The Brooklyn Nets have now dropped their 10th consecutive game but never before does a massive losing streak feels like such an afterthought.
James Harden is on the move, heading to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he apparently wanted to be for some time now. Most of the reports hinted that the 10-time All-Star had a wandering eye and grew increasingly disgruntled about his role with the Nets. There were also reports that Kyrie Irving's role as a part-time player frustrated the three-time scoring champion as well.
After the game, a 113-112 loss to the Washington Wizards, the now 8th seeded Nets were allowed to comment about the blockbuster trade that was finally made official. And Irving took the high road, opting to send nothing but love to Harden. He may have also sprinkled in a few more clues about what was joked about as a “divorce.”
“I think that we can say our peace to James (Harden) and wish him well,” said Irving, who finished with 31 points, five rebounds, and six assists. “Ultimately for me, I just want everybody to be happy and do things that they love to do and be a part of things that they can see themselves being successful at and it probably wasn't here with us. And he made a choice and we respect him for it, no love lost.”
Cam Thomas stepped up for the Nets and dropped 27 points to help the team stay in the hunt despite being down with many key players. Kevin Durant hasn't suited up since January 15 and we can only imagine how things might have played out differently if he never sprained his MCL. His absence totally cratered the Nets.
It wouldn't have been shocking had Irving exhibited a bit more frustration than he did. The Nets had a dream of a Big Three at one point. It seems crazy how something always popped up to get in the way of that vision. One player or another always seemed to be hurt, and that was before Irving wasn't eligible to play because of his vaccination status.
“You never really know what people are going through or what they're going to decide to do. You got to sit back and respect their wishes,” added Irving. “That's what I do. For James we've had so much history in our day and age even playing together or even just watching each other from afar and it's a mutual respect. I can't really say that you feel that in the locker room, so to say, but we get hints. So we just wish him well. And we want him to be ultimately successful and now we move forward with the guys that are coming in.”
That part about getting hints is the most intriguing here. It sounds as if Irving is alluding to picking up a certain vibe that The Beard stopped feeling with the Nets. Still, it doesn't sound like the team was fully prepared for the change of heart. Maybe Harden kept things relatively close to the vest here.
“That's not really my place in terms of trying to convince somebody of something that they probably can't see right now. James probably couldn't see what we were getting into, obviously with my status being in-and-out, you know I saw a few things that maybe could have impacted things, but who knows,” said Irving.
This nugget is the most interesting of all. Irving pertained to his own status, being “in-and-out” as something that Harden probably couldn't see coming. This part feels like an acknowledgment that Irving's own lack of full-time availability was a vital source of frustration for Harden in the break-up.
There was specific phrasing in a report by Sam Amick and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic talking about how Harden envisioned himself being part of a three-headed monster:
He came to Brooklyn expecting to be part of a three-headed monster, yet has played a similar role to what was required of him in Houston: having to be the guy.
Irving also said he may have “saw a few things” that might have impacted the way things played out. That has us really curious wondering what might have happened. Was there some locker room beef? Was there a disagreement between Harden and Durant about his role or the way he plays? Some of the reports pointed to Harden's style of play clashing with the way the Nets ultimately want to run their offense. Is Irving saying he picked up on a vibe?
Maybe Irving picked up on that somewhere between mid-January and their current losing streak. For one brief night with the Big Three, the Nets looked simply unbeatable in a big win over the Chicago Bulls. Then KD got hurt, then they started losing. Then Harden picked up a few nagging injuries. Then boom, he's now with a new team.
“I'm not here to judge him,” said Irving. “I'm not here to talk bad on James, he has a great family, he's a great person and I don't want to separate that fact from anything I just really want him to be happy.”
In the end, Irving noted how he has his own things going on and that informs his opinion and helps him be a more empathetic person. He also brought up the fact that he once requested a trade as well so he can relate.
But we'd better bookmark our calendars for the next time the Nets and Sixers meet. It was already must-see TV when Durant and Joel Embiid last squared off. They took turns waving at each other off their own courts. If everyone gets to play on March 10, it's going to be absolutely insane.
Simmons' return to Philadelphia, Harden's first game against the Nets since the trade, Irving eligible as a road player, and who knows, maybe Durant would be healthy and back in his MVP mode. Get your popcorn.
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