With James Harden on the Nets, many are expecting Brooklyn to be the team to beat this year. While most felt like the Lakers were the best team in the league, it's hard to bet against a squad with the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Harden. With that being said, it remains to be seen what kind of chemistry these three players can drum up, and with Irving's recent issues, there are no guarantees that this Rockets team can get through a deep run.
Stephen A. Smith is one of the people who remains skeptical about the Nets, even with Irving's return announced today. During this morning's episode of First Take, Smith noted that Durant, Kyrie, and KD are all individuals and they don't know how to play as teammates right now.
"Right now they're just individuals playing together, they're not necessarily a team. The only person that's been a consistent model of a teammate has been Kevin Durant," Smith explained.
This is an opinion shared by many analysts, however, if there is one thing the NBA has taught us, it's that teams and players find a way to surpass expectations. Harden has been eyeing the Nets for a while and it stands to reason that he will be putting his best foot forward once he steps back onto the court.
