In two weeks, the Brooklyn Nets will kick off their highly anticipated 2020-21 campaign as they take on the Golden State Warriors on opening night of the new NBA season.
Leading the charge for the Nets will be the dynamic tandem of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, two players with championship experience and future title aspirations in Brooklyn.
The Nets are no strangers to high expectations and playoff hopes, but this new squad has a different aura about it heading into the new year with those two superstars and a new-look coaching staff leading the charge.
“I would say this is the most anticipated season in Nets history. With everything that was done last offseason combined with the moves made this offseason, I can’t think of a year where Nets fans felt like they were part of the overall conversation about the league more so than this year,” said Nets play-by-play man Ian Eagle in a media conference call Tuesday.
“What we’ve seen in recent years in this league is you’ve got to have the horses to win it all. You’ve got to have the horses,” Eagle continued. “The Nets have true superstars on their roster, and that’s why they keep getting mentioned in the same breath with other teams that are very much in the championship conversation.”
“The amount of enthusiasm, excitement, interest and really just pride in seeing what type of basketball [the Nets] put on the floor is something that I can’t wait for,” said Nets analyst Sarah Kustok. “Without a doubt I think it’s the most highly anticipated season I have been a part of covering any sport and any team.”
As the Nets welcome back Irving and work Durant into the fold in 2020-21, the two former NBA champions will be tasked with helping lead a battle-tested Brooklyn roster deep into the playoffs in their first season playing alongside one another.
“We saw the Lakers win a championship with two stars -- mind you two of the top-five players in the league -- and let’s say a modest supporting cast,” said Richard Jefferson. “If you look at the make-up of this Brooklyn Nets team you have two of the top 10 players, obviously coming back from injury, and you have a very good supporting cast.”
Helping to guide this new-look Nets squad through the upcoming season is a head coach with no prior experience in Steve Nash, however he has surrounded himself with an accomplished and diverse group of former head coaches and players.
“Steve was a unique player and I think Steve is a unique person. With that in mind, he’s got a staff that has been through it all -- former head coaches, accomplished players and guys who have done it in different ways,” said Eagle. “They’ve checked a lot of boxes for this staff to put Steve in a position to succeed. Ultimately how he handles the personalities at the top of the roster and at the bottom of the roster will go a long way in how this team develops.”
While rumors have circulated about a potential blockbuster trade for a third superstar such as James Harden or Bradley Beal this offseason, the Nets front office has remained committed to its impressive core of young players like Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, as well as returning veterans like Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris to realize their longtime championship dreams.
“As long as players are willing to sacrifice, great things can be had,” said Jefferson, a former teammate of both Harris and Irving during his time in Cleveland. “I don’t care if you’re James Harden, Bradley Beal, whoever it is, there’s going to be a high level of sacrifice. If you can’t get your ego out of the way, then there’s too many cooks in the kitchen.”
But as recent history has proven, teams that feature deep rosters full of versatile players who can shoot have been able to reach the highest levels while following the lead behind two stars.
“If you have the right two stars and you surround them with the proper pieces, that’s enough,” said Ryan Ruocco. “Are Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, with the rest of these pieces, the right mix to win a title? I think there’s a good chance they are ... I think that there’s no reason why the Nets should feel like they don’t have everything they need here right now.”
Just a few seasons ago in 2013-14, the Nets were one of the league’s most buzz-worthy teams after landing two major superstars in Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but this season is different, said Eagle.
“In hindsight, the Nets got two players that were Hall of Fame players but later in their career. This time around the Nets have two Hall of Fame players that still have a lot left in the tank. These are still going to be productive years for Kevin Durant and for Kyrie Irving, and I think because of that there is this intrigue around this group,” said Eagle.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are going to be successful together, the only question is will they bring home a championship? And I’m not throwing it out as hyperbole, that to me is the question that we have going into this season.”
For the latest news and developments on the Brooklyn Nets, be sure to tune in for the next installment of Nets Hot Stove airing Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on YES Network and catch the team in action for their first preseason tilt against Washington on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m., also on YES.
