"No time to feel like our season is in doomsday" - Kyrie Irving on Brooklyn Nets' slump and the team's growing chemistry
Kyrie Irving was the lone member of the Brooklyn Nets’ Big Three to play against the Utah Jazz. Without two of the team’s best players and Irving playing subpar, the Nets had no chance against the precise offensive execution of the Jazz. They also had no answer for Donovan Mitchell who lit them up for 27 points in only 22 minutes.
The loss extended the Brooklyn Nets' losing streak to seven games, the longest they have had this season. Kevin Durant’s return is still uncertain while James Harden continues to battle a nagging hamstring injury. The pre-season heavy favorites to win the title are now seemingly reeling.
Kyrie Irving, in a postgame interview, refused to put any major significance on the Brooklyn Nets’ slump. Here’s what he had to say when asked about how the team can turn around their season:
“I wouldn’t even say turn around. It’s really just where we are facing reality that we’re not winning ball games right now. We gotta kinda get out of that hole with just one win and then start a new streak from that point. There’s no time to feel like our season is in doomsday or we need to push the panic button at all points.”
The stark reality is that the Brooklyn Nets are really struggling. James Harden’s hamstring issues are starting to show up, likely due to heavy minutes. Kevin Durant will be sidelined until fully healthy. Kyrie Irving, who started like he never left, has come crashing back to earth with back-to-back dismal games. Depending on their health, the Nets could also miss the trio at home as soon as their match against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Kyrie Irving stressed that the swinging door of players coming in and out of the lineup has greatly contributed to their slide. The whole team has to continuously adjust almost every game. With the season more than halfway done, they are scrambling to find their rhythm and chemistry as a unit.
The mercurial point guard is also pointing out that the losing streak is only looking worse than it really is. There’s no panic in them even with the injuries and chemistry issues.
“But when you’re losing and it’s a win -first league and a win-only league and you get judged by wins and statistics and how well you put a streak together or put the team together and how it’s compacted and how consistent you are then the spot where we’re in is kinda look like it’s far worse than what is.”
What comes next for Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets will conclude their six-game road trip to Denver on Sunday. Head coach Steve Nash has already indicated that they will be extra cautious with Harden’s hamstring as he has been hobbled by the injury the past few years. If “The Beard” sits out, Kyrie Irving will be left to carry the cudgels yet again for a team that also does not have Joe Harris and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The seven-time All-Star point guard remains defiant that the Brooklyn Nets can get back on track regardless of who’s playing or not.
“Being in this league for as long as I have been, 11 years, I’ve seen ups and downs, experiences. We just gotta trust that we have a group, regardless of who’s in and out of the lineup, to be able to put a 48-minute game together.”
As adversity keeps piling up, it remains to be seen how the Brooklyn Nets can keep themselves afloat.