Any NBA analyst who views the Brooklyn Nets current 11-game winning streak as a prelude to the 2023 Champuionship is delusional. And my argument centers on the (so-called) Big-3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons.
The well-respected Nets coach, Jacques Vaughn, has his work cut out for him. It all starts with 34-year-old Kevin Durant. The 12-time All-Star's time to shine is fading, although he still plays like a much-younger version of himself. But Durant is now with his fourth NBA team and always seems to be trying to add yet another Title to his credit. He asked to be traded last summer, but later rescinded that request. If the losses return, he may ask out.
Kyrie Irving? When Irving was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2017, many analysts felt he could be a franchise player in Beantown, but he never committed to one of the top sports franchises ever - and after causing much disruption - chose to head to Brooklyn. He had originally asked for a trade (prior to going to Boston) to stop playing second fiddle to Lebron James in Cleveland. He is back in that situation in the shadow of Durant.
The third prong of Brooklyn's Big-3, Ben Simmons, just can't seem to find a position or team that suits him. Usually listed as a 6'10" point guard, Simmons can play various spots on the floor, but injuries and what can only be described as "mental unsteaduness" - and the unwillingness to take shots from any distance - have attached many question marks to his future in the League.
There you have it. The structure of the Brooklyn Nets team is fragile. Future injuries and/or a string of losses could very well rupture the tenuous underpinnings of that structure.
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