“He watched his former team go win the championship, he’s going to be as motivated as any player in the league” - Jalen Rose says he’s glad Kevin Durant clapped back on the retirement talk
Kevin Durant's tenure with the Brooklyn Nets hasn't been great. The superstar came to the team in the summer of 2019, yet he's only won one playoff series.
Last season, the Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round in late April. Then, in late June, the two-time champion requested a trade. Although an NBA executive speculated that Durant might retire if the Nets don't trade him, this likely isn't going to happen.
On the "Jalen & Jacoby" podcast, former NBA player Jalen Rose said:
"He played on the only team this year that didn't win a playoff game. He watched his former team go win a championship. He's going to be as motivated as any player in the league – on top of the fact that he really loves to play basketball."
Despite being one of the best teams on paper, the Nets ended up winning no playoff games. However, Rose believes Durant will have a great season next year.
Kevin Durant is still one of the league's best players
The Brooklyn Nets superstar averaged 29.9 points per game last season and remains one of the league's best scorers, shooting an efficient 51.8%.
Despite his trade demands, Durant is still one of the NBA's best players. Jalen Rose believes the two-time NBA champion will do a fantastic job on the floor.
"You got 198 million reasons to perform," Rose said. "This is going to be a fascinating season, and I'm glad that he's clapping back on Twitter. But you know what he's really going to clap back? On the floor."
Durant is one of the most gifted scorers in league history. He's been fantastic for the Nets and posted one of the best scoring marks of his career. However, some things that happened to the team were out of his control.
If KD gets another shot in Brooklyn, he could make big things happen.
Brooklyn Nets could win the East
Rose is not only a huge believer in Durant, but he also thinks that the Nets could win the East if they run it back.
"Kyrie's going to come out motivated, and he's going to be playing in home games," Rose pointed out. "Joe Harris is going to return, and Seth Curry's going to be there. They have a chance to legitimately win the Eastern Conference."
Durant could definitely have a deep playoff run with this roster. However, it will be interesting to see what the Nets do over the summer.
• 📸 | Kyrie irving & Kevin Durant https://t.co/JzXWyz34CA
Irving is very likely to be traded and Durant could also be shipped to another team. Running it back is an option, but not the most realistic one.