Nets’ superstar era: It wasn’t nice while it lasted
Grand opening, grand closing. The superstar era in Brooklyn is over. When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the Nets in the summer of 2019, the organization made it clear this team was built to win a championship.
And by dealing Irving to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a pair of seconds, the Nets are declaring the exact opposite: that no number of championships is worth the headache the Nets knew would come with Irving the second they signed him to a four-year max contract.
Make no mistake: This situation is largely of Irving’s doing. The Nets’ patience had already worn thin before this latest act, and who could blame them? Irving appeared in less than half of all possible regular-season games since signing with the Nets.
The excuses have been largely unrelated to basketball: He got suspended eight games this season for posting a link to an anti-Semitic film on his social media channels; he missed the first 35 games of last season and was ineligible to play at Barclays Center until late March due to his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID; not to mention he took two weeks off for “personal reasons” after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol.
There is a sizable subsection of both the organization and the Nets fan base with the feelings of “good riddance” for a player who brought more drama than wins. The Nets only won one playoff series with Irving in town. His freak injury in the 2021 playoffs came during their only legitimate chance to win a title. His last game was a 43-point loss to the same Celtics team he left.
What a nightmare for the pair of stars who joined forces: both of their former teams have made Finals appearances since Durant and Irving made their respective moves. The Warriors defeated the Celtics in last year’s NBA Finals, and the Celtics are on pace to make a second consecutive appearance this season.
Meanwhile in Brooklyn, the idea of titles could be a thing of the past.
Championships are won with depth, with elite defense, and with good coaching. But supreme offensive talent always moves the needle. The Nets just surrendered one of the most supreme offensive talents in NBA history for a player in Dinwiddie they traded away in favor of more star power in the first place.
From a purely basketball perspective, the Nets became a much more well-rounded team after the deal, with both Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith projected to improve the team’s ability to defend and rebound. The same was said, however when they dealt James Harden to the 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks.
In truth, the Nets will never be better than they were when all three of Harden, Durant and Irving shared the floor. After claims that all three would be “signed, sealed and delivered” via contract extensions, it’s unclear whether Durant will even stick around beyond the trade deadline.
Simmons has not been not the star the Nets sold their fans. He is averaging about seven points, seven rebounds and six assists, has missed each of the last four games due to knee soreness and remains questionable for tonight’s matchup against the Clippers — another team that was in the Irving sweepstakes that understands it’s star power that moves the needle when chasing a title.
Which is why it’s over. Unless GM Sean Marks pulls a rabbit out of his back side — and to his credit, he is continuing to attempt to improve the roster via trade — the championship-or-bust declarations will all but certainly be the latter.
Depth can win games, but superstars win playoff series. Durant is as special a player as has walked the NBA, but against the likes of the Celtics, Bucks, Harden’s 76ers and, oh yes, those surging Cavaliers, the Nets now have ground to make up.
And once again, they’ll enter the second half of the season with words no fan wants to hear entering the playoffs: “We’re trying to build chemistry.”
“It doesn’t happen overnight.”