Ever since the start of the NBA free agency period several weeks ago, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant has wanted out, and he didn’t waver or rescind his trade request.
Until now, that is.
On Tuesday, Nets general manager Sean Marks issued a statement that meant, in essence, Durant will be returning to the Nets for the 2022-23 season.
In a statement from Nets GM Sean Marks: "We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
After June 30 trade request, Kevin Durant will stay with the Nets. https://t.co/V0rd8fSQLr
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 23, 2022
This news has come as a relief to Nets fans, who feared the would-be superteam the organization has assembled would be dismantled without accomplishing anything of note.
In two seasons together, Durant and Kyrie Irving have won only one playoff series.
However, after winning that first-round series in 2021, they lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks by the slimmest of margins – after Irving went out with an injury and with James Harden hampered by a hamstring ailment.
Now that Brooklyn is running it back, it is officially back in the running for the NBA title.
The question is, where does the team rank among the big powers of the Eastern Conference?
The Nets Have Lots Of Potential
Even as he nears age 34, Durant is still arguably the best player in basketball.
He averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game last season while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range.
After all these years, he is still about as smooth a player as he’s always been, and even three years after tearing his Achilles, he has seemingly lost none of his ability, especially on the offensive end.
Kevin Durant is STAYING with the Nets 👀
pic.twitter.com/dG6S8DENkY— Bet The Hoops (@betthehoops) August 23, 2022
Meanwhile, Irving is in his prime, having put up 27.4 points a game and shooting a career-high 41.8 percent from downtown in the 2021-22 season.
The intriguing piece on the Nets is Ben Simmons, who is perhaps the NBA’s biggest enigma.
He is an elite defender and can push the finish, finish at the rim, pass and rebound at a very high level, but he cannot and will not take shots, let alone make shots outside of the paint.
Easy to forget how elite Ben Simmons’ defense is. Unnatural perimeter mobility and ball screen navigation at 6’10 240. 99th percentile matchup difficulty, 96th defensive versatility. Also a freight train in transition/perfect fit next to elite scorers.
What’s his outlook in BRK? pic.twitter.com/nOY2s2j7z2
— NBA University (@NBA_University) August 24, 2022
After back surgery a few months ago, he is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, and if he has his head on straight, he can seriously elevate this Brooklyn team.
There Are More Proven Teams In The East
The Bucks, who won the world championship just a calendar year ago, still look like the most well-rounded team in the Eastern Conference, and the Boston Celtics, coming off a trip to the NBA Finals two months ago, have added Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari.
The Nets as presently constituted haven’t played a single game together, and thus no one knows exactly how good they will be.
Plus, they have had a problem over the last couple of years – defense.
Brooklyn was 19th in defensive rating last season and 23rd the year prior, and they have also been a weak defensive rebounding team.
Head coach Steve Nash can talk about playing fast-break basketball all he wants, but as the old saying goes, you cannot run if you don’t have the ball.
For that reason alone, the Nets deserve to rank as the third-best team in the conference, at least for now.
NEXT: Nets GM Sean Marks Received The Best Birthday Gift