Just when you think they can get back on track, the Brooklyn Nets continue to find ways to embarrass themselves over and over. This time, they lost to a Philadelphia 76ers missing Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey.
To add insult to injury, the Nets were pretty much at full strength, featuring their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons. Not even that was enough to get the job done against a contender.
That’s why NBA legend Charles Barkley believes their biggest issue goes way beyond the personnel or whether they lack size or physicality. Per Chuck, it all has to do with their lack o mental toughness and accountability.
NBA News: Charles Barkley Says Nets Have No Mental Toughness
“It has nothing to do with their size. They just have zero mental toughness,” Barkley said after the game. “Zero. They have zero mental toughness. They don’t hold each other accountable. That’s the first thing. They do not hold each other accountable. Everybody kinda does their own thing.”
“But Doc Rivers said something that was very profound. He said, ‘Guys talk about all this other noise. My team really wanted to win the game.’ He said my team was like, ‘We really wanted to win this game.’ Undermanned, they wanted to win the game to send a message to Ben Simmons,” Barkley added. “And then, if you go to the Brooklyn side. If I’m KD & Kyrie, I’m like, ‘Well, we’re the two best players in the building. They’re missing their three best players. Let’s protect Ben and send them a message.’ And it was totally the opposite. Doc Rivers said it, ‘My team really wanted to win this game.'”
Barkley’s takes are usually controversial, but he’s right on point this time. There’s zero accountability for three of the biggest egomaniacs in the NBA. And they’ll continue to be this team for as long as they don’t change theculture.
