Kevin Durant isn’t fooling anybody.
The Brooklyn Nets superstar produced another solid individual outing on Wednesday with 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists.
But the Nets once again fell short, losing to the Chicago Bulls 108-99 to take their season record to a lowly 2-6.
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Wed, 02 Nov
Wednesday November 2nd
In the hours before the game, the front office pulled the pin on Steve Nash’s tenure as the coach with reports emerging that they were chasing the currently suspended Ime Udoka from the Boston Celtics.
After the loss to the Bulls, Durant was asked for his reaction to the early season axing and here’s what he offered up.
“You’re always shocked when a move like this happens, but it’s normal in the NBA, so it’s about getting ready for the game tonight,” Durant said.
“It’s always a quick turnaround in the league, especially during the season. We’ve got practice and games coming up, so you can’t think too much about it. But it was on my mind for a little bit today.
“Let’s be real: We’re pros. We’re veterans. We had a tough start and a rocky year last year, rocky summer. We knew that everyone was being evaluated. That’s just how it is in the league.
“So I liked working with Steve. I liked working with the coaching staff. It was a roller coaster last few years, but the core of it — basketball — is something that we all love to do. So regardless of the coach, regardless of the circumstances, you still gotta come to work. So I enjoyed coming to work with Steve.”
Let’s rewind the tape shall we.
Three months ago the Nets were in off-season turmoil with both Durant and Kyrie Irving trying to force their way out or force blockbuster changes.
Durant issued a damning ultimatum to owner Joe Tsai that he chose between himself or the pairing of head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks, The Athletic reported.
The star forward requested a trade shortly after the season came to an end before requesting the owner to do away with the coach and general manager.
It makes Durant’s remarks after the loss on Wednesday extremely laughable. Months ago he wanted Nash gone; seven games later he’s trying to tell us he “liked working with Steve”.
Durant mustn’t think much of basketball fans because nobody was being fooled by his response.
The Nets remain in the middle of a nightmare situation that almost all are laying squarely on the shoulders of Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons.
Irving’s anti-Semitic post was finally taken down, but the organization continues to fumble that situation with no punishment being handed down to the star.
Simmons has endured a horror start to the season and has now missed the past two games through injury, a worrying sign for a player who sat out for over a year with reported back issues.
With a new coach on the way, serious question marks hang over the franchise with Durant at the forefront. With 74 games left on the schedule there’s a whole lot left to play out.
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