Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets haven't always seen eye-to-eye with one another. Irving has missed a ton of games while on the team, and at this point, he probably won't be back for another year. With that being said, this is a huge year for the Nets as they have an opportunity to show people that they do, indeed, have the talent to win a title.
According to Stephen A. Smith, the Nets are actually his pick to make it out of the East. In an interesting rant on First Take today, Smith claimed that Irving will be an MVP candidate and that Ben Simmons will be an all-star again. He thinks they are true title contenders this season, and he is willing to take that prediction to the bank.
"I've got the Brooklyn Nets going to the Finals," Smith said. "Kyrie's going to be a leading candidate for MVP. ... And Ben Simmons will return to All-Star status."
These are baffling comments to make when you consider how Smith has been very hard on Kyrie over the past year. Not to mention, it's hard to ever imagine Kyrie being an MVP candidate given the fact he misses a ton of games. Either way, Smith's hot take is gaining steam on social media, which is all that matters for ESPN.
Let us know what you think of Smith's hot take, in the comments below.