The Brooklyn Nets are officially on a losing streak. It's been a whirlwind. The Nets, who previously had 10 players in health and safety protocols, suffered their third straight defeat on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was an absurd amount of unavailable players and part of the reason the team brass made the controversial decision to allow Kyrie Irving to return as a part-time player. Then when Irving showed up, he was next to test positive and be placed under COVID-19 protocols himself.
The first of the Big Three to return, James Harden led a shorthanded Nets in big wins on a recent road trip. But since they also got Kevin Durant back, they just can't buy a victory. So what's the deal here?
“Obviously, we'd love to have Kyrie back,” said Harden, following the 118-104 drubbing by Ja Morant and the upstart Grizzlies.
"He's just controlling the games… He's developed into a major scorer as well. He plays with great pace out there, plays with joy and enthusiasm, and you see him blossoming in front of our eyes."
-Game recognize game, Kevin Durant on Ja Morant's evolution. pic.twitter.com/90aKA9ax8I
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) January 4, 2022
The Beard finished with 19 points, eight assists, and five turnovers. He was just 5-of-14 from the floor in a poor team showing.
“He's a special, special talent,” said Harden on Irving's pending return, which could come as early as their next road tilt against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. “But there's things that we need to correct internally and individually that can help us. And then adding Kyrie back, it's gonna be more special.”
Clearly, Harden and the rest of the Nets are not assuming that Irving is going to show up and fix all of their problems.
"Obviously, we'd love to have Kyrie back. He's a special, special talent. But there's things that we need to correct internally and individually that can help us. And then adding Kyrie back, is gonna be more special."
-James Harden on Irving's return.
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) January 4, 2022
“We gotta do the things that's necessary to win games possession by possession individually,” said Harden.
But he did admit there will be a change in energy once the 2016 NBA champion is back.
“It definitely gives us a spark. We can't wait to have him back,” added the former MVP.
Harden also mentioned they need to get in the film room and make the necessary adjustments, especially on the defensive end. The Nets have been a surprisingly good defensive team this season. But not since they returned most of their guys, they've played some matador D.
“I just think 71 points in the second half is unacceptable,” said coach Steve Nash after the loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in their previous outing. “We just never really had the care factor. Turned it up, we had a chance (to win) and just took our foot off the gas and got what we deserved.”
When Morant, who had 36 points and eight assists, invaded Barclays Center, there was a similar low-energy vibe from the Nets.
“We know that can be an Achilles' heel for us,” said Nash on how many second-chance points the Grizzlies got. “We're not a serious team until we address it. It was another lesson for us tonight.”
Nash, however, also made sure he wasn’t too harsh on his players.
“And part of it is we can't panic. It's been a crazy period where we largely had 80, 90 percent of our team getting COVID, we transitioned three that were coming out of that, and it's just a big stop to the momentum of the season. So let's not overreact. But that was embarrassing tonight,” said Nash.
The Nets will certainly downplay the magnitude of this moment. They'll say the right things about how they can't turn to Irving as a savior. They'll mention their failure to make the right reads defensively. But we can guess a few things here. These Nets are exhausted. After playing so many minutes, after dealing with being tested for COVID-19 so frequently, missing time, losing rhythm, and having to scramble to find ways to win while missing a seven-time All-Star, it's inevitable that they want some relief here.
There is a natural tendency to take their foot off the gas knowing the lineup is about to get a major turbo infusion in a few days.
"He loves to play, he loves being out there with his teammates, so can't wait to see him out there. This is our livelihoods, this is something we dream about every day… I know there's a lot of emotions going through his head."
-Kevin Durant on Kyrie Irving's upcoming return. pic.twitter.com/ZzPMahwSGT
— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) January 4, 2022
“He loves to play, he loves being out there with his teammates,” said Durant on Irving's looming return. “So can't wait to see him out there. This is our livelihoods, this is something we dream about every day. I know there's a lot of emotions going through his head.”
With Irving finally set to return this week, here are the Nets' championship odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
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