"This isn’t the Warriors with Kevin Durant" - Tim Bontemps says the Brooklyn Nets have too much to overcome in pursuit of the NBA title
The Brooklyn Nets have struggled ever since their superstar Kevin Durant picked up an injury to his knee. James Harden, who missed the last game against the Denver Nuggets, suffering from hamstring tightness, has further worsened the blow. As a result, the Nets will have a lot to overcome.
On the latest episode of the “Hoop Collective” podcast, Tim MacMahon, Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst sat down to discuss the Eastern Conference teams that are in realistic contention.
Speaking in detail about the problems surrounding the injuries and Kyrie Irving’s limited availability, Tim Bontemps commented on the Brooklyn Nets’ roster, saying that he thinks there's too much for them to overcome this season.
“This isn’t the Warriors, with Durant – talent-wise. I’ve been on that train with you the whole time. There’s too much to overcome, for them to win, in my opinion.”
While Durant played for the Warriors and picked up an injury in the 2019 Western Conference semifinals, their roster still had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They were healthy and playing exceptional basketball, but were still defeated in the finals. Even though we’re only halfway through with this season, playing without their superstars could hurt the Brooklyn Nets’ chances.
2022 #NBAAllStar Starter & Captain @KDTrey5 of the @BrooklynNets in action! https://t.co/s19o3FFLzj
The Brooklyn Nets will need their superstars back together
Prior to missing the Nuggets fixture, James Harden had picked up his performance; in the absence of Kevin Durant. In five games since, he has averaged a double-double with 24.6 points and 10.8 assists and recorded two triple-doubles as well.
An injury could mean needing a few more games to get back into rhythm. Bontemps brought to light Harden’s hamstring issues from last season, saying:
“Just remember, last year hamstring tightness was the beginning, of basically three months of hamstring issues for James Harden.”
Considering Harden's worst-case scenario of missing a bunch of games, the Brooklyn Nets are down to part-time Kyrie Irving. This is turning out to be hauntingly similar to the previous season for the Brooklyn Nets, one characterized by operating short-staffed. They have dropped to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, and Bontemps feels they could lose more games to come.
“They could also lose a lot of games, the next six weeks. I mean, you know, if James Harden misses some time with the hamstring issue – the rest of this roster is not very good. They’re without their four best players right now – Joe Harris and the ‘Big-Three’. So, you take the four best players off a team, that’s not going to be a very good team.”
The reports on James Harden being unhappy in Brooklyn?
He has no idea what you're talking about 😬 https://t.co/OQS32id1KV
As the trade deadline approaches, another looming problem for the Nets is the floating trade rumors about James Harden. Reportedly, Philadelphia has shown interest, in a swap for Ben Simmons. However, things could go either way, in that regard.
Even amidst an ocean of problems for the Nets, it is too early to write them off. The Brooklyn Nets are on a three-game losing streak and will begin a five-game road trip, starting with the Golden State Warriors. Kyrie Irving will look forward to making the most of this stretch to help the Nets improve their record.