After a strong streak for the Brooklyn Nets which has seen the side reach the NBA Finals the last four seasons in a row, the New York team seems to have run into trouble. Eight games into the season, they are placed in the bottom section of the Eastern Conference, no longer the force to be reckoned with from seasons past. We look at what is causing this slump in the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets 2022-2023 NBA Season So Far
The first games of this year have been fairly forgettable for the Brooklyn Nets.
After the initial leg of the season, the Nets are sitting in the bottom section of the Eastern Conference with two wins and six losses. Opening with a 130-108 home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, the Nets bounced back strong to be 1-1 for the season with a win over the Toronto Raptors in their next game. However, a four-game losing streak then saw the Nets’ season sink, with losses against the Grizzlies, Bucks, Mavericks, and Pacers compounding Brooklyn’s pain. Some hope came through a comeback win against the Pacers a week after their loss, but a recent loss against the Bulls showed this may well not be the Nets’ year.
This is the Nets’ worst start to a season in five years, and signs are not boding well for this to turn around any time soon.
What Went Wrong For the Nets?
Once upon a time, the Brooklyn Nets were looked at as a team that could potentially shape history.
Rather than being remembered in history alongside the likes of the Chicago Bulls team of the 1990s, the Brooklyn Nets are on track to be remembered as one of the biggest flops of recent times. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan all combined, the side was perfectly primed to push for several rings. Instead, three years later, and having gone no further than fourth in the NBA Finals, the Brooklyn Nets are coming unraveled, with Kevin Durant unlikely to play out his contract.
Big picture, others in the team are not stepping up to support Durant enough. While Durant is having one of his best seasons in a decade statistically – winning basketball is a team effort. Ben Simmons in particular has failed to step up as expected, putting more of a load on Durant.
The Impending Exit of Kevin Durant
During the offseason, Kevin Durant made an unexpected move and requested a transfer from the Brooklyn Nets.
Since then, the two have reconciled and Durant appears to have settled in for the season at the Nets. However, with the team’s stuttering start to the season, and Durant’s vocal displeasure at being in a team that lacks a championship culture, how long will it be before the star actually moves on?
For now, he is still with the team and will be featured in the upcoming matches, where the Nets should have a chance at rebounding on their current form. If you want to add a little more excitement to the upcoming games you can use this sportsbook to find the best bets, and bet on the Brooklyn Nets or one of the other teams and sports available.
Whether or not this is a bad outcome for the Nets remains to be seen. Right now the league is dominated by up-and-coming stars such as Zion Williams—perhaps Brooklyn clearing out some space to make room for the next generation would help resurrect their season.
