KD and Kyrie: The Brooklyn Way
The wait is over! 18 months after Kevin Durant tore his Achilles as part of the Golden State Warriors, he returned to the court in a Brooklyn Nets uniform facing his former team. Everybody knew the potential of what kind of offensive threat Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving could be and now they get the chance to finally put it on display. When you have two players who can score from anywhere on the court it puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses.
“This is the start of something new right here.”@KyrieIrving gives the game ball to Coach @SteveNash ? pic.twitter.com/lOQrmCKmXH
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 23, 2020
Irving came out the gate smoking hot scoring 26 points in 25 minutes, including 17 in the first quarter and 24 in the first half. Durant had 10 points in the first five minutes of the game and finished with 22 points in 25 minutes.
I tried not to make too big a deal out of this whole thing and realize I’ve been playing this game since I was 8 years old, so just got to revert back to what I know.
Durant said.
It’s only been one game for the Nets, but when you have this type of offensive firepower you have to place this team amongst the top contenders right away. Two players won’t be able to carry the entire load by themselves. The Nets have a good supporting cast who work hard and do the dirty work needed for team success. Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris Levert are battle-tested and can get buckets on their own, Joe Harris is a knockdown shooter who can’t be left open and DeAndre Jordan is a defensive anchor who rebounds and alters shots at a high clip.
KD returns and makes his Nets debut ?
Kevin Durant drops 22 PTS in 3 quarters of action as the @BrooklynNets top GSW top open the season! #KiaTipOff20 pic.twitter.com/kwCUOWN1SP
— NBA (@NBA) December 23, 2020
A few weeks ago the Nets were rumored to be interested in trading for James Harden. It doesn’t appear that they would need him in my opinion. They currently have a solid core of players who complement each other well. Bringing on Harden would disrupt that chemistry and throw them into a tailspin at this point.
Kyrie is dancing on the Warriors ? pic.twitter.com/b1gj218XEr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 23, 2020
Of course, remaining healthy will be the determining factor on how far this Nets team can go. They will need Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to both remain healthy if they want to contend for a Championship. Given both player’s history, it will be tough but possible. Additionally, rookie coach Steve Nash will also be tested by stronger defense and better teams than the Warriors.
It’s going to be fun to watch Basketball in Brooklyn. It’s the start of something special in the Barclays arena and the NYC is excited again. Let’s see what happens… Get your popcorn ready!
**** Cover Art created by @theimageicons