If you’ve ever tried baking, you know it’s a difficult process. You will measure everything exactly, follow the recipe of the letter, pop your excitement in the oven. About halfway through the suggested baking time, however, sometimes you become curious and see how things come out, so you immediately open the oven door for a look. Boom. Your cake, souffl અથવા or loaf of bread is ruined forever. Why Because you have gone beyond yourself and neglected to respect the process.
After the Golden State Warriors broke the Brooklyn Nets 125-99 in the first game of the 2020-21 season, it should be exciting for fans to start pre-ordering championship gear. Kevin Durant was phenomenal in his first real game since June 2019, putting up 22 points in 25 minutes. Carrie Irving looked healthy and shiny, in 25 minutes she was able to get as many shots as she wanted to go up to 26 points. More than two stars, however, Steve Nash’s solid-to-above-average NBA players were on display on the opening night of the Bullpen opening.
Caris Levert snatched the reins of the second unit, which included 20 points, nine hits and five assists, and the depth of the net became clearer when the final reserves of Bruce Brown, Timothy Luvav-Kebertot, Rodion Kuruks and Tyler Johnson. Bench off. All of those players had leading roles last season, in Brooklyn or elsewhere, and they won’t even be able to rotate.
Grill is the title contender. Anyone who has seen that game knows this. But the problem is, even the grill knows it. The challenge going forward will be to focus on the current, get better every day and not go to the oven too soon.
“We’re working hard during training camp, and we want that hard work to continue to pay off in the long run,” Irving said after the win. “We’ll enjoy this regular season’s game-to-game, but we finally know what the goal is after 72 games, and that’s 16 wins.”
He says “don’t skip the move” has become an integral part of the NBA’s local vocabulary, but in the early season it should be the target for the net. The Los Angeles Clippers were pegged as NBA title favorites from the bubble to their ominous exit after seeing a 3-1 lead evaporate against Denver Nuggets in brutal fashion. Considering the reports that came out after that, the clippers clearly never came to the same page in terms of chemistry or game plan, and because of that they eventually had to suffer.
Brooklyn need to avoid making similar mistakes during the season, and realize that in a championship conversation they will have to earn based on what they do on the court rather than their star power and load roster. Durant faces a particularly difficult path, not only rehabilitating his body and skills after a long layoff from the competitive basketball due to torn Achilles, but he will also adapt himself to his new teammates on the floor.
“I think as each game continues to build, we’ll be more and more comfortable with each other,” Durant said of his teammates after the opening night’s win. “This is the thing I’ve learned the most, it’s trying to learn everyone’s favorite place on the floor and what they like to do. So, everything will take a while to download.”
It is impossible to have any discussion about net chemistry without bringing Irving, who sought trade from Cleveland and was then part of the atmosphere of the Toxic Locker Room with the Boston Celtics before joining Brooklyn. He has already pointed himself out, possibly upon himself, by refusing to speak to the media and calling them “pawns” in the statement.
By all accounts, Irving is highly regarded by his teammates. Nash said Irving has been a vocal leader during camp and in the early seasons. Irving said the relationship he built with his fellow players during the se phases has been translated into court. He is also serving as a kind mentor to Levert, who called Irving’s leadership a “super helper.”
“It’s on me. It’s on me every day,” Levert said after the win over the Warriors. “And he’s always truthful, he’s always real. He’s always – not necessarily what I want to hear, but it’s the right thing to say. Certainly I cherish him.”
If the net runs one thing for them, it’s the championship descent. Durant won two finals MVP in three years with Golden State. Irving has made three finals appearances and hit the biggest shot in Cavaliers history to deliver his only title to the franchise. They know the long way ahead, and to get there physically and emotionally – how long it takes. Now all they need to do is be patient and let the process unfold naturally.
“I’m not the one to base this on us. No, we have other great players who are developing, already established.” Irving said. “We need to keep giving players the knowledge we need right now, they’re thirsty for it. These people want to win as bad as we do here. [Irving and Durant]. So if you have that winning attitude and mindset, it’s easy for me to fall in line and follow the direction.
“We keep it almost simple here. It’s a basketball. We’ve been doing this for a long time. Now we’re at the top, and now we have to give it a chance to show why it’s the way it is.”
