In 2019, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both signed with the Brooklyn Nets in an attempt to win a championship together. That has not worked out for them so far: the Brooklyn Nets lost in the second round to the Milwaukee Bucks last season, and they have now been swept by the Boston Celtics this season. They lost Game 4, 112-116.
A lot of fans and analysts took the opportunity to roast Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving after they got swept by the Boston Celtics. Rob Perez even took the opportunity to point out that since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving joined the Nets, they have only won 1 playoff series.
The KD slander on this app is about to be GENERATIONAL.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 26, 2022
it’s been 1029 days since KD & Kyrie signed with the Brooklyn Nets and they have won 1 playoff series total.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 26, 2022
The Nets really just got swept in the first round.
Madness. pic.twitter.com/7gn0gwzm5b
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 26, 2022
At the beginning of the season, not a lot of people expected the Brooklyn Nets to get swept. They had an elite big three of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, and on paper, that was enough star power to win the championship. However, paper doesn’t win championships, and sometimes even talented teams can fail if they are unable to build up chemistry during the season.
It remains to be seen what sort of steps the Brooklyn Nets will take from here. Kyrie Irving will be a free agent this offseason if he ends up declining his player option, and it’s likely that re-signing him should be a priority. There is no doubt that he is still a fantastic player that would be a perfect co-star for Kevin Durant.
The roster overhaul that is likely to come should focus on pairing defensive players next to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The team’s defense has been criticized a lot, and neither Kevin Durant nor Kyrie Irving are known for being prolific on that end of the floor. They should be able to get Ben Simmons back next season though, so that will definitely help them improve defensively.
Hopefully, we see the Brooklyn Nets do better next season. There’s no doubt that Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in theory are a duo that can win a championship, and we’ll see how the team approaches achieving that goal.
