Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets have officially arrived.
It was only one game, but the Brooklyn Nets did prove one thing in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s debut as a duo...the hype is real.
When a team has two guys who can score from any spot on the floor to the point of completely breaking an opposing team’s defense, they need to be mentioned amongst the contenders immediately. Especially when the stars are also surrounded by depth.
Joe Harris is a brilliant complement as a shooter, and Caris LeVert appears poised to win the Sixth Man of the Year award as the guy off the bench. The rest of the Nets were a playoff team prior to adding KD and Kyrie after all. But ultimately the squad will go as far as they do.
However, each is a proven playoff performer. Durant looks all the way back already, which instantly puts him in the upper echelon of NBA superstars. While Kyrie clearly thrives as the second guy, and for someone who said he wants his play to do the talking, he was screaming against Golden State.
Now, of course, the Nets need to keep this up against better competition than the Warriors. And eventually, their defense will be tested, though I think KD will help there a lot more than people realized. Plus, rookie coach Steve Nash’s calm confidence will surely be tested at some point this season.
But this is obviously a team with championship-level talent, and one that clearly should no longer be considering a James Harden trade.
The Brooklyn Nets have officially arrived. Or as a famous Brooklynite once said, they’re already home.