Spencer Dinwiddie thinks the Nets would have won the 2021 NBA title if there were no injuries: “The level KD was playing on at that time” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The summer of 2019 was one of the wildest off-seasons in NBA history. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George teamed up on the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined forces on the Los Angeles Lakers, James Harden and Russell Westbrook paired up on the Houston Rockets, Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade united on the Miami Heat, and finally, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
Advertisement
Even though several teams looked stacked on paper, one of the most intriguing was certainly the Nets. Even though KD didn’t play at all in his first season due to the Achilles injury he suffered in the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the pairing of some of the best pure scorers in league history was terrifying.
Things peaked in December 2021 when James Harden forced a blockbuster trade from the Rockets in a four-team deal. The trio that was supposed to dominate the league and win a title ended up playing only 16 games together due to injuries, and the championship goal never materialized. Spencer Dinwiddie, their teammate at the time, talked about the missed opportunity on the “Run Your Race” podcast while reflecting on the 2020-21 season.
“Chip? Easily,” Dinwiddie said. “And I gotta say, it wasn’t even because of me. This is real. If any of us had stayed healthy, because of the level KD was playing at that time, he needed like a half step of a boost. He didn’t even need a fully healthy Kyrie, James, or Spencer.”
“He could’ve had half of Spencer and probably still won because of how he was playing. Like bro, I just said James Harden is the greatest offensive hub, Kyrie is the most skilled ever — like we’re talking about all-time greats. James and Kyrie were both hurt, and people forget I was hurt too, and I was averaging 20 at the time,” Spencer concluded.
Advertisement
Best record in franchise history
That season, the Nets finished second in the East — the best record in franchise history — and led the league in offensive rating (118.6). Their offensive firepower carried over into the playoffs, where they first eliminated the Boston Celtics 4–1 in the opening series, only to fall to the Milwaukee Bucks after a thrilling seven-game battle in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Kyrie Irving’s ankle injury during that series is still considered a crucial turning point that prevented Steve Nash’s team from reaching the NBA Finals — something many believed was destined for this ultra-talented Brooklyn squad.
Just a few inches separated KD from potentially his third ring
Going back to Dinwiddie’s statement that Durant needed very little help that season, the stats support it. KD nearly single-handedly eliminated the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks. In Game 7, he dropped an epic 48 points along with nine rebounds and six assists.
Advertisement
But that wasn’t even his best performance of the series. In Game 5, Durant delivered one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history — 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists on an unreal 16-of-23 shooting, along with three steals and two blocks.
Unfortunately, when KD shot for the win in Game 7, the tip of his toe was on the 3-point line. The shot only counted for two, sending the game into overtime. The Nets lost, and they soon fell apart. A few inches separated Durant from the EC Finals — and potentially his third ring — despite injuries to Irving and Harden’s inconsistency.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.