Kyrie Irving is hoping to lead the Nets and maintain their strong record in the absence of Kevin Durant, with whom the Nets were on an 18-2 run in their last 20 games. However, since KD has gone out, the Nets have fallen 0-2 after their loss tonight to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
KD suffered the same injury around the same time last season when the Nets were leading the Eastern Conference. However, without KD, the Nets lost 11 consecutive games and had fallen into the play-in by the time he returned. That time was also marked by locker room instability, with Kyrie Irving not being allowed to play and James Harden getting disgruntled at the situation and asking for a trade.
Irving assured the media that the same losing streak won’t happen this year, as this time they don’t have any players who are ‘halfway in’ in the locker room.
Kyrie on why KD's absence is different this year: "Well I'm consistently in the lineup, that helps. We also don't have anyone who is halfway in in the locker room."
— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) January 16, 2023
Given what happened with Harden’s departure from Brooklyn, it’s widely assumed this quote is about him. However, Irving was also halfway through last season as he was unable to play in that time to take the pressure off Harden due to the vaccine mandate. Harden and Irving were said to have no bad blood after the Nets’ situation led to the Ben Simmons trade.
Can The Nets Hold On This Season?
The loss against OKC was the Nets’ second consecutive loss without Kevin Durant, a worrying sign for the team. KD’s role both offensively and defensively this season has been incredible and the Nets are clearly missing that contribution on the court.
Irving has had some big moments this season, working his way into possibly being an NBA All-Star Starter after getting suspended for a massive off-court controversy earlier this season. He needs to show that he can ensure the Nets are the second seed in the East (what they were when KD went down) when he comes back.
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