Getty RJ Barrett and Kevin Durant are facing off.
The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets face off on November 9, and it will be the first meeting between the cross-town rivals of the year.
Although we’re barely into the season, the Nets are going through a lot already. The team has let go of head coach Steve Nash, suspended Kyrie Irving, and gotten off to a slow start. At the time of the firing, the Nets were sitting at 2-5 with no hope in sight.
The Knicks are just about where they were expected to be a 5-5, and this game against the Nets will be a good measuring stick. Adding Jalen Brunson has clearly made the Knicks better, but that hasn’t shown up in the wins column like some fans hoped it would have.
Ahead of the game against the Nets, star forward RJ Barrett shed some light on the upcoming matchup, and warned fans they will “still be a problem.”
Barrett Downplays It
The Nets might look like a mess with a rusty and injured Ben Simmons, no Irving and an interim coach, but they are still a talented team.
Barrett already spoke about Nash’s firing, and he’s trying not to focus too much on the drama swirling around the Knicks’ rival.
“I’m just really focused on us,” he said via the New York Post. “Whatever happened over there, that’s their problems,” Barrett said. “We’re good over here, trying to figure it out.”
There are probably not many teams around the league who would’ve liked be in the Nets’ situation, and that could play into players and coaches saying they are trying to stay out of it all.
With that said, Barrett cites Kevin Durant as a reason the team is still dangerous, and he has a point there.
“They still got Kevin Durant, so they’re a problem,” Barrett said. “We have to come in locked in, and just come in ready.”
Durant has been very solid to start the year, and so has Irving but it hasn’t resulted in a ton of success for the Nets. Knicks fans will be hoping it stays that.
Knicks Waiting to Get Healthy
The Knicks thought they were going to be coming into the new season fully healthy, but things quickly went off the rails for them. While Derrick Rose is back, the team has now lost Mitchell Robinson to injury.
His knee injury isn’t expected to keep him out for long, but it does mean the Knicks have to give Jericho Sims more minutes than initially expected. Fortunately for them, the Nets aren’t exactly deep at the center position, so they might be able to survive Robinson’s absence for a game there.
Durant will be tough to stop as Quentin Grimes is still getting back to full health, and he’s questionable for the matchup. If he does play, he’ll have his hands very full if he’s tasked with defending Durant.
On the other hand, the Nets will have to figure out how to slow down the new look Knicks led by Brunson.