When the season began, many betting sites predicted that the Brooklyn Nets were going to the NBA Finals and could win it all.
Now the team is eighth in the Eastern Conference and is struggling to survive.
The Brooklyn Nets' 11-game losing streak is the longest in NBA history for a team that was 10 games over .500 pic.twitter.com/pmZnwk92JD
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) February 13, 2022
There is still plenty of season left and many ways that the Nets can come back and be just as impressive and powerful as they were destined to be.
But the fact that they have fallen so far in the standings is downright shocking and alarming to fans.
What is plaguing the team and do they really have a chance at turning it all around?
No Durant, Big Problem
The loss of Kevin Durant just cannot be overstated enough.
Durant has been out for weeks but is on the mend recovering from an MCL sprain.
Kevin Durant addressing us for the first time since his MCL. Said he's getting better with each week, but it's been a slow process.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) February 12, 2022
He is expected to return at some point after the All-Star Game.
For fans of Brooklyn, his return cannot come fast enough.
Durant is the glue that holds the entire team together.
He is the man who makes the plays, who takes the best shots, who can perform on both ends of the court.
Oh, and he’s also just a terrific basketball player too and an asset to the team in literally every way.
He might be soft-spoken, but Durant is still a team leader for Brooklyn – and that’s something they desperately need.
The other team leaders are not available: James Harden was just traded to the Philadelphia 76ers and Kyrie Irving can only play half of the time because of his COVID-19 vaccine status.
Therefore, the heaviest load rests on Durant’s shoulders.
You can see that without him, the Nets don’t know how to function.
They immediately become a sloppy mess when Durant is off the floor.
The fact that so many of the problems with Brooklyn can be traced back to Durant is both good and bad.
It’s good because he will return and there is plenty of reason to believe he will help the team achieve victories again.
But the bad news is that if he is sidelined at another point in the season, the team will slip back into the rut they are currently in.
If Durant is going to be the superstar he is, he will need other players to step up and help lead.
Will They Turn It Around?
Should Nets fans be panicking right now and looking ahead to next season?
No, not at all.
Durant is a major piece of this puzzle and fans should only freak out if he returns and Brooklyn still has problems.
It is also important to remember that Durant isn’t the only missing player: Joe Harris is still out and LaMarcus Aldridge keeps getting hurt too.
So the situation is rough but it’s not as dire as some think.
Still, the clock is ticking and while the Nets still have time to make things right, they will have to play with enthusiasm and a near flawless level for the rest of the season if they hope to make it to the Finals.
They can do it but it won’t be easy.
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