HOME-COURT DISADVANTAGE: ARE THE NETS TRYING TO LOSE?
(Bruce Kluckhohn/ Associated Press
In the era of covid-19, it seems that nothing is ever certain. Before 2020, the NBA suspending its season and continuing it at a Disneyland bubble seemed like something out of a movie. As unlikely as it was, it happened.
In 2022, a whole two years later, players and teams are starting to adjust to life with covid. Early in the NBA season, the new covid variant was sweeping through the league causing most teams to have to sign emergency players. Dealing with covid this season has been a challenge for most teams. Many teams have not performed up to their standards considering all the obstacles, but is it possible that one team is actually trying to fall behind?
Enter, the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets find themselves in one of the most unique positions in NBA history. They are coming off of a season where they lost in game seven to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. In that game they were without Kyrie Irving due to an ankle injury that he sustained earlier in the series. Following the loss, many believe that Kyrie would have been able to help the Nets beat Milwaukee and possibly go on to win the championship themselves.
This year however, a wrench was thrown into that idea. While the NBA doesn’t require players to be vaccinated, the state of New York has very strict policies regarding vaccination status, and Kyrie Irving has remained adamant that he will not get the vaccine. This would only allow him to play in games outside the state of New York. While the Nets started the season without him, they quickly realized that with James Harden struggling, Kevin Durant needed Kyrie badly.
Here is where it gets interesting. Despite not having Kyrie, and all the covid cases resulting in missed time for other players, the Nets remained a top two team in the East for most of the first half of the season. Now with Kevin Durant out due to a knee sprain and Kyrie back in the lineup, they have suddenly lost nine of their last 13 games and fallen all the way to 6th place in the East. Could it be just a bad stretch? It’s certainly possible, but the Nets have everything to gain from finishing lower in the standings.
Most teams fight hard all season for home court advantage in the postseason. If the Nets secure a top seed however, they would have to enter a potential game seven against a great Milwaukee, Chicago, or Philly team without their starting point guard. Last year it was out of their control. This year is a little different. You decide, are the Nets losing on purpose?