“They were really physical and we don't want that to be our stigma or M.O. in the league” – Kyrie Irving raises concern over lack of physical dominance from the Nets after their preseason matchup against Heat
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets are expecting to be one of the most fascinating teams in the NBA this season. After becoming a considerable preseason favorite to make it to the NBA Finals last season, the Nets quickly saw their team unravel.
It quickly turned into a nightmare, as the Nets saw numerous issues off the court that resulted in a disappointing season. As if things weren't difficult enough, it looked as if both Irving and superstar teammate Kevin Durant were expected to be suiting up for new teams at one point in the offseason. Cooler heads have prevailed and the Nets now look like a team that is hoping to get back on the right path for the upcoming year.
With the start of the 2022-23 regular season just a week away, it's time for teams to start turning up their focus and getting ready for a lengthy year. After a pair of disappointing preseason losses, it's clear that Kyrie Irving is wanting to get more out of his team. Speaking recently to the media, Irving spoke about the fact that he believes his team as a whole needs to play harder. Irving stressed that he doesn't want the team's "stigma" to be that they can be soft, as he stated the Miami Heat were especially physical against the Nets in the team's loss.
"The low-hanging fruit that we could honestly all agree on is sometimes in possessions we’re not playing hard enough. You saw it against Miami the other night. They were really physical and we don't want that to be our stigma or M.O. in the league."
Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving acknowledges the teams lack of physicality and toughness, ‘We’re not playing hard enough.’ netswire.usatoday.com/2022/10/10/kyr…
Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets hope to get back on track for the 2022-23 season
The Brooklyn Nets will enter the 2022-23 season as one of the biggest "wildcards" in the NBA. After an offseason that featured plenty of speculation surrounding Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets look to be moving forward with a talented roster.
Questions remain about whether or not the Nets can quickly regroup and find their groove with the current roster at hand. There's no denying that Brooklyn has one of the most impressive groups of talent in the entire league. With Durant and Irving back, as well as Ben Simmons finally on the court, Brooklyn has the potential to be a force in the NBA.
Kyrie Irving: "The low-hanging fruit that we could honestly all agree on is sometimes in possessions we’re not playing hard enough. You saw it against Miami the other night. They were really physical and we don't want that to be our stigma or M.O. in the league." #Nets
While the Nets had a pair of disappointing previous performances in the preseason, it's important to remember that this is the time for teams to figure out who is going to be on their opening night roster. That means veterans will usually play less, as the teams attempt to figure out their rotations moving forward. Brooklyn will have the opportunity to figure out their "kinks" before the regular season, as they have three games remaining this preseason.