There was plenty of venom and vitriol when the 76ers hosted the Nets last season, and Simmons wasn’t even playing, he was in street clothes because of his back injury. Turnpike rivalryĪs it stands, barring a Durant deal - and possibly even with one - the most-anticipated return might be Simmons’ first game back at Philadelphia, on Nov.
It would be the first time Durant, Simmons and Kyrie Irving all take the court together. 19 against New Orleans and Zion Williamson, who also missed all of last season. He’s finally on pace to make his long-delayed Nets debut on Oct. Speaking of backs …Īfter trading away James Harden to get Ben Simmons, the young All-Star still hasn’t played for the Nets, thanks to a back injury that required surgery. If Durant isn’t traded before then and is still a Net, the game could always be picked up later. 22 game at Golden State would presumably be Durant’s first game in front of Warriors fans since he left for Brooklyn in June 2019, but it currently is not slated to be on national television. Here are some more takeaways from the Nets’ schedule: Back to the Bay Nets add veteran big man, locker room presence
Nets star, fiancée call off engagement: ‘It’s been a difficult time’ ‘Abject failure’: Shaq, Barkley agree about Kevin Durant’s careerīoston Globe legend rips ‘s–t head’ Kevin Durant: ‘Screw him’ 28 versus the Knicks during the NBA’s new Rivalry Week. Their single ABC appearance will be Saturday Jan. They have just the lone ABC appearance, with seven games on ESPN, five more on TNT and 10 on NBA TV. It’s the latest proof - as if anybody needed more - that the Nets are no longer a guaranteed national draw, until further notice.
The NBA finalist Celtics - who swept the Nets in the first round - are tied with LeBron James and the Lakers with 16 national TV games. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving Getty Imagesīy comparison to the Nets’ 13 national TV appearances, Stephen Curry and the defending champion Warriors will have 18. And because decision-makers clearly are not convinced that Durant will be leading a star-studded roster or that the Nets will be legitimate championship contenders, they’ll go from five ABC games to one. The Nets were featured 26 times last season on ABC, ESPN and TNT, but this season, that number has been slashed to just 13. The NBA released its 2022-23 schedule - and revealed it has relegated the Nets.Ĭoming off a disappointing season and disrupted by Kevin Durant’s trade demand, the Nets are conspicuously absent from the marquee Christmas Day slate for the first time since 2020, and their nationally televised appearances have been cut in half.