“Philly is not afraid of them, the Miami Heat definitely aren’t afraid of them, Milwaukee isn’t afraid of them” - Shannon Sharpe believes the Nets didn’t put anyone on notice on the back of Kyrie Irving’s 50-pt game
NBA and Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving's 50 point performance against the Charlotte Hornets was a reminder of the damage Uncle Drew can do on any given night.
However, on Fox Sports' morning show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, former NFL star Shannon Sharpe isn't convinced. He believes the Nets lack a fear factor when going up against the heavyweights of the Eastern Conference. Sharpe said:
"Philly is not afraid of them, the Miami Heat definitely aren’t afraid of them, Milwaukee isn’t afraid of them. They didn't put the East on notice."
The Brooklyn Nets have had an up-and-down season thus far. They started incredibly well with Kevin Durant leading the way but lost that momentum when the Slim Reaper went down with a knee injury. James Harden was also plagued by hamstring issues before his departure from the franchise.
The NBA is yet to see the Brooklyn-based side at full capacity as Ben Simmons is yet to play a single minute for the organization. Kyrie and KD are yet to play a stretch of games together as the former is unavailable for home games due to the Covid-19 vaccination mandate in the borough of Brooklyn.
.@ShannonSharpe on whether the rest of the East should fear the Nets after Kyrie's 50-point game:
"The Nets didn't put the East on notice. The 76ers, Miami Heat and Milwaukee are not afraid of them." https://t.co/p18TgEDrlB
Can Kyrie Irving lead the Nets to a championship this season?
The new big three of the Brooklyn Nets have the capability to beat anybody on any given day. With Durant, Irving and Simmons, the Nets now possess an offensive juggernaut that could drop 120 points on a nightly basis irrespective of the opposition. The ability of the first two to create shots, draw fouls, catch and shoot, coupled with Simmons' ability to run the offense, allows the team to get going at their choosing.
With Kyrie Irving playing, Simmons could operate as a quintessential point guard who orchestrates the offense and is not worried about scoring. Irving slots in as the off guard who is focused on one thing and one thing only, which is to get buckets. This will also alleviate the scoring burden for Durant and allow him to be more efficient and effective.
Kyrie Irving is the 5th player with multiple career games of 50 points and 75% FG pct in the shot-clock era.
He and Michael Jordan are the only primary guards with multiple such games. https://t.co/HT5dD59vBL
The only worries as far as coach Steve Nash is concerned are team chemistry and defense. Irving isn't a great defender, and that could hurt a team that is ranked 19th in defensive rating. But the addition of Simmons, who was arguably the best defensive player in the league last season, also helps.
Team chemistry is also something the big three will have to figure out by spending more time on the court. While Kyrie Irving may potentially miss all of the home games, Simmons' return date is yet to be determined, and the Slim Reaper has just returned to the fold from a knee injury. Having to constantly chop and change the lineup could prove to be problematic for Nash and the coaching staff of the Brooklyn Nets.