There are probably five to six teams in the NBA that you always need to keep your eye on. It’s the irresistible combination of all or a few of the following: the stars, drama, history, compelling storyline, maybe a little bit of controversy, and then, of course, the basketball part of it all. Case in point: the Los Angeles Lakers. There is always something brewing in La La Land.
If the Lakers are the champions of must-see TV in the West, then the Brooklyn Nets hold that honor in the East. It’s less than 10 games into the new season, and there’s already a new off-court issue in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving and his controversial tweet that included a link to an antisemitic movie (the tweet has already been deleted). He even had a back-and-forth discussion with a reporter during postgame.
The Nets are a collection of different stars with different personalities trying to mesh. And with their ambition to become champions, they seem to always demand our attention. From Irving’s unorthodox and often controversial views to Ben Simmons’ role as the third star on the team and his attempt to recapture his shot to Kevin Durant and his insatiable desire to be the best, haters be damned, it’s an entire show in Brooklyn. It also just so happens that they are pretty good basketball players who want to be taken seriously as contenders.
Currently, the Nets hold a 2-5 record, fresh from snapping their four-game slide with a win over the Indiana Pacers. Durant erupted for 36 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, while Kyrie Irving dropped 28 points, alongside six boards, six dimes, and four steals. The 34-year-old Durant is still as elite as ever while Irving remains a crafty playmaker.
The Nets face the Chicago Bulls next in their second game of a back-to-back.
Looking at the standings, the Nets are far from the early contenders in the East. The Milwaukee Bucks remain the only undefeated team in the league with six wins while the Cleveland Cavaliers are 5-1. The Nets would want nothing more than to climb up the standings and be one of the beasts of the East.
The 3-4 Bulls don’t carry the same off-court weight as the Nets but they too want to be early playoff challengers. On their end, a win over the Nets would give them confidence that they can beat the big boys. They won over the Miami Heat in their season opener, but experienced losses against the Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bulls take on the Nets at 7:30 AM on NBA TV Philippines. There are only four games scheduled on Wednesday, and you can bet that the Nets will grab a share of the spotlight because that’s just who they are. The Nets are must-see TV and you don’t want to miss any of their games (and what they’ll say in the postgame interviews) throughout the long NBA season.
