The Brooklyn Nets, after a strong start, have faltered a bit, finding themselves further down the Eastern Conference standings than they’d like more than halfway through the NBA season.
That has led to some members of the Nets venting their frustration in the media.
Following Brooklyn’s 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night, point guard Kyrie Irving lamented on the level of basketball opposing teams are playing against the Nets every night.
“From our side, it just looks as though we can overpower teams with just our talent alone, but that’s not going to get it done.” Irving said per The Sports Rush. “We gotta continue to do the little things and when teams are out there playing against us they know us very well and they’re making playoff adjustments.”
The Nets’ slightly disappointing performance on the court – which has them sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 29-22 record – can be traced in large part to the inability of their stars to stay on the court together. They remain just three games back of the no.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Kevin Durant and James Harden have missed a substantial amount of time this season due to injury, with Durant and Joe Harris currently out with leg injures for Brooklyn. Irving has only played 10 times this season for Brooklyn due to sitting out nearly the entire first half of the year due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Since his return in December, Irving is still only allowed to play road games because of New York City’s vaccine mandate.
The frustrations have also led to rumors of dissatisfaction in the locker room. Multiple reports indicate that Harden may want out of Brooklyn this offseason because of many issues, including Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated.
The Beard has since dismissed those claims. However, he does have a $47 million player option on his contract at the end of the season, and there is still a possibility he decides to test free agency for the time in his career.
The Nets will have the chance to bounce back from a tough stint of play on Friday night when they take on the Utah Jazz (31-21) on the road.
