What are your expectations for year one of the K D and Kyrie show?

I mean, they're high because this organization's expectations of themselves are Hi, Rachel.

We hear these guys talk about well, we don't wanna put too much pressure on ourselves.

Well, we don't want to say we're all coming back and we're out here to win it and take over the East.

But at the same time, when I talk to folks around that team, they say they know they know what they're going for.

They know that not making an Eastern Conference Finals appearance as high as those standards.

Maybe that is already what's expected of them, and it's what they're expecting of themselves.

So, yeah, I expect that of them.

So my thing is that everybody has expectations for this team.

I think when you really break it down, if you were to compare it to Clippers, you have all of this new talent coming together and they have all of the ability.

They have a great bench, they have a great staff.

I actually love the staff that Steve Kerr has brought brought in right.

He's brought in other players.

Excuse me, Steve Nash.

He's brought in other players.

He brought in D'Antoni.

So he's got a great great staff there to help him navigate the first year coaching.

But I think this is kind of like the Clippers, where it's like they need to develop their chemistry, and that's not it's not like championship or bust.

I think the Clippers put too much pressure on themselves, and I think when they failed it like that, pressure fell on them, too.

So I think the Nets are just gonna take it easy.

I don't think they have to win a championship for this year to be successful.

Well, when you add arguably the best player in the league to your roster, it's always gonna be championship or bust.

Now, if Kevin Durant can play at A M V P M V P level top five top three, then this team has a chance to get to the finals.

These are the expectations that come with a superstar like Kevin Durant.

And then you have Kyrie Irvin in his own right.

He's a superstar who's won a championship.

That's always how it's gonna be.

LeBron goes somewhere.

Katie goes somewhere.

Expectations are championship.

Speaking of Kyrie, all eyes were gonna be on him tonight because it's just pre season, but it's his first actual first game back in Boston.

Member.

He didn't play when the Nets visited there last year.

So, Malika, is there any bad blood left on the Celtics side after Kerry's free agency departure a couple seasons ago?

Well, when you ask them, they're going to say no.

And they've done pretty well in their own right.

As as Kyrie has departed, right?

It's not like they've fallen off a cliff.

So I think the Celtics air happy with where they're at.

Brad Stevens has said repeatedly that he's happy with the way you know.

Things ended with Kyrie with him moving on.

I think it's Celtics fans, right that are still kind of hanging on to that a little bit and potentially rightfully so right.

Kyrie Irving sat in front of them and said that he intended to resign and then that didn't happen.

That's the business of basketball, but I was at that game in Boston last year, rate when Kyrie Irving did not play.

And when I walked around the outside of TD Garden, there were literally posters of his face with the word coward printed over it.

So I don't think this game tonight, even though it is just the pre season, is going to carry the same weight that it would have had there been fans in the building.

I truly believe that if there were those folks there, they would let them.

They would let Kyrie know how they feel about not having him on the team anymore and then about having him not have played last season.

He was injured.

He was dealing with that shoulder injury.

But to the fans, that still stings a little bit.

And there's a reason why this game is on.

Christmas Day is also Boston Nets.

It's because the league knows there's a little something there.

I don't know, Paul do.

Celtics fans have long memories.

We hold grudges way definitely hold grudges and he would have got it.

He would have got lit up if the fans were out there and listen.

This is going to continue every year until his career is over.

Every time he comes to the Garden all their spans in there.

All still doesn't like me for the first the first two years of my career.

I mean, e.

I don't think it's just because of that that he doesn't like Richard.

That's what let's get to the plot twist for the Nets this off season.

The rumors of James Harden coming to Brooklyn to join Katie and Kyrie.

So, Richard, how do you think those rumors impact the Nets heading into the regular season?

Especially the guys on the roster who know if James Harden did come there, they would probably be the one shipped out.

I had a conversation via the Nets with Sean Marks, and Sean Marks was saying like, Hey, I've had open conversations with all of our players so they know if they need to sit down and it's like, Look, there's certain times where you could tell players that Look, I've had no conversation about this.

They understand that James Harden is one of the most popular players and one of the best players in the league.

So, like, these guys know, like Spencer Dinwiddie, if he's sitting in office, he's like, yeah, like if James Harden is gonna come here like I get it like I understand, but and all is about conversation.

And I think the Nets have had a great conversation with their players.

Toe.

Let them know like Hey, right now, this is our team and this is what we're moving forward with.

I don't think that there's that much stress because players know about kind of the lifestyle that we've signed up for.

Yeah, I agree.

And I also think that they think they can win a championship with the roster on hand right now without James Harden.

Yes, you add a James Harden.

It does enhance it.

Your chances toe win.

But look, like I said, K d you got K D?

That's a champion.

Kyrie, Caris, Levert I mean, he's one of the most underrated players in my eyes in the league.

A guy who could carry an offense, uh, then witty.

They got pieces here.

I'm not messing with this because think about this like you get when you get a better like James Harden, you could kind of bump heads.

Katie and Kyrie, these guys, they're gonna fall in line.

They're gonna play the role they asked you to play and they're gonna play it to the best of their ability because they respect these guys, and that's what you need and trying to build a championship team well on day in and day out.

I do not expect this to be an X be a distraction for the Nets.

We've asked different players from Kyrie to Kevin Durant to caress Liver to Spencer Dinwiddie to Jared Allen, the latter three.

Their names have all been involved in potential packages.

If that were to come to fruition, and all of them have said, Look, James Harden is not in our practice today, he is not distracting us.

In fact, maybe look at the Rockets and see what's happening over there.

That may be more of a distraction for his teammates right now.

And and like Richard said, I hate toe echo Richard.

But Sean Marks does have that open door policy.

I know it's really hard for me, but Sean Marks does have that open door policy and he says that that's how he's working through this with his players and it does seem like the Nets have from everyone that I've talked to you within that organization.

There is no trade for James Harden that is imminent.

They had some discussions.

They were briefed.

They did not go very far.

And and Sean Marks being honest with his players and saying, Hey, that's what happened And now we're moving forward.

We like this group.

They have to believe what's done is done.

And right now, what's being done is not James Harden imminently coming to the Brooklyn Nets E Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

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