Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets have had a very interesting summer together. Irving was the first player to want out of the Nets after the team didn’t give him the max contract extension Irving thought he deserves. The Nets reservations over Kyrie’s availability through the season were valid ones and Kyrie is coming into this season playing to re-establish his value in the league.
The Nets had a disastrous exit from the 2022 playoffs when their team collapsed against the Boston Celtics and became the only team in the entirety of the 2022 playoffs to be swept. Irving has had his fair share of losses in the playoffs before, but he said he had never been so embarrassed leaving the court before in his career.
Kyrie Irving on the Celtics sweep: "It was one of the first times I've been embarrassed leaving the court."
— Matt Brooks (@MattBrooksNBA) September 26, 2022
No matter what happened in Brooklyn last season, nobody thought that the Nets would struggle to even win a single playoff game. Out of the 16 teams that entered the 2022 playoffs, the Nets were the only team to leave without even one win.
Can Kyrie Irving Overcome His Former Team This Season?
Despite the dysfunction in Brooklyn, the team stands a good chance to be a top contender again this season. They’ve added wings like Royce O’Neale and TJ Warren, with Ben Simmons also making his much-awaited debut for the team.
The Celtics are currently going through a scandal where head coach Ime Udoka has been suspended for an entire season for having a relationship with a subordinate on the Celtics’ staff. Even with the issues in Brooklyn, they can be one of the teams that can take advantage of the issues in Boston and establish themselves as the best team in the East.
There are a lot of question marks with the Nets and especially Kyrie Irving going into the 2022-23 season. All everyone can hope for is good health for this incredible team that might see everything they worked for collapse if Irving walks away for nothing in the 2023 offseason.
