The 2019-20INFOimmediA season opens this week. Thirty teams, two conferences, the East and West, eighty-two games per team. Two of those teams, the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks play in this market.
Both got started last night. Brooklyn at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a narrowly exciting 127-126 overtime Net loss. The Knicks on the road in San Antonio playing the Spurs, also an opening night loss, 120-to-111. They’ll both meet tomorrow (Friday) in Brooklyn, Barclays Center.
The Knicks will see an augmented Brooklyn Nets team which has been adjusted, re-tooled, the most notable being the acquisitions of guard Kyrie Irving, forward Kevin Durant and center DeAndre Jordan.
Durant is out, supposedly for the season due to injuries sustained earlier this year while playing with the Golden State Warriors, but Irving’s back court experience and ball handling will immediately firm up, insure stability at his position. Irving brings in his Uncle Drew street ball style that amps up a basketball fan.
Last night’s game exemplifies just that. Irving dropped 50-points, 17-for-33, 7 assists, 8 rebounds, 0 turnovers. The 50 is a record setting total for points scored in an NBA debut.
Irving also added something not listed in the stats and to what’s been missing in Brooklyn; a New York City park-style handle. Even losing his balance and regaining his footing while attempting to take the game winning shot looked like a slick Irving dribble move.
“It’s a great starting point,” said Irving. “Obviously, you wanted to come out and get a win in front of our home crowd, but we got another chance on Friday.”
Jordan, a legit 6-11 265 pounder, gives the Nets muscle and strength, physicality in the middle, and should increase Brooklyn’s rebound totals both offensively and defensively.
Even without Durant, much is expected from the Nets this season. A sixth seed last season, Brooklyn finished up 42-and-40, 14 more wins than the season before, and 12th in the standings. But with Irving and Jordan, and knowing that Durant is a Net, the dynamic changes, but Irving is being patient.
“We have time to build, so we’ll just take every practice day, every game as an opportunity to get better. As cliché as that it, it’s really just getting reps with one another.”
Most of the team has been working out together since the summer. “Got some great work in,” noted Irving, excited that the season is starting, and adding a reminder, “Still developing the chemistry out there.”
Out there in the top of the Eastern Conference will be tough to contend with. There’s the Toronto Raptors, the defending champions who are now without MVP Kahwi Leonard, who departed to the L.A. Clippers. They will have all eyes on them to see what their drop off will be, if any. Can they fill the void?
Brooklyn will also have to contend with the Milwaukee Bucks, last season’s Eatern Cobferennce 1-seed, the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76’ers and Indiana Pacers and the off season changes that several of them have made. Al Horford leaving Boston for Philly. Jimmy Butler leaving Philly to Miami, and Kemba Walker, now with Boston.
There are also the teams like the Orlando Magic, the Detroit Pistons and Miami on the come up. There will be a honeymoon period, but in New York City, it’s not as long and as gracious as it can be in other places.