Brooklyn Nets - Finals or Bust

Brooklyn Nets, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

They may not exactly blow up the team, evident by their willingness to pass on trading Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Spencer Dinwiddie for James Harden, but for the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets, the bar has been set.

On opening night, everything seemed to fall into place, just perfect for the new-look Nets. Steve Nash won his very first game as a head coach with a 125-99 demolition of the Golden State Warriors.

Kevin Durant played a meaningful NBA game after 550 days since we last saw him hobble off the court in Toronto. He dropped 22 points in 25 minutes, and Kyrie Irving did Kyrie type stuff.

Cyrus Saatsaz, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Yes, it was only the first game of a modified season, and they were playing a Warriors team that was not and will not be at full strength all season, but for the Nets and their two-star players, it was a statement game.

Many experts have the Milwaukee Bucks tagged to be the top team in the East yet again, while the Miami Heat are coming off of a surprise trip to the NBA Finals and the Philadelphia 76ers believe that Doc Rivers, Daryl Morey, and a few long-range gunners are the solution to all their problems.

The Brooklyn Nets would love to soak in this "underdog" card!

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Thomas Spangler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Irving has made no secrets about how he feels regarding his high-scoring teammate, especially in comparison to his former Cleveland running mate.

And as for Durant, some say that his legacy as one of the greats of the game will only be true if he can win a championship as the alpha on a team, not by joining a dynasty like the Golden State Warriors.

All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

For basketball fans in New York, having something to be excited about during the NBA season has been a long time coming, even if it isn't happening at Madison Square Garden.

For those that say the expectations of hanging a championship banner or at the very least representing the Eastern Conference in the 2021 Finals is too much, all they have to do is look over at the West Coast and see the banner hanging in the Staples Center after Lebron James and Anthony Davis carried the team to a championship during their first season together.