After Brooklyn looked to be on the brink of a breakup — and one of the greatest failures in NBA history — the Nets will run it back this season with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Durant rescinded his offseason trade request, and Irving opted into the final year of his contract. Now finally getting a healthy Ben Simmons — or any Simmons at all, for that matter — on the court should make the Nets a legitimate title contender on paper.

But the Nets’ failures in recent seasons are proof that titles are won on the court, not on parchment.

“Everyone has a good team on paper,” Durant said. “A lot of good teams, a lot of talent in the East. But once the games are being played, that’s when you’ll declare who the best team is. Obviously, the first third of the season, you’ll start to figure it out. Everybody feels great about their team about this time.”