Kyrie Irving: ‘Building championship habits takes time’

Despite all the problems, Irving remains optimistic that the Nets eventually will be able to turn things around as they continue to learn more about one another. “Building championship habits takes time,” Irving said. “And time is not necessarily always on our side. I don’t know what game this is for me, so I’m still just getting used to being in this flow of everything right now, still being in an observant place. But building championship habits is staying resilient and knowing that there’s another level to push to when you’re tired and you have all the excuses in the world and you just continue on. You don’t hold your head or anything like that.”
Source: Nick Friedell @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Kyrie doesn’t want his team getting too down on itself — despite the fact the Nets just dropped their seventh straight. espn.com/nba/story/_/id… – 2:06 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets mauled by #Jazz for #NBA-high 7th-straight loss. Kyrie: “We want to be able to impact the basketball on the defensive end so we’re not taking the ball out of the rim every single time. That’s a demoralizing way to play basketball.” nypost.com/2022/02/05/net… via @nypostsports – 2:06 AM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
“I don’t feel like I’m close to where I wanna be personally, just I have like mountain high expectations for myself.”
-Kyrie Irving – 12:36 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
Kyrie: “Building championship habits takes time. And time is not necessarily always on our side. I don’t know what game this is for me, so I’m still just getting used to being in this flow of everything right now, still being in an observant place. – 12:20 AM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Kyrie Irving on #Nets loss to #Jazz: “We had a few chances and some of our focus level diminished as they started making shots. We came to the bench, had some good talks about adjustments we wanted to make, but it was just a battle of will tonight and they took over the game.” – 12:13 AM

Dave Early @DavidEarly
“There’s no time to feel like our season is in doomsday or we need to push the panic button at all points but we have to face reality that a lot of our guys, a lot of my teammates, we’re still getting to know one another….”
-Kyrie Irving on Nets 7 game slide – 12:13 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Shoutouts to @Nick Friedell for asking some good questions of Kyrie Irving in Utah tonight. Irving admits he’s not where he wants to be and the game is different when all the stars aren’t playing the way they need to. Full quote and story coming soon. – 12:08 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Tonight marked Kyrie Irving’s 11th game of the 22 he’s eligible for. On the halfway mark, Irving said he’s not close to where he wants to be, but admits his expectations for himself are extremely high. – 12:07 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Irving says the defense wasn’t good, and taking the ball out under the rim every possession “is a demoralizing way to play basketball.” – 12:03 AM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Kyrie Irving: “We took some positives from this (loss), but I’m kind of tired of saying that.” – 12:01 AM

David Locke @DLocke09
POSTCAST – Utah Jazz completely dominate Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1… – 11:19 PM

David Hardisty @clutchfans
Nets are going to lose their 7th straight game. Their next 4 games:
@ Denver (no Harden?)
Boston (no Kyrie)
—– TRADE DEADLINE —–
@ Washington
@ Miami – 10:51 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Nets down 32 after three in Utah. Nash can probably take a chance at a comeback and leave Irving out there, and if it doesn’t work out just rest him when they get back home. – 10:43 PM

Eric Walden @tribjazz
End 3Q: Jazz 105, Nets 73. Donovan Mitchell with 25p (7-9 FGs, 6-7 from 3), 5a, 3r. Kyrie Irving with 15p, (6-20 FGs, 3-8 from 3), 6a, 3r. – 10:40 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
As strange as it is given his current part-time status, Nash would be wise to get Kyrie out of this game. The last thing the Nets need is for him to get hurt in a game they’re losing by 33. – 10:36 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
It’s not out of play that the Nets could slip to 7 or 8 and into the Play-In in the East.
That sets up a situation where they wouldn’t have Kyrie Irving available for a must-win game(s).
That’s a laughable premise as recently as a month or so ago. Now, it could happen. Unreal. – 9:49 PM

Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Kyrie Irving, the Nets’ lone star tonight, went 1-of-6 in the first quarter vs. Utah.
On a somewhat related note, I noticed somebody removed this mask from the John Stockton statue outside the arena. pic.twitter.com/Ns7N5BLOr3 – 9:35 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell
James Johnson has already taken 8 shots. The Nets are just 4-for-19 from the field. Kyrie is 1-for-6. Jazz getting any kind of look they want. Brooklyn has the look of a team that is ready to get home. The problem is they still have the rest of this game — and another in Denver. – 9:23 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Greetings from Salt Lake City. It has been a day. Getting to media seating was a conquest in itself. Nets-Jazz tip shortly. It’s Kyrie Irving and co. vs. Donovan Mitchell…and co. Battle of two NY/NJ area point guards. Does the losing streak get to seven? Updates to come. – 9:02 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Irving, Mills, Edwards, Johnson and Claxton start for the #Nets tonight at the #Jazz. – 8:36 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Nets starters in SLC: Irving, Mills, Edwards, Johnson and Claxton. – 8:33 PM

Howard Beck @HowardBeck
New Crossover pod: Previewing the trade deadline w/former Nets GM @Billy King, including thoughts on Ben Simmons, Sixers, Kings, Kyrie, Cavs, Grizz. Plus, some revelations on the Melodrama and the Dwightmare.
Listen/subscribe: https://t.co/lhCvpA2us5 pic.twitter.com/JRCmOyxDEe – 7:16 PM

Anthony Puccio @APOOCH
Things have been rocky since James Harden got to Brooklyn. Kyrie part-time, injuries, COVID, and his own inconsistency this season.
He’s frustrated and he’s a free agent this summer. The Big 3 has hardly played together… Nets would be foolish if they didn’t field calls. – 6:18 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
What do we think Brooklyn prioritizes in a Simmons + for Harden deal?
Maxey obviously has the most upside. Curry probably does the most for their specific roster needs. Thybulle and Simmons could survive offensively with KD and Kyrie. Picks open up the most flexibility. – 5:09 PM

Sarah Todd @NBASarah
I’m so exhausted today, I’m really just hoping and praying that Kyrie doesn’t try to smudge Vivint or something. I just can’t deal with anything like that today 😂 – 4:02 PM

Howard Beck @HowardBeck
New Crossover pod: Breaking down the trade deadline w/@Billy King, including thoughts on Ben Simmons, Sixers, Kings, Kyrie, Cavs, Grizz. Plus, some revelations on the Melodrama and the Dwightmare.
Listen/subscribe: https://t.co/lhCvpA2us5 pic.twitter.com/B8B2xg6JLu – 9:32 AM

Joe Vardon @joevardon
What drove Kyrie Irving from the Cavs? Why did things go so poorly in Boston? What were the Nets expecting when he arrived? And where was his mind just before the season started, and he had a decision to make on the vaccine? ⁦@The Athletic⁩ theathletic.com/3108705/2022/0… – 9:26 AM

More on this storyline

As the losses pile up, skepticism around the league grows about whether the Nets can reach the championship potential many thought they could achieve before the season began — but Irving wants his beleaguered group to focus on what’s still ahead. “It’s really just where we are, facing reality, that we’re not winning ballgames right now,” Irving said after the game. “And we got to kind of get out of that hole with just one win and then start a new streak from that point. But no time to feel like our season is in doomsday or we need to push the panic button at all points, but we have to face reality that a lot of guys, a lot of my teammates, we’re still getting to know one another, how we play, what’s our spots, offensive and defensive tendencies. -via ESPN / February 5, 2022

Irving had 15 points and six assists, but shot 6-for-20 and finished a minus-29. Patty Mills was a minus-27. Starters Claxton, Kessler Edwards and James Johnson combined for a grand total of two points on 1-for-14 shooting from the floor. That’s the kind of evening it was for the Nets, for whom rookie Cam Thomas’ career-high 30 was about the only bright spot. “This is one of the worst games I’ve seen all year. This is bad,” one Eastern Conference scout told The Post. “But there’s not much out there.” -via New York Post / February 5, 2022

Zach Lowe on the Nets: This team does not look like it’s in a good place right now, I have not heard fantastic things about the chemistry. -via Spotify / February 4, 2022