Saturday 21 September 2019 09:41, UK
Even without the injured Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets should be contending to win the Eastern Conference in the 2019-20 season, says Inside The NBA analyst Kenny Smith.
Speaking at the NBA Crossover event in central London, two-time NBA champion Smith backed Brooklyn to build on their impressive 2018-19 campaign in which their young roster compiled a 42-40 record and reached the postseason before bowing out in a fiery series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Nets then made a huge offseason splash, acquiring marquee free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in July. While an Achilles injury is likely to keep Durant off the court for the entire 2019-20 season, Smith believes Irving will ensure the Nets make their mark.
Attend NBA Crossover, a free exhibition displaying the convergence of the NBA and popular culture, at Phonica Records, Poland Street, London W1F 7LX from September 20-22
"Brooklyn should be better - that's the expectation," said Smith. "Even without Kevin Durant there, they should be contending for the East."
Coming off a turbulent season with the Boston Celtics in which he publicly criticised his team-mates, Irving has something to prove with this new team.
Asked about Irving's objectives for the upcoming campaign, Smith said: "I would say health will be his No 1 priority. No 2 would be his integration with his new team-mates and understanding what they do well. The Nets played well last year and Kyrie's job will be to elevate that. Those will be the two things he thinks about the most.
"Everyone talks about leadership. I don't know how he is in the locker room, I've never been in there with him. He's on a new team that had mild success without him and his job will be to lift that level of success."
Durant and Irving signing with Brooklyn is one of several superstar duos formed through offseason free agency. Anthony Davis joined LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers and Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, fresh from leading the Toronto Raptors to their maiden NBA title, joined forces with the LA Clippers.
Lakers legend Kobe Bryant recently said the NBA title will not be won by the team with the best superstar duo, but by the team with the best supporting cast for their star players. Smith concurred with Bryant's assessment.
"I do [agree with Kobe]," said Smith. "Basketball is a team sport like no other. If you look at Toronto last year, it wasn't a duo that bought them the title. There was a really great player in Kawhi Leonard with really good players around him that understood how to play well. That structure is always going to be more consistent than two guys or three guys dominating because that becomes too much weight to carry.
"It's about putting people in the right position, meaning allowing your best point to concentrate on being a point guard, your best power forward to concentrate on being a power forward, rather than having small forward or center duties. Whichever team is able to do that, that's a team that is going to win."
Smith's two NBA titles came as a member of the Houston Rockets and he believes his former team, who acquired former MVP Russell Westbrook to form a twin-MVP backcourt with James Harden, have legitimate title aspirations in what will be the most open NBA season in years.
"This is probably the first season in a decade where six or more teams can legitimately say, 'we can win the championship this year, we can win this whole thing'," said Smith. "Typically, it's three or four teams. This is the first year I've seen with this many teams feel they have an opportunity to win it all.
"I think the Rockets are going to be much better. I think they have a chance to win it all."
Can Westbrook and Harden, two ball-dominant guards, co-exist effectively? Smith feels they will.
"They played together before [in Oklahoma City]. Back then they had to share the ball with Kevin Durant, who dominated the ball far more than they did.
"Currently, the way the NBA is and the way Mike D'Antoni wants the Rockets to play, there will be so many possessions. They play faster and the speed of the game makes me think they won't have any problems at all.
"At this stage in their careers, Russell Westbrook is a better player than [his Rockets backcourt predecessor) Chris Paul. I don't think Westbrook will have a problem [sharing the ball with Harden]. He did it effectively last year with Paul George in OKC and he has done it before [with Harden] too."
Kenny Smith was speaking at NBA Crossover, a free exhibition taking place from September 20-22, displaying the convergence of the NBA and popular culture.
