BY T.A. January 3, 2023
The Brooklyn Nets are currently second in the eastern conference. When it comes to the Nets, if there is too much Drama, there is really no show. Kyrie Irving has never stopped playing the protagonist roles in most of the controversial drama surrounding the Brooklyn Nets these past three years. However, amidst the Drama, the Nets are currently playing the best Basketball in the NBA.
The version of the Brooklyn Nets that we have anticipated for the last two seasons has finally decided to be a serious contender for the NBA championship. A question every Brooklyn fan is asking right now is, are the Nets being overlooked?
The sad answer is yes and the reason is simply -HISTORY.
At the start of the 2021/2022 season, the Brooklyn Nets were the favorite to win the NBA championship: Brooklyn had James Harden to complement the awesome duo of both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving- (Although the union was never successful). Brooklyn Nets fell from heaven’s doors in being the favorite to win the NBA title the day Covid mandates became a thing. Once Kyrie refused to take the vaccine and wasn’t allowed to play, the Nets were proudly the most dysfunctional team in the whole of the NBA.
James Harden became frustrated with this dysfunction and forced his trade from the Nets to the 76ers midseason in exchange for disgruntled Star Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond.
Brooklyn managed to survive into the playoff although they got their ass whipped by the Celtics in the first round of the series.
The Nets refused to show any iota of life during the off-season, as both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving demanded to be traded.
Seven games into this current NBA season, the Brooklyn Nets cut ties with the head Coach – Steve Nash. “Steve Nash is the scapegoat for the dysfunctionality of the Brooklyn Nets.” said NBA legend and TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley. Fast forward to midseason Barkley was wrong. With all the wins that the Nets have accumulated since the departure of Steve Nash. It implies that Steeve Nash wasn’t quite a good coach. Steve Nash was given a gold mine but the gold never appeared. Steve Nash wasn’t able to properly utilize the pieces Brooklyn possessed in order to win a championship.
“ All the Nets needed was a man named KING VAUGHN………..”
Jacque Vaughn a.k.a King Vaughn (The current Nets Coach) deserves some credit! To be honest, Jacque Vaughn was lucky to have all the pieces of Brooklyn assembled properly at the same time and he didn’t fail to utilize it.
The emphasis of the mid-range shot for the Nets is the best thing that could have happened to them. Kevin Durant is the beast of the Mid Range. And it is not just him. The Brooklyn Nets have adapted to shooting within the ark. The Brooklyn Nets are currently shooting 58.1% from the two-point range. And it’s not just the magic of the two points. The Nets have in my opinion the best combination of 3-pointers in Curry, Joe Harris and Patty Mills.
Despite being Contenders the Brooklyn Nets are still Boston’s pets!!!
The streets of Brooklyn, New York have never been quieter than it was on the 26th of April 2022. The Melancholy of Brooklyn had Jason Tatum’s 29 points written all over it. The Boston Celtics had just swept the Brooklyn Nets making them look like a befuddled group of all-stars- which they truly were.
The Boston Celtics look like they may be having another Opportunity to maltreat Brooklyn again in the playoffs, probably at the eastern Conference finals this time around. Boston looks scarier this season as the Celtics have once again early into the season defeated Brooklyn with dominating them 103-92 (Score did not do the Celtics dominance justice).
The question is will it be so easy for Boston to defeat Brooklyn in the playoffs again this year? I think…. No!…. but maybe we should just let the playoffs unfold in June. “All Brooklyn needs to win against a team like Boston is a true center,” says ESPN first take host Stephen A Smith. This is true when you talk of players like Celtic players like Robert Williams and Al Horford, you need a Big man to hold such types of players down. Do the Nets already have the piece, to me they do his name is Ben Simmons!
If Ben steps up his game before the playoffs, the Nets will be unstoppable. So far during the regular season, Ben Simmons has been mediocre at best.
The second top-tier team that may be strong enough to defeat the Nets are the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are a threat to Brooklyn but not as threatening as the Celtics. Two seasons ago, Kevin Durant nearly single-handedly defeated Milwaukee in the playoffs. Now, he has a great Coach and a better team. The Brooklyn Nets and the Bucks have faced off once already this season with the Nets being victorious. However, we can’t subjectively use one game to predict the outcome between Brooklyn and the Bucks this season.
Will the Brooklyn Nets be Haunted by Durant’s injury?
First of all, It’s not just about Kevin Durant.
One thing people have yet to notice is the increase in the versatility of the players’ efficiency in the Brooklyn Nets(although not all players).
A very good example of a player that has developed is Nic Claxton. Moreover, the stats don’t lie.
Nic Claxton is topping the league right now with the highest field goal percentage. Nic Claxton is also the second-leading player with blocks this season. The Brooklyn Nets have a combination of two of the best defensive players in the league- Kevin Durant and Nic Claxton although, for the next month at least, it will just be Claxton. Claxton has a lot to display to prove his position as an all-star caliber player during these games.
The tenacity of Brooklyn will be put to test as they go on the road in the next few games without Kevin Durant. They need to show a tenacity that will keep them in second place(in the eastern conference)till Durant’s return.
Espn has been talking about Kyrie and that this is his time to step up as the showstopper top 15 player he is. I find it confusing because Kyrie had been up since his first game of the season- even with Steve Nash. The only off game we have witnessed from Kyrie this season( one in which he scored just four points) was Brooklyn’s first match-up against Chicago- and this was because of the frustration he was playing with due to his controversial statement.
All Kyrie needs to do is score more points- It’s that simple!
Brooklyn also seems to have a terrific bench Rooster. Especially with a young talent like Cam Thomas. Thomas cherishes each second he is on the court- and when Cam plays good minutes he gives the fans a good show.
If you ever doubt Cam Thomas, you should just go and watch the game between Brooklyn and a healthy Pacers team(earlier this season)where Cam scored 33 points.
Seth Curry still rightly shares the same shooting genes that NBA superstar 2 time MVP Steph Curry possesses, The excruciating role that Joe Harris has played for the Nets over the years cannot be overemphasized.
Players like Joe Harris, Seth Curry, Edmund Sumner, Patty Mills, and Shannon Sharpe all bring life to the game. The bench is complemented by players like Yuta Watanabe ( who has the Team’s best 3-point percentage this season).
Role players will have a chance to prove their importance in the absence of Durant.
Can’t wait for Brooklyn’s next matchup against Boston- and yeah one without KD!
