Kevin Durant isn’t fooling anyone.
The Brooklyn Nets famous person produced one other strong particular person outing on Wednesday with 32 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
However the Nets as soon as once more fell brief, shedding to the Chicago Bulls 108-99 to take their season report to a lowly 2-6.
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Within the hours earlier than the sport, the entrance workplace pulled the pin on Steve Nash’s tenure because the coach with stories rising they had been chasing the presently suspended Ime Udoka from the Boston Celtics.
After the loss to the Bulls, Durant was requested for his response to the early season axing and right here’s what he supplied up.
“You’re all the time shocked when a transfer like this occurs, nevertheless it’s regular within the NBA, so it’s about preparing for the sport tonight,” Durant stated
“It’s a fast turnaround all the time within the league particularly throughout the season. We’ve received observe and video games arising, so you may’t assume an excessive amount of about it. However it was on my thoughts for a bit bit immediately.
“Let’s be actual: We’re professionals. We’re veterans. We had a troublesome begin and a rocky 12 months final 12 months, rocky summer time. We knew that everyone was being evaluated. That’s simply how it’s within the league.
“So I favored working with Steve. I favored working with the teaching employees. It was a curler coaster previous couple of years, however the core of it — basketball — is one thing that all of us like to do. So whatever the coach, whatever the circumstances, you continue to gotta come to work. So I loved coming to work with Steve.”
Let’s rewind the tape lets.
Three months in the past the Nets had been in low season turmoil with each Durant and Kyrie Irving making an attempt to power their method out or power blockbuster modifications.
Durant issued a damning ultimatum to proprietor Joe Tsai that he select between himself or the pairing of head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks, The Athletic reported.
The star ahead requested a commerce shortly after the season got here to an finish earlier than requesting the proprietor eliminate the coach and normal supervisor.
It makes Durant’s remarks after the loss on Wednesday extraordinarily laughable. Months in the past he wished Nash gone; seven video games later he’s making an attempt to inform us he “favored working with Steve”.
Durant mustn’t assume a lot of basketball followers as a result of no person was being fooled by his response.
The Nets stay in the midst of a nightmare scenario that the majority are laying squarely on the shoulders of Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons.
Irving’s anti-Semitic put up was lastly taken down, however the organisation continues to fumble that scenario with no punishment being handed all the way down to the star.
Simmons has endured a horror begin to the season and has now missed the previous two video games via harm, a worrying signal for a participant who sat out for over a 12 months with reported again points.
With a brand new coach on the best way, severe query marks dangle over the franchise with Durant on the forefront. With 74 video games left on the schedule there’s an entire lot left to play out.
