Wizards Facing a Nets Team in Turmoil
The sports news cycle has been swarming at a high rate this week. One reason why is the downward spiral the Brooklyn Nets seem to be on currently; the team who also happens to be facing the Wizards tonight at Capital One Arena.
The issues with the Nets didn’t just start this week. A quick Nets exit from the Eastern Conference 2021 - 2022 playoffs was the first sign that there was trouble in the organization. It all seemed to hit the fan, this off-season, when All-Star Kevin Durant requested a trade from the organization. Over time, those talks seemed to dwindle away given Durant is still with the team and has been actively playing so far this season.
After a dismal 2-6 season start, earlier this week the Nets fired Head Coach Steve Nash. After the Nash firing, it was reported that the team was then hiring Boston Celtics' suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka as the Nets' next Head Coach. Although nothing has been finalized (at the time of this article) this was quite a shock to most, including some in the Celtics' organization.
The drama doesn’t stop there. Also this week, the Brooklyn Nets announced they have suspended Kyrie Irving for recent controversy and he will not be with the team tonight against the Wizards.
We also can’t forget that Nets star Ben Simmons is out against the Wizards tonight with knee soreness.
After all of this, we must remember that there is a basketball game tonight that must be played. The Wizards are looking to trend back upward to the .500 mark and the Nets are desperate to get a W in hopes that it takes the pressure away from the off-the-court distractions.
We will see if the Wizards are able to take advantage of the turmoil their opponent is facing or if Kevin Durant is able to lead his team to victory in front of his hometown crowd.