Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Sacramento Kings
The Brooklyn Nets are now holding the largest losing streak in the NBA with 8, after picking up a 20-point loss to the Nuggets on Sunday night.
Concerns are growing at an all time high with the Brooklyn Nets as they have dropped 8 consecutive games in the wake of superstar forward Kevin Durant’s injury. Durant has not played since January 15th due to an MCL sprain and the team has struggled to find success without him, going 2-10 since his injury, including the 8-game losing streak they currently sit on.
Coming into the season, the Nets were favorites to win the championship, but the league has barely seen a glimmer of this potential this season, with the team currently sitting in a play-in spot at 7th in the east.
Worries of the team’s current position have been rapidly circulating around the organization to the point players have gone public with comments of their play this season. When asked about the level of concern after losing 8 straight, Nets’ bigman Blake Griffin stoutly responded “very high.”
The issues with the Nets’ core extends far beyond Durant’s injury as each piece of Brooklyn’s three-headed monster is going through their personal struggles magnified under the lights of New York basketball.
James Harden has found himself in the limelight recently with reports putting him in potential trade talks linked to the Philadelphia 76ers. Aside from the trade rumors, Harden has struggled mightily during this stretch, losing all four of the last games he suited up for, most notably the blowout loss to the Kings in which Harden arguably had the worst performance of career, and essentially gave up on the team partway through the game.
Mixed in with Harden’s injury and rumors of being traded, the most stress-inducing star of Brooklyn’s big three has far and away been Kyrie Irving. Since the Net’s perennial fourth best player Joe Harris was all but ruled out for the remainder of the season, the weight of performance has laid heavier on each of the three stars to hold, and none have fumbled the weight as much as Irving.
Still refusing to follow New York’s covid-19 vaccine mandates, Irving has not been vaccinated, making him unavailable for all of the Nets’ home games. This issue has been an issue from day one of the season, but not nearly as prevalent until the team’s other two stars have missed time with injuries.
Irving’s performance with the team can only be so impactful with him being available to suit up for just 12 of the 29 games the Nets have remaining on their schedule, and will be unable to play a home game in the playoffs as long as New York’s vaccine mandates are in place.
Irving’s concerns aren’t as high, and puts his focus more on taking it one day at a time. When asked about the level of concern and the focus from his team, he said “first thing’s first, just getting healthy, then setting up our team for the rest of this season, post-trade deadline.”
Chemistry issues have been the main concern for the organization, as the big three has shockingly only played 16 games together since Harden was traded from the Rockets before the trade deadline last year. With Durant out at least past the all star game, Harden in trade rumors, and Irving incapable to play in any home games, the problem isn’t solving itself as the Nets are fighting for a spot in the playoffs as of today.
