“Letting Irving basically rule the roost, that is what gets them in trouble” - Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo criticizes the Brooklyn Nets, says they don’t have a winning culture
The Brooklyn Nets have endured a horrid 2021-22 campaign, which eventually ended at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The Nets were swept in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs.
TV personality Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo believes the franchise has done a terrible job in maintaining control during the series.
On ESPN's "First Take," Russo was asked who should receive the most blame for the Brooklyn Nets' failure. He replied:
"I'm going to put the blame on ownership."
After drawing a comparison with the Miami Heat's culture, he continued:
"There is no winning culture with the Nets, and for that, the ownership and (Sean) Marks, have to take some responsibility. Atkinson, trades, letting Irving basically rule the roost, that is what gets them in trouble."
"And so, when they had to be in the situation where they had to have an identity and dig deep against a top team, and a top-minded team in Boston, they had nowhere to go. And they cough up and blow four games, so, I blame it on the ownership."
Several factors played a role in Brooklyn's disappointing playoffs campaign. Perhaps the most surprising was Kevin Durant's performance or lack thereof.
The two-time NBA champ was nowhere near as effective as he normally is while scoring the basket. The Celtics did an outstanding job containing him. Although he turned a corner in Game 4, it was a little too late.
However, every finger has been pointed at Kyrie Irving, who was unavailable for an extended period at the start of the season. The All-Star guard chose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine, which sidelined him until the new year.
The Brooklyn Nets have some big decisions to make ahead of their 2022-23 season
The Brooklyn Nets have been seen as the favorites to win the title for two consecutive seasons. However, they have failed to make it to the conference finals in both years.
Last season, they were eliminated by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Injuries were their greatest enemy as they lost Kyrie Irving and James Harden in that series.
Moving forward, the Nets will need to make changes to guarantee a deeper run in the playoffs. Steve Nash's experience as a head coach has come up in several conversations, with many saying he is not experienced enough to lead the team to a title run.
It will be interesting to see what route the Brooklyn Nets decide to take regarding their head coach, as many have called for him to be fired.
Irving has also expressed interest in continuing with the Nets. The 30-year-old has a player option for the 2022-23 season but will be looking forward to a contract extension.
Kyrie Irving doesn’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and the Brooklyn Nets reportedly won’t offer him a contract extension 😬
(via @ShamsCharania & @BKGlueGuys) https://t.co/3WWghJzR0o
The Brooklyn Nets were reportedly ready to offer him a four-year, $186-million extension but pulled back following the COVID-19 saga.
Ahead of the offseason, the Nets will have big decisions to make for a chance at success next season.