Kyrie Irving at center of Nets' troubles
The Nets' Kyrie Irving looks for the inbound pass against the Celtics in the first quarter at Barclays Center on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Painful as it is to sit through twice, it is worth replaying Kyrie Irving’s news conference from Monday night. It’s worth it just to confirm one person could be so tone deaf, so lacking in self-awareness that he would say the things Irving said after getting knocked into an early summer by the Celtics.
An hour after the Nets were swept in a series where he played one good game, Irving blamed “the polarization of the media scrum,” gave himself a contract extension and then basically promoted himself to co-general manager. Irving, who can opt out of his contract this offseason, said he “does not plan on going anywhere.” He then went on to paint a picture of the Nets going forward that should be disconcerting for all Nets fans.
“When I say I’m here with Kev, I think that really entails us managing this franchise together alongside Joe and Sean,” he said referring to Kevin Durant, owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks.
Two years ago, Irving promoted himself and Durant to co-coach in a podcast after the Nets hired Steve Nash. We saw how well that went when the inexperienced Nash went up against Boston coach Ime Udoka, who had spent time in the coaching trenches, including a year as a Nets assistant.
The only title the Nets won this season is that of the greatest team that never was. Most of the reasons can be traced back to Irving.
Irving’s decision not to get vaccinated hovered over the entire season. If he had played almost anywhere else, it wouldn’t have been a problem. But Brooklyn is where he played and his decision to pick his needs over his team’s had tremendous consequences and will continue to as the team tries to figure out what to do with Ben Simmons.
Irving bemoans the fact the Nets didn’t have time to jell, yet the fact he was available for only 29 games is a primary reason why. It’s also a reason James Harden demanded a trade and a reason the Nets now have Simmons, a young star with huge potential who has some big hurdles to overcome before he can play.
How much time this season was spent talking about Irving’s vaccinations status, NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ mandate, Simmons’ back and Simmons’ mental health? Much more time than was spent on postseason positioning or game-planning for the Celtics. The only two things that cannot be pinned on Irving are the injuries to Joe Harris and Durant, though the heavy minutes Durant had to play because of Irving’s absence led to some wear and tear.
Irving did briefly acknowledge the obvious and take some responsibility.
"I felt like I was letting the team down at a point where I wasn't able to play," he said. “It became a distraction at times."
Yes, it did. And what’s to say there won’t be some new distraction going forward. Just look at the last three years. Out of a possible 226 regular-season games since he signed with the Nets, Irving has played 103.
Two months into the season, it became clear who was calling the shots when the Nets changed their original stance that they didn’t want an unvaccinated Irving as a part-time player. As the losses started piling up, the Nets caved in. But in doing so, they also telegraphed to the world who exactly was in charge.
The real question here is should a team be run by its star players? Is there a way to keep top talent happy but also make it clear they are not running the team? That’s what the Nets — and the Lakers, who are in a similar situation — need to figure out fast.
Superteams engineered by star players exploded onto the scene when LeBron James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach. Yet, that team worked because Pat Riley and his five championship rings were running the show. Not even James was going to second-guess Riley.
Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way. Instead of chasing stars, teams like Boston have opted for continuity. Six of the Celtics' top nine players spent their entire careers there. This chemistry and continuity has produced a future MVP in Jayson Tatum and the Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart. It’s also produced a team that has the potential to go deep in the playoffs for years to come.
The Nets, by contrast, started the season as the Big 3 and have ended it as the Big Mess. It’s going to be a rough offseason.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
