It was the largest sport Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving ever performed as teammates, the load of their Brooklyn experiment hanging within the stability.
And like a 39-year-old Brooklyn hipster in a basement condo with a Harvard diploma, they underachieved.
What a tragic strategy to exit. Durant and Irving every had a measly 16 factors in Saturday’s 109-103 loss to the Celtics, leaving the Nets in a 3-0 gap within the first spherical. As you realize, zero NBA groups have overcome that deficit. These Nets, missing spine or sensible changes on this collection, don’t appear to be the crew to interrupt that streak.
“Just a sh—ty game, man,” Durant mentioned. “A sh—ty game.”
They misplaced at dwelling Saturday, misplaced when it mattered most, misplaced after they had two off-days to determine a scheme for Boston’s swarming protection. The Brooklyn catastrophe ended with the group chanting “Let’s Go Celtics” and “MVP” for Jayson Tatum, who was the one true star on both roster with 39 factors.
It demonstrated that every one that stuff the Nets downplayed really issues. The common season, as an example, issues. The Nets handled it as an afterthought till the top, and have been pressured to present heavy and intense minutes down the stretch to Irving and Durant. Guess who has appeared drained on this collection? Coach Steve Nash additionally blamed the fatigue on Irving fasting on Ramadan. The coach didn’t point out a significant motive the Nets needed to struggle for a spot within the play-in match — as a result of Irving refused to get vaccinated.
Coaching additionally issues. Nash was employed with no teaching expertise for a win-now window, and he has been outclassed by Celtics coach Ime Udoka. Instead of discovering Durant higher seems Saturday, the previous MVP was even much less concerned. He was largely a decoy within the first half whereas enjoying off the ball, after which struggled to create any area when offered the chance. Durant managed simply 11 photographs, or eight fewer than teammate Bruce Brown. It was a weird technique and counterintuitive to carrying one of many NBA’s biggest gamers on the roster.
Durant mentioned he devised the plan after watching movie of his disappointing performances in Game 1 and a couple of.
“The first two games I was trying to be too aggressive. And watching film, a lot of my teammates were open,” Durant mentioned. “My strategy to this sport was to play off everybody. Get into the circulate of the offense and let the ball discover me.
“I’ve just been thinking too much this whole series, to be honest.”
Durant was second-guessing himself. Nash by no means modified the sport plan.
“Maybe that was the wrong decision,” Durant mentioned. “Maybe I should’ve been more aggressive to score.”
Roster building additionally issues. GM Sean Marks traded for a participant, Ben Simmons, with a historical past of again issues who hadn’t logged a single minute this season. Simmons was once more in road garments Saturday, apparently able to make his Nets debut in Game 4. Two days too late. Simmons’ whole season has been a painstaking “ramp-up,” a phrase typically utilized by Nash and now tough to disassociate with a stair ramp for fragile of us with walkers.
“They’re just bigger than us,” Durant mentioned concerning the Celtics.
Simmons, by the best way, is 6-10.
For all of the reward heaped on Marks, the truth is he owns only one playoff collection victory in six-plus years because the GM. Billy King completed the identical for the Nets in fewer seasons. Marks sacrificed his “culture” to appease Durant and Irving, throwing Kenny Atkinson to the curb and overseeing an surroundings James Harden wished desperately to ditch.
Now Marks is into his third season after signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It hasn’t gone in keeping with plan.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com