Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets needed to make a statement last night as they took on the New Orleans Pelicans. In the end, the Nets did make a statement, albeit a negative one. They lost the game 130-108 with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson showing the world why they might be the surprise team of the entire season.
Kyrie only managed to score 15 points in the game, which is not great when you consider how Kevin Durant got 32. It was a horrible way to kick off the season, and with Zion manhandling the Nets, Kyrie was asked what they could do better.
As Kyrie told reporter Brian Lewis, it's all going to come down to pride and wanting to be competitive. Based on last night, it is going to take a whole lot more than that.
"This is going to be a familiar theme throughout the year, and that's to consistently play with a competitive spirit," Irving said. "I don't want to sit here after every game saying we should've done this (or) that. This is a grown man's league and the most physical team wins."
The Nets are off to a bad start, and we cannot imagine what the team must be thinking after a performance like that.