Brooklyn Nets

By Tom Lorenzo / NetsDaily Intro by Ricky O'Donnell

The Nets should be the clear favorites to win the championship this season. Kevin Durant is generally considered the best player in the world, James Harden is the NBA’s top No. 2 option, and no team has a third option as explosive as Kyrie Irving. Add in the elite shooting of Joe Harris and a bunch of solid moves around the margins, and the Nets clearly have the league’s most impressive roster. While injuries will always be a concern after they derailed last season, the more immediate threat to Brooklyn is Irving’s refusal to get vaccinated. He’ll be away from the team until it happens, and might miss the whole season because of it. Brooklyn is good enough to win it all without Irving, and anything less than a title for this team still feels like it will be a disaster.

What’s the ‘Best Case’ scenario?

Kyrie Irving gets vaccinated. More? Um, the best case scenario for the Brooklyn Nets is to be crowned NBA Champs. Anything short of that would be a disappointment. Do they need Kyrie Irving in order to win the title? I don’t believe they do, but, it would be nice to have him.

What’s the ‘Worst Case’ scenario?

Kyrie Irving doesn’t get vaccinated. Seriously, the distraction is worse than the on-the-court implications, as far as I’m concerned. I would say that anything short of going to the NBA Finals would be the worst case. This team is built to win now, they have as good a chance of winning the title as any team in the league. The expectations are high, as they should be, and the Nets need to play up to those expectations.

What’s the ‘Most Likely’ scenario?

Kyrie Irving finally gets vaccinated. See a pattern? To me the most likely scenario is that the Nets make it to the NBA Finals, with or without Kyrie Irving. Kevin Durant will win the MVP award this year and James Harden will lead the league in assists. How’s that for the “most likely” scenario?

What are you most excited for?

Kevin Durant. He’s the best player on the planet, and Nets fans get to witness that greatness for a full season. There’s also the young guys like Nicolas Claxton and Cam Thomas who are both as exciting as they come, so that’s going to be fun to watch them grow on a title-contending team. I also am rooting for LaMarcus Aldridge who is making his return to the league. It’s going to be fun to watch him chase a ring.