The Brooklyn Nets enter this season as the most unpredictable team in the NBA. There is a mountain of skepticism surrounding the team's ability to mesh following Kevin Durant's trade request and ultimatum this summer. Despite this, a big three of Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, along with a talented supporting cast, gives Brooklyn title hopes in 2022-23.
Durant said Wednesday that the atmosphere in Brooklyn has been positive during training camp, but the team cannot be judged until they face adversity this season.
“Yeah, I mean it’s just like any other preseason, any other training camp,” Durant said. “We are all excited to be playing back in the NBA again. It’s a great job to have, so we miss it a little bit in the summertime. So to get back in the swing of things is cool. The vibes have been straight.
“But who knows what the vibes will be if we hit a skid or we’re not playing well or somebody gets injured,” he continued. “I think that’s what makes a team how we stick through those times. It’s easy to be cool and everything is positive right now but we’ll see as the season goes on.”
Brooklyn opened the 2021-22 season as the unanimous title favorite but ran into a long list of roadblocks, most of which were self-inflicted. Through Irving's vaccination holdout, injuries to Durant and Joe Harris, James Harden deciding he would rather play in Philadelphia, and more, the Nets gradually watched their title aspirations dissipate. Durant spoke at media day and detailed his displeasure with the team's resolve throughout the uncertain season, something that ultimately led to his trade request.
‘I wanted everybody to be held accountable for their habits as a basketball player,” Durant said. “I think a lot of stuff was getting swept under the rug because we’re injured, or this guy’s not around, or just the circumstances. I thought we could have fought through that a little bit more and focused on the guys that were here a little bit more.”
“I felt like we could’ve just kept pressing forward,” he continued. “And that’s what I try to do as a player. I’m not preaching something that I don’t practice. I come in here and every rep matters to me, so I want everybody to feel the same way.”
While Durant is a polarizing personality among NBA fans, his effort level and dedication to the game have never been questioned. When speaking later in training camp, the 12-time All-Star said he knows what he brings to the team, and it is up to his teammates to offer their best each day.
“It's got to be to the individuals,” he said. “I want everyone to get the best out of themselves. It’s not up to me to evaluate. It’s the individual. I bring what I bring to the table and each individual brings that as well.”
It is true that players must be self-motivated for teams to succeed in the NBA. Kobe Bryant was well-known for being distant from teammates that he felt did not have a dedicated work ethic. However, some would argue the most successful teams have effective leaders, with the top players finding ways to bring the best out of their teammates.
Head coach Steve Nash has proven ineffective in controlling the erratic personalities of the Nets' locker room. And after Durant called on owner Joe Tsai to fire him this summer, it is hard to envision Nash becoming the person the team rallies around in times of uncertainty.
Durant has the resume and work ethic to be that guy. His effort on the court is unmatched; he is a former MVP, 10-time All-NBA selection, two-time champion, and future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Yet heading into his fourth year in Brooklyn, the same question remains: Who is the leader of this team?
If the Nets want to be successful this season, that responsibility ultimately falls on Kevin Durant, the team's best player.
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