CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The brooklyn nets has been through a lot in 2022.
At certain times of the year, the drama surrounding the organization seemed to overwhelm the team. But as the calendar year ended on Saturday night, Kevin Durant and his teammates and coach reflected on one of the most eventful years in recent NBA history as the Nets earned their 11th consecutive win, a 123-106 triumph over Charlotte Hornets.
“It was one of those years that you reflect on and see the turning points in the organization,” Durant said after scoring 23 points in 30 minutes. “We’ve seen different moments that have brought us together as a group. You see, at this point now towards the end of the year, you’re starting to see us come together and achieve what we’ve been looking to do for the last two years, who were a solid team who play hard every night, so we’ve been through a lot in this calendar year, but we’re looking for bigger and better things in 2023.”
Apparently, no team made more headlines on and off the floor in 2022 than the Nets. Kyrie IrvingThe return of as a part-time player due to his decision not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 dominated the conversation in the first three months of the year until the vaccination mandate at New York changes for athletes and artists at the end of March. James HardenHis decision to force his departure from Brooklyn created a major roster shift in February. Ben SimmonsPhiladelphia’s departure and arrival in Brooklyn was a constant source of intrigue throughout the league. Simmons smiled on Saturday when asked how to sum up the past 12 months.
“Lots of ups and downs,” Simmons said. “I don’t know. I don’t even know how to sum it up. As far as basketball goes, I think it’s been great. At the start of the year, we had different expectations, a lot of noise, a lot different things, but I think we’ve had a lot of composure this season and with all the different things going on, so it’s been a hectic year.”
the Boston CelticsA first-round sweep over the Nets brought the team’s season to an abrupt end in April. Less than two months later, Durant requested a trade, and it was unclear if Irving would pick his player option for $36.5 million. Later that summer, after Irving finally chose his option, Durant decided to withdraw his request and open the season with the Nets.
The good vibes from training camp were short-lived after a slow start. Former coach Steve Nash and the Nets agreed to part ways in early November. Jacque Vaughn was hired as head coach later that month, only after many in the league and the organization thought suspended Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka would get the job. And amid all the turmoil, Irving was suspended for eight games after posting a book and film centered on anti-Semitic tropes on social media.
Through it all, the Nets have shown resilience, claiming 15 wins in their last 16 games, a feat that seemed almost inconceivable just after Vaughn took over and the group gave up 153 points in a loss to the Sacramento Kings in Nov 15.
“When we came back for this season, the start of the season, there was a lot of talk over the summer, but for us to get the band together and start the year was cool,” Durant said. And then once Jacques became the coach and we started to move forward, obviously that was a turning point for us, then we had things that weren’t ideal.
“Guys out of lineup, Kyrie out of lineup, James Harden demanded a trade, we’ve been through a lot. How we started from an outside perspective, the noise around our team, c “It’s good that we can be on the ball at the start of the year. We’re playing against a solid brand at the moment, so that’s the most important thing.”
Vaughn has provided a stabilizing force since taking over from Nash, and players have responded to his style so far, one that involves far less practice and time shooting than in the past.
“He gives you an ease,” Irving said. “When you walk into the locker room, nothing is forced, he’s not too high or too low. He just stands at a high level, exemplifying what a leader should look like. So as our coach- chief, as our leader, I was able to learn some things from him.
And it’s just being able to relate to everyone and being able to bring out the best in everyone. And that was a lesson for me; I felt like this year was just learning to bring the best out of everyone instead of trying to do everything on your own or trying to overthink the game. We’ve got some good plays in this locker room, a good coaching staff. The level of play should increase and it should become easier.
Vaughn injects positivity into his team, as Nash tried to do before him, but in Vaughn’s mind, the combination of health and an unapologetic mentality was the reason the band really got started. to click.
“Our ability to take criticism and move on has really grown as a band,” Vaughn said. “From the coach, from the coaching staff, in the interest of us going to figure it out at the end of the day. So that part was huge for our group.”
As the Nets look forward to 2023, they do so believing they can achieve the championship-level goals they’ve set for themselves over the past few years. With Durant playing at MVP level and Irving playing at All-Star level while not proving to be a distraction since returning from his suspension, the Nets look set to continue the good times into the new year.
“From my experiences in Philadelphia, we had a young team and we had guys who weren’t used to being in the league that long,” Simmons said. “So not knowing how to win and not knowing it’s not easy to win. We have a lot of veterans in the team. Ky, Kev, and understanding it’s game by game and not too s ‘wrap.”
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