The Nets entered the season with loads of promise, with many believing that a Kyrie Irving injury was all that prevented them from winning a title last season.
Heading into this year, with a full year of Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant, Brooklyn was a trendy championship favorite, and even with Irving playing part-time due to his vaccination status, the Nets found themselves in first place by January.
Then, Durant went down with an MCL injury, Harden felt the onus was all on himself and pushed his way out, and Brooklyn now finds itself sinking further into a certain play-in spot with just over a month to go in the season.
Now, Tiki and Tierney believe that the only thing standing in the way of the Nets and one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history is the health of Ben Simmons.
The headline return of the Harden trade, Simmons has yet to play a game all season after his soured relationship with the 76ers and his ensuing mental health concerns, but now, a back issue has flared up, leaving him weeks from a return. But if he can't get in the swing of things right away if and when he finally takes the court, both Tiki and Tierney believe Brooklyn is cooked.
"It is go time," Tierney said. "Kevin Durant is 33. Kyrie, who knows how long he's gonna want to keep playing basketball…and if Ben Simmons cannot will himself mentally to a place he hasn't been in a long time, then the Nets have no shot to win the championship, and then this will be one of the biggest disappointments in the history of the NBA, let alone the city."
So, does the hope of avoiding one of the biggest disappointments in New York sports history all ride on Simmons' shoulders? Durant and Irving are the obvious anchors of the team, but Irving is not guaranteed to be available for a full series as the private sector mandate hasn't changed, and Simmons would be the facilitator and defender that the Nets need. Whenever he reaches game-ready shape, he won't have any time to get acclimated. He will immediately be needed to avoid a monumental disappointment.
"He better come ready to play, and that's pressure," Tiki said. "I don't know if he's had to deal with that before. It's different when he's riding this upward train in Philadelphia…he's stepping into something, when he finally gets back and plays, that's going to command and demand that he not mess it up."
Follow WFAN's midday team on Twitter: @TikiandTierney, @TikiBarber, @BrandonTierney, and @TheHoffWFAN
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