“That’s Almost Impossible”: As Kyrie Irving Situation Plagues Kevin Durant’s Nets, Charles Barkley Unearths Main Problem Even Beside Ben Simmons

Published 11/15/2022, 11:35 PM EST

It’s been seven games now since the world saw Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn Net’s colors. Furthermore, it is evident the NBA will not see Irving for some time. And his absence can be felt on the court as it is arguably only Kevin Durant doing the hard job. And in the Nets’ case, Ben Simmons is coming off the bench to continue his disappointing play.

On Tuesday night the Sacramento Kings, on a three-game winning run, face the Brooklyn Nets at the Golden 1 Center. Furthermore, the Nets will enter the game with some instability in their lineup. Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley moderated a discussion about the Nets’ future recently. And Barkley felt “that’s almost impossible” for the Nets to win against a strong team when it is only Kevin Durant who does the scoring part.

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With the absence of Kyrie Irving, due to his ongoing suspension, and the 2016 first-draft pick Ben Simmons due to his disappointing run so far, the team undoubtedly can’t rely on KD alone to get them out of this concerning situation.

Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons need to make a comeback soon

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Talking about Ben Simmons who was dropped from the starting line-up and is now coming off the bench under Jacque T. Vaughn, Charles Barkley seemed perplexed as to why Simmons was coming off the bench. When guys come off the bench, you want them to score. Simmons is strong at one-on-one play, but he couldn’t score points for the team. So far this season, in nine games, Simmons has averaged 5.2 points, 6.2 rebounds 5.9 assists. That’s certainly not what you expect from a number one overall draft pick.

On the other hand, Kyrie Irving has played eight games in the season so far averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. The difference is clear, Kevin Durant needs a backup who will contribute to the scoring end. On the other hand, Shaquille O’Neal feels like Ben Simmons should be more aggressive. There seems to be a talk on the internet that Simmons is scared to shoot. And Shaq gave a piece of advice to Simmons, telling him to be more aggressive and not worry about missing. “Go back to being aggressive,” Shaq added.

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How do you think the Brooklyn Nets will fare this season? Can they cope without Irving and Simmons? Do tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Written by:

Ritesh Jha is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Technology in Computer Science from Rungta College. Ritesh worked as an intern content writer for a digital marketing agency called KCAS Branding before joining EssentiallySports.

Edited by:

Veer Badani

“That’s Almost Impossible”: As Kyrie Irving Situation Plagues Kevin Durant’s Nets, Charles Barkley Unearths Main Problem Even Beside Ben Simmons

Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons need to make a comeback soon

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