Getty Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving converse during the Nets loss to the Mavericks.
The Brooklyn Nets were optimistic coming into this year after their 2021-22 season was filled with turmoil. But this season might already be more tumultuous than any year in the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving era. The Nets have struggled to find their footing and have a record of just 2-6 over their first eight games.
To make matters worse, on November 3, the Nets announced that they would be suspending their star point guard Kyrie Irving for at least five games for his initial refusal to apologize for sharing the link to a film that featured several anti-Semitic tropes. Things are unraveling quickly in Nets World.
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Kevin Durant Frustrated With Ben Simmons Struggles
One thing the Nets were excited about entering the season was the debut of three-time All-Star Ben Simmons, who they acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to the Sixers last February. Simmons didn’t make his debut last season after a herniated disc in his back held him out all year and required him to have surgery during the offseason.
According to ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Simmons has become a “source of frustration” for Durant. He has already missed two games due to knee soreness and is scheduled to miss Brooklyn’s next two games for the same injury.
But it is not just Simmons’ unavailability that has become a bother. He has had lackluster performances when he has played. On the season, Simmons is averaging just 6.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, showing he is not ready to be a key contributor to a championship contender.
“Ben Simmons has been a source of frustration for Kevin Durant for others on the Nets so far because he has been unable to stay on the floor but prior to that, he has shown that he’s a long way away from being back to an impactful player,” Wojnarowski said on the November 4 edition of SportsCenter (H/T Clutch Points).
“Ben Simmons has been a source of frustration for Kevin Durant, for others on the Nets so far, because he’s been unable to stay on the floor, but prior to that, he has shown that he’s a long way away from being back to an impactful player.”
– @wojespn
Kyrie Became ‘Albatross’ Before His Suspension
Before the Nets suspended him, Kyrie had been one of the few bright spots for the team this year. On the season, he is averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. An absolute masterclass on both ends of the floor from the Nets star.
But Irving’s brilliance throughout the season made his performance in the team’s last game against the Chicago Bulls even more of a head-scratcher. He shot just 2-12 from the field and 0-6 from beyond the arc, as he had a season-low 4 points in the Nets’ loss to the Bulls.
According to ESPN’s Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne Irving became ‘albatross’ in the wake of the backlash he received from his controversial tweet.
“Irving had become an albatross around his team, too. He had played a listless game Tuesday in a loss to the Chicago Bulls, leaving his teammates and opponents to privately describe him as disengaged and seemingly “in another world.” For a player averaging 30 points and shooting at almost every opportunity, Irving didn’t make a basket until the fourth quarter,” Shelburne and Wojnarowski write.
“He had been distant to everyone in recent days, sources said, his presence feeling like an anvil hanging over everyone.”
The Nets have already had a rocky start to the season. It will be interesting to see if they can turn it around in their next game.
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Kevin Durant Frustrated With Nets Co-Star Amid Early Struggles: Report