KD: Turbulent 2022 brought Nets together

It's been a turbulent 12 months for the Brooklyn Nets, but Kevin Durant believes the drama has helped them find their stride heading into the new year.

"It was one of those years you reflect on and you see the turning points in the organization," Durant told reporters Saturday after the Nets' 11th straight win, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "We've seen different moments that brought us together as a group. You see, at this point now towards the end of the year, you start to see us come together and perform what we've been looking to do these last couple of years, which was a solid team that plays hard every night.

"So we went through a lot in this calendar year, but we're looking for bigger and better things in 2023."

Kyrie Irving missed a majority of home games during the previous campaign because of his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. James Harden was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers before last season's trade deadline in a blockbuster deal involving Ben Simmons, who didn't make his debut until October.

In the offseason, Durant shocked the NBA world with a trade request only to rescind his demand after meeting with the Nets' front office. Irving's future in Brooklyn was also in doubt before he exercised his $36.5-million player option for 2022-23.

The Nets and head coach Steve Nash agreed to part ways in November after a 2-5 start. Boston Celtics bench boss Ime Udoka, who is currently serving a season-long club suspension, was reportedly the front-runner to succeed Nash. The Nets ultimately tabbed Jacque Vaughn as their next head coach.

Vaughn guided the franchise to a 22-7 record since taking over, with Irving suspended for eight games after he tweeted a link to a movie that contained antisemitic tropes.

"When we came back for this season, the start of the season, there was a lot of talk in the summertime, but for us to bring the group back together and start the year was cool," Durant said. "And then once Jacque became the coach and we started to move forward then, obviously that was a turning point for us. Then we had some stuff that wasn't ideal.

"Guys out the lineup, Kyrie out the lineup, James Harden demanded a trade, there was a lot of stuff that we went through. How we started from an outside perspective, the noise around our team, it's good that we can be about ball going into this new year. We're playing a solid brand right now, so that's the most important thing."