When the Nets first said Kevin Durant wasn’t expected to play in 2019-20, the season looked like a bridge year for Brooklyn. Then, when Kyrie Irving was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Thursday by Nets general manager Sean Marks, it felt like the season ended — further emphasizing 2019-20 was a gap year for Brooklyn.
But players refuse to admit that’s the case.
“I don’t think they think in that vein at all,” Kenny Atkinson said of the Nets’ looking toward 2020-21.
In fact, rather than give up on 2019-20, Atkinson thinks his players see something unique in front of them:
I think they look at it as a challenge, as an opportunity. Hey, can we do something special without those guys?
Of course, having both Durant and Irving for 2019-20 would be ideal. But their time will come in 2020-21 — and the Nets know this. While they wait for the superstars to heal up, the rest of Brooklyn can show the league just how good this group is.
“I think spirit’s really good in [the locker room],” Atkinson said. “I think these guys want to do something really special and surprise some people.”