MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 12: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets takes a shot during a preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on October 12, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Nets enter this season with high expectations once again, but there are real reasons why Brooklyn can reach great heights this year.
Nets fans can be forgiven if they are a bit wary when it comes to their team’s lofty preseason expectations heading into the 2022-23 campaign. They’ve been disappointed before. On the other hand, Steve Nash’s team could be primed to finally meet those high standards this year.
Brooklyn fans shouldn’t need to concern themselves with Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status this year. That should allow him to play more than the 29 games he participated in a season ago. He’s always a risk to miss games due to injury or some other mysterious circumstance, but he could be primed to push back against that narrative this season by playing in most of the Nets’ regular season games.
It shouldn’t be overlooked that Brooklyn also sports one of the strongest “big threes” in the league. Combine Irving with Durant and the idea of Ben Simmons and it’s easy for Nets fans to dream of hanging a banner in the Barclays Center. At the very least, watching Durant should bring joy to Brooklyn again this season.
3. Watching Kevin Durant be Kevin Durant
At some point, Durant’s game is going to start to decline due to age, but there aren’t any real signs of slippage as of yet. As long as he stays healthy it’s safe to pencil him in as conservatively one of the 10 best players in the NBA.
There’s a strong case to be made that Durant still should be a perennial MVP candidate. He averaged just a shade under 30 points per game last season despite the tumult surrounding him in Brooklyn. The idea that Irving and Simmons could lower the level of difficulty for Durant on both ends of the floor should excite Nets fans.