The Brooklyn Nets are the NBA’s newest superteam, an offensive juggernaut with two former MVPs in Kevin Durant and James Harden and the owner of one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history in Kyrie Irving, also widely regarded as the best handle the sport seen.
But LeBron James was not ready to declare the trio an unprecedented ensemble when asked about Brooklyn ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game against the new Nets on Thursday.
“Um, have we forgotten about KD, Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson)?” James said after the Lakers’ 112-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night. “I mean, there you go. You just go there. ‘
James knows the Golden State Warriors group is good – he beat his Cleveland Cavaliers for rugby championships in 2017 and ’18.
But the most points Durant, Curry and Thompson had in their three seasons together was 75.8 per game in 2018-’19.
Durant (29.0), Irving (28.3) and Harden (23.9) averaged 80.7 points for the Nets on Tuesday.
Thursday’s power play will lack a bit of firepower. LA will be without Anthony Davis, who had a calf strain on Sunday and aggravated the Achilles tendinosis in his right leg. He will see team doctors when the Lakers return home on Wednesday.
“We will see how he responds to treatment in a few weeks and reevaluates,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Tuesday.
On the other hand, Durant has missed the past two games with a left thigh muscle and Irving kicked off Tuesday’s return over the Phoenix Suns with a tight knee in his low back.
That said, James said he is looking forward to seeing these nets in person for the first time.
“It’s always exciting for me to face some of the best guys in the game – and they got three of them,” he said. “They have three of the best guys in the game. I would definitely be full if you play against such a team and at that point in the season see how you match – how you match against some of the best teams in the league. And of course we will not be full on Thursday. But, other than that, yes, I like to go out there and just be on the floor with some of the best to play this game. “
James’ teammate Montrezl Harrell was less excited. He was part of the NBA’s shiny new toy with the LA Clippers last season, when the historically underperforming franchise added Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and immediately became favorites to win the title.
Maybe he went through all the hype, just to be part of the Clippers’ playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, in the second round, and taught him that the regular season is not always the best indication of success after the season.
“Honestly, I do not really care,” Harrell said. “We’ll go on every game with a game plan, know offensively, defensively what we want to do to win that game, and it’s going to be the same as we’ll have to do on Thursday.
“There’s nothing else. We do not circle that game. We put no extra emphasis on that game. It’s just like any other game – we take it one game at a time. We’re still learning, we’re still growing still and we are still building with each other, and we will have to do it to a higher standard to lose one of our great pieces [in Davis]. “