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Nets’ new formidable trio undercuts Nash’s loveable underdog style – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

January 13, 2021

Steve Nash’s basketball identity has always been the underdog – the undiscovered, underrated kid from the far reaches of the continent who exceeded everyone’s expectations.

His was the kind of sports story that could serve as an inspiration to young dream chasers of any stripe. There were even lessons to be learned which – if applied – could make you a better version of your adult self.

It was nice while it lasted. The gritty kid from Victoria, B.C. who made it to the Hall of Fame by doing more with less is now – in basketball terms — the trust-fund dude who suddenly has to run the family business with shareholders breathing down his neck.

He’s been given every toy he could ever want, but now he’s got to fashion them into tools that work.

With his playing days behind him Nash decided to turn his passion for competition and his basketball genius to coaching and in short order has found himself at the heart of one of the NBA’s great soap operas – of which we’re spoiled for choice – as the ringleader for the basketball circus known as the Brooklyn Nets.

The latest drama will resonate for some time as on Wednesday Brooklyn became the winner in the race to acquire James Harden – the three-time defending scoring champion, former MVP and now likely the second-best player on his new team, behind his old pal Kevin Durant.

The Nets were in championship-or-bust mode the minute that holdovers Irving and Durant showed up to training camp in good health.

But now?

It’s championship or busted.

The Nets traded guard Caris Lavert and centre Jarret Allen — two highly regarded members of no-stars the team that had made the playoffs the past two seasons – to Houston and Cleveland, respectively. The Nets also traded four future first-round picks in (their own picks 2022, ’24, 26, and the Bucks’ 2022 first) as well four first-round picks swaps, allowing the Rockets to change places with them in the 2021, ’23, ’25 and 27 drafts. All of the picks are unprotected.

If the Nets don’t win now, they won’t be winning in the future, seems a safe bet.

In Harden and Durant, Nash can call on players who have won three and four scoring titles, respectively, while Irving is averaging 27.3 points and 6.3 assists in the 27 games he’s suited up for Brooklyn this season and last.

Even by the standards of the ‘Big Three’ era, where teams have moved heaven and earth to bring three compatible stars together in pursuit of a championship, the Nets trio is formidable.

The Nets are so loaded there will be nights when Harden will be third on the pecking order, depending on if and when now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t Irving ever returns to work.

But one casualty of the process is the feel-good element that always made Nash’s team’s easy to cheer for — the comradery he helped foster as the point guard who lived to share and the way his clubs in Dallas and Phoenix kept getting knocked down only to come back for more — is long gone.

The insta-contender Nets have become the NBA’s evil empire and Nash — who many felt jumped the line in being hard for one of the league’s plum jobs without a whiff of experience — its spokesman and leader.

There are worse problems to have, but Nash will have problems. Durant is coming off a torn Achilles tendon and looks to be in peak form again, but for all his on-floor brilliance the seven-footer with point guard skills is also known for leaving his team in Oklahoma City to join the Golden State Warriors juggernaut – after the Warriors eliminated the Thunder in seven games in the 2016 playoffs. Durant then left the Warriors in a pout in 2019 – even after leading them to two titles – in part, because he felt like the franchise would always be first identified with incumbent star Steph Curry.

Meanwhile, Irving has worked his way out of both Cleveland and Boston and is currently AWOL from the Nets with questions being raised about how committed he is to being an NBA player at all and Irving doing little to dispel them.

Harden ended up with the Nets because he essentially went on strike in Houston in order to force a trade from an organization that had tailored their team in his image for the past eight years. Yet for all his statistical prowess – he’s averaged 32.4 points, 8.8 assists and 6.7 rebounds over his past four seasons, having finished no worse than third in MVP voting over that run – he never led the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals and his record of post-season no-shows is almost as noteworthy as his regular-season stats chasing.

When it became evident that a title wasn’t in the cards in Houston Harden – who has is being paid $40.8 million for 2020-21and has $92.5 million guaranteed over the next two years to come – decided to pull the chute.

“We’re just not good enough,” he said after the Rockets were blown out by the Lakers Tuesday night. “Chemistry, talent-wise everything … this situation is crazy, I don’t think it can be fixed.”

Did we mention the career-high usage rates for Harden, Durant and Irving are 40.5, 33.0 and 32.6, respectively?

Clearly, someone is going to have to make a sacrifice somewhere, but that seems to be a skill none of the Nets stars is all that familiar with.

Nash remains an idealist in that respect, but those ideals might be tested.

“Basketball is about playing together and being the best you can be,” said Nash before the trade was made official. “No matter who you are it’s about finding that commitment and balance within the team and to be greater than the sum of your parts. That doesn’t change, no matter what your team looks like.”

There are worse problems than finding a way for three of the most talented players of their generation to share the ball and maybe play a smidgen of defence, but unless there’s a title at the end of the season Nash will have a target on his back.

It’s the coach’s job to make talent work, and Nash’s team is one of the most talented ever assembled, at the top end at least.

As Nash himself noted, the NBA is a “star’s league” and now it’s up to him to coax the Nets trio into alignment. He might be the man for the job, but for this chapter of Nash’s career don’t expect anyone outside of Brooklyn to be cheering them on.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

2 days ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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