The Brooklyn Nets aren't here to complain. But Nash admitted Irving's absence had some very interesting effects on his team. Of course, Brooklyn knows their roster is stronger than most teams in the NBA. But they also know that things haven't always gone according to plan since the formation of many people (accurately) billed as the league's top super team.
The Nets ended their five-game winning streak in a game after Tuesday's 95-118 loss to the Chicago Bulls, with the Nets hoping to bounce back in Orlando. But they're still dealing with the trickle-down effect of Irving not joining.
Nash explained ahead of Wednesday's game: "This team is made up of 3 stars, so losing a player affects not only the top of the team, but also the bottom of the team. The players you recruit and the rest of the pay cap are different, and if you lose those players, it will have a bad effect. ”
Nash may have made sense. If a less top-heavy team like the Knicks loses their third-best player, they still have a fairly well-rounded roster. Assuming Julius Randall and Derrick Rose are in the starting lineup, if the Knicks lose RJ Barrett, then maybe the new generation of scorers Evan Fornell, Kemba Walker and Alec Burks can make up for the gap.
But when Kyrie Irving left, it meant a return for Bruce Brown, and Brown was doing well, which was a pretty big drop. I'm not blaming Brown, he's a great player in Brooklyn, but there's a reason the Nets' role players can't make as much money as their Big Three.
Coach Nash continued: "That's the nature of the game," and we enjoyed putting those puzzles together, and like I said, our players were so obsessed that they were able to learn the right way to play and play together in a way that suited them. ”
In tonight's game, the Nets were number one in the paint in terms of scoring. They will definitely want to improve. After the recent defeat, Nash and some of his players spoke in detail about how the offense has stalled. They'll want to pick up speed, rush inside to create easy chances, and also use defense to create open three-pointers in the next game.
Of course, if Kyrie Irving wreaks havoc on the defensive end, all their weaknesses, like scoring on the inside, make too many offensive rebounds less important.