Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts to a sequence.
There are hot takes and then there are scorched Earth takes and the Brooklyn Nets are on the receiving end of the latter courtesy of ESPN NBA insider Tim Bontemps. His polling of league executives sparked quite a debate on social media.
Bontemps expressed his belief that there is “literally nothing” Nets superstar Kevin Durant can do to win MVP this season due to his trade request this summer.
Durant was not among the top five vote-getters in Bontemps’ latest poll of league insiders.
The internet never forgets and, not only did Bontemps get ripped for the take in the face of Durant’s production, but he also had the www detectives pull receipts of similar takes from his past and evidence that disproves his theory in the NBA annals. All of it made for some interesting theater for the surging Nets.
Durant Responds To Critique
Nets fan @songonthebeach pointed to Bontemps’ take and proximity to voting on awards concluding that “every negative feeling players have for media is justified” which drew a response from Durant.
“This is truly hilarious,” Durant replied.
He did win the award in 2014 and currently ranks eighth in MVP odds, per VegasInsider.com, while putting up 30.4 points per game at a more efficient clip than any of the four scorers ranked higher.
Another fan, @brooklynnets85, pointed out that the late great Kobe Bryant won MVP in 2008 following a tumultuous offseason that saw him request a trade to the Chicago Bulls after the Los Angeles Lakers were booted from the first round of the playoffs in five games by the Phoenix Suns.
Durant’s personal history with the media can also be described as tenuous at best with public spats reaching the heights of Fox Sports 1’s ‘Undisputed’ host, Skip Bayless.
“We can survive without spoiled, entitled clickbait media, Durant replied to another user who was questioning where professional sports would be without the media to cover it, “there are some good people who simply love to cover the sport.”
Durant Leading the Charge
While Durant is barely in the top 10 in MVP voting right now, that could soon change – and quickly – if the Nets keep up their winning ways. They have won 10 of their last 11 outings after a 9-11 start thanks in no small part to 32.7 PPG from Durant, the fourth-most in the league in that span.
@BrooklynNets Kevin Durant: 43 PTS, 6 REB, 3 T3
Kyrie Irving: 38 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 5 T3
6⃣ Triunfos en fila para los @BrooklynNets
It is the only way Bontemps’ theory will get tested, though he held similar views about Durant’s former teammate James Harden, points out Billy Reinhardt of Glushon Sports Management, an agency that boasts several high-profile NBA clients.
It’s flawed, emotional, and immature. Kevin Durant is an MVP candidate this year like Harden was that year,” Reinhardt tweeted. “Just another example of an awards voter seeking a narrative to explain his choices rather than simply observing the game and studying the numbers.
Harden did not receive any first-place votes in 2021, the year he was traded to the Nets from the Houston Rockets.
Difference of Opinion
While Harden’s trade came during the season while Durant’s failed plan came in the summer as Brooklyn also had to deal with other controversies which Durant said played a big role in his demand.
He questioned the direction of the organization and even demanded the firing of general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
The latter of whom stepped down on November 1 amid a 2-5 start to the campaign.
Bontemps’ comments are sure to come back into the spotlight down the road. And there is a good chance Durant will have something to say if they do – he has never shied away from addressing his detractors before. It will be especially interesting if the Nets are in contention for the East when all is said and done.