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The Defense-less Brooklyn Nets

Sixers Doing So Well, I Forgot That We Had Opps

Well now. What do we have here?

I’ve been aware of this talking point but I chose to leave it alone. That way if the Brooklyn Nets continued to reinforce it, I know it’s not a troll job.

There were signs of trouble when Colin Sexton and the Cavaliers went off on them in back to back games. There was the absolute horror show and debacle against Russell Westbrook and the Washington Wizards. Mixed in with losses to the Raptors and the Detroit Pistons.

During the loss to the Detroit Pistons, James Harden and Deandre Jordan were seen apparently getting in to it during a timeout.

We do this weird thing in NBA culture where, if you’re a super talented team, we don’t believe that you can fail until the dying seconds of a 4th quarter close out game. Plenty of examples to choose from. Last year’s Los Angeles Clippers embodied this. Everything that could be wrong was wrong. A split between long time players and the new star arrivals. Injuries. Lack of chemistry resulting in Kawhi Leonard chewing out Landry Shamet.

The 2018/19 Boston Celtics were the same way. A split between Kyrie and the younger guys. The coach shoe-horning Gordon Hayward back in to the line-up. Then it came crashing down in that 2nd round against the Milwaukee Bucks.

I don’t want to celebrate early and jinx my team because the Sixers may definitely have issues stopping a team with elite guard play, as evidenced by Damian Lillard’s 30 point explosion against Philly. However it’s like everything that could be wrong with Brooklyn Nets is going wrong.

Their three all-stars? Haven’t been on the court together. Late game defense? Looking shaky. The lone defensive stalwart on the team in Deandre Jordan? Looking old and uninterested.

To add to this Kyrie Irving said during the post game conference against the Pistons that the Nets “we’re an average team at best”. At this point it’s time for some accountability.

I’m not coming down on Irving because it’s Irving but you can click and read this blog entry in which I specifically said that the Nets needed to not rouse the interest of the media, and in particular, those obstinate New York beat reporters. They don’t need to be obstinate if you’re just going to give them the headline.

To be fair, the Nets have done plenty to kick the hornets nets that is the media, like signing James Harden for instance but the handling of the media was one of the sticking points of this Brooklyn experiment even before Harden joined and they’re not doing well with it.

Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard attempted to explain this as some kind of a positive on First Thing’s First with Nick Wright, so you know you should be worried. Nick Wright berating Brandon Marshall and Broussard about the Nets defense is definitely a highlight and a segment to look forward to. Predicting the Nets defense was going to lack wasn’t hard but it’s how right and damn near prophetic they’ve made Nick Wright seem just by being bad at defense.

Kevin Durant hasn’t helped much after tweeted “free me” as a form of mini-protest when the NBA pulled him from the Pistons game, due to a covid scare. Harden is trying to remain cool-headed and says the team “needs to be good not great at defense”.

What can go wrong is going wrong.

Here’s a really cool vid by youtuber Dom2k breaking down the Nets poor defense against the Pistons.

If you’re a Sixer fan, there’s no way you’re not in heaven right now. Everything that could go right is going right. That’s not a familiar feeling for that fans base.

#nba #nba2020 #brooklyn nets #kevin durant #james harden #kyrie irving