing streak and the fiasco with Harden have brought a dark cloud over the Barclays Center. Brighter days are ahead for Brooklyn with their new star and hopeful outlooks for their other stars.