"Kevin Durant had 32 meaningless points…Ben looked exactly how he did vs. the Hawks in the playoffs” – NBA analyst criticizes Nets stars for a blowout season opener loss
After an eventful offseason, the Brooklyn Nets were hoping to hit the ground running in 2022-23. That was until the team got a reality check at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans. Brooklyn went on to lose on opening night in convincing fashion. They ended up losing by a final score of 130 to 108, but left plenty of fans wondering about their immediate future.
New Orleans came into the 2022-23 season as a team that was expected to make some noise in the Western Conference. But this was also a Brooklyn team that had Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. With the addition of Ben Simmons as well, Brooklyn was expected to be a powerhouse again.
Instead, Brooklyn looked overpowered, as they were never in the game against the Pelicans. Speaking recently on "Undisputed," analyst Shannon Sharpe didn't hold back his feelings about the performance. Sharpe talked about how despite a 32-point performance from Kevin Durant, the Nets still struggled. Sharpe also pointed to the debut of Ben Simmons, which was disappointing in his opinion.
"Kevin Durant had 32 meaningless points and Ben Simmons didn't have a good debut. Ben looked exactly how he did vs. the Hawks in the playoffs...It’s going to be tough for the defensively challenged Nets."
.@ShannonSharpe reacts to Pelicans blowout win vs. Nets:
"Kevin Durant had 32 meaningless points and Ben Simmons didn't have a good debut. Ben looked exactly how he did vs. the Hawks in the playoffs...It’s going to be tough for the defensively challenged Nets." https://t.co/L2pvURdSoO
Brooklyn Nets look to bounce back in upcoming game against Toronto Raptors
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant was the talk of the NBA offseason. After a rocky season in Brooklyn, Durant made news when he officially requested a trade from the organization. That was after reports suggested that fellow superstar Kyrie Irving wouldn't be signed to an extension.
For a majority of the summer, there was an expectation that both Durant and Irving would be traded to new teams. Eventually, both Durant and Irving agreed to return to the Nets. With Ben Simmons also returning to the team, the hope was that Brooklyn would re-gain their dominance prior to last season.
That idea has quickly taken a hault, as the Nets were dismantled by the Pelicans on opening night. The most alarming development was the performance from both Irving and Ben Simmons. Kyrie went on to finish with 15 points on just 6-of-19 shooting. Simmons would finish the game with 4 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in 23 minutes of action.
Kevin Durant dropped 32 PTS & rejected 4 shots in the @BrooklynNets home opener! KiaTipOff22 https://t.co/haTCGSq75e
The season is still just in the opening week of play. That means there's going to be plenty of overreactions around the league. But this felt different for a team like the Brooklyn. With the amount of controversy surrounding the team last year, time will tell if this could be the start of something bigger.
Brooklyn will now have their attention on their upcoming game. The team is set to take on the Toronto Raptors at home. Toronto just had an impressive win on opening night against the revamped Cleveland Cavaliers. If Brooklyn isn't careful, they could start an early season slide.