Kyrie Irving: No Need for Nets to Push 'Panic Button' Amid 7-Game Losing Streak

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving isn't ready to sound the alarm after the team suffered its seventh straight loss Friday night to the Utah Jazz, but he admitted there's a lot of work to do for the squad to reach its potential.

Irving discussed his view of the Nets' current situation after scoring 15 points in the 125-102 loss to the Jazz:

"It's really just where we are, facing reality, that we're not winning ballgames right now. 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."

"And then communication. Knowing that we can get on guys and guys love to be coached. And it's not just from the head coach or the assistants but really just from us as teammates. Trusting that we have the experience to win basketball games."

Brooklyn is in a period of turmoil ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline on Thursday.

Kevin Durant, who'd put himself in the MVP conversation with a strong start to the 2021-22 season, has been sidelined since Jan. 15 because of a knee injury. The Nets have gone 2-8 during his absence, dropping their record from 27-15 to 29-23.

James Harden, who missed Friday's game with a hamstring injury, has suddenly become a popular trade candidate. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Nets are expected to "engage in dialogue" with the Philadelphia 76ers about a potential Harden-for-Ben Simmons blockbuster.

Irving remains a part-time player because of New York City's vaccine mandate for large-scale events, which makes him unavailable for the team's home games.

So a season that featured so much promise has started to spiral, and Irving conceded time is running out in the regular season for the Nets to find their stride:

"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. 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."

The Nets still have contending potential if everything falls into place over the next few months, which would include getting Durant healthy and either keeping Harden or finding a way to get Simmons up to speed quickly since he's yet to play this season.

So, while Irving may be right to say it's too soon to press the panic button, Brooklyn is certainly trending in the wrong direction and must find a way to stop the bleeding.

That quest starts with ending their current seven-game slide. The next chance to do that comes Sunday in a road game against the 28-24 Denver Nuggets.