After all that the Nets have endured over the past year, you cannot deny that they have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and a strong supporting cast around them, the Nets certainly have enough talent to challenge any team in the league.
So when ESPN analyst JJ Redick questioned their status as title contenders on First Take this week, Stephen A. Smith made sure to call him out in front of the whole world.
Redick: “I’m not disputing that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are all-world talents. Nor am I disputing that Royce O’Neal on the wing and Ben Simmons on the wing give them some size. And they certainly have great shooting with Curry and Joe Harris. Unlike you, I am gonna look past them. So far, I have been provided with zero evidence that I should take the Nets seriously as a title contender.”
Smith: “You don’t even have them as a title contender?!” Smith responded. “The 4th or 5th [seed]? The blasphemy that is coming out of your mouth right now. Four or five teams in the Eastern Conference are better than the Brooklyn Nets? Oh, you’re going to regret that, brother. It’s not a good day for you, JJ Redick. 4th or 5th seed for the Brooklyn Nets?! Really?! That’s a mistake.”
JJ Redick: "So far, I have been provided with zero evidence that I should take the Nets seriously as a title contender."
Stephen A.: "You don't even have them as a title contender?! The 4th or 5th [seed]? Oh you're going to regret that, brother."pic.twitter.com/UhK807yvwF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 19, 2022
Just based on talent alone, the Nets have to be considered a threat. Despite how crazy the offseason was, they have seemingly put all of that behind them and are ready to compete to the best of their ability.
The Brooklyn Nets Are Ready To Leave Their Past Behind And Start The New Season Fresh
JJ wasn’t wrong to have some doubts about Brooklyn. How can they work together after such a chaotic summer? How can Durant work with Steve Nash after asking for his job? Needless to say, there are a lot of questions, but some believe they will all wash away once the season actually begins.
“I mean, just in general, I don’t really pay much attention to a lot of things that happened during the summer,” Spoelstra said on the Nets’ offseason drama. “There’s a lot of different emotions that happened after the season, and that’s why a lot of times the off season is just good for everybody to get away and decompress and then start over again. And there’s been plenty of examples in the league, where things happen and we get back together, and the games happen and you just start to start the season and a lot of things are forgotten.”
Only time will tell how far this Nets team will go. With so many variables to consider, it’s tough to predict how things will turn out this year.
But you can bet that if the Nets do make a run for the title, JJ’s comments are going to come back to haunt him for years to come.
