Kevin Durant: Nets lastly turning into crew they envisioned

Reflecting on a tumultuous 2022 calendar yr, famous person ahead Kevin Durant stated the Nets are lastly taking part in the type of basketball the group has strived for since he and Kyrie Irving arrived in Brooklyn in the summertime of 2019.

“It was a type of years you replicate on, and also you see the turning factors within the group,” Durant stated after sitting the whole fourth quarter within the Nets’ wire-to-wire victory over the Charlotte Hornets on New Yr’s Eve. “You see the totally different moments that introduced us collectively as a bunch. At this level now in direction of the tip of the yr, you begin to see us come collectively and kind what we’ve been trying to do these final couple of years which is a strong crew that performs laborious each night time.

“So we went via rather a lot this calendar yr, however we on the lookout for greater and higher issues in 2023.”

The Nets prolonged their league-best successful streak to 11 video games with their 123-106 victory over the Hornets on Saturday. They’ve gained 18 of their final 21 video games and are 22-7 since Jacque Vaughn changed Steve Nash as head coach after the primary seven video games of the season.

Durant named the teaching change as one among a number of turning factors in a roller-coaster journey of a calendar yr that included quite a few commerce requests, quite a few absences for Irving and a Nets season that ended through a first-round sweep by the Boston Celtics in final yr’s playoffs.

The very considered a championship-contending Nets crew hung in jeopardy when twice Durant requested a commerce in the course of the offseason, together with one reported demand that included each Nash and basic supervisor Sean Marks be fired.

[ Mike Lupica: Love them or hate them, Kevin Durant and the Nets are NBA’s most compelling team ]

“For us to have the ability to convey the group again collectively and begin the yr was cool, after which as soon as Jacque turned the coach and we began to maneuver ahead then clearly that was a turning level for us,” Durant stated. “Then we had some stuff that wasn’t splendid: guys out the lineup, Kyrie out the lineup, James Harden demanding a commerce, it was lots of stuff that we went via.

“How we began the yr from an outdoor perspective, the noise round our crew, so it’s good that we could be about ball going into the brand new yr and we’re taking part in a strong model proper now, in order that’s an important factor.”

Irving declined the chance to replicate on the season.

“On a regular basis continues to be being written, so I don’t assume a yr in reflecting is critical proper now, however we simply need to proceed placing our greatest foot ahead for each other and extra importantly for ourselves as professionals,” he stated. “So simply need to proceed to be constant, keep targeted and disciplined.”