Brooklyn Nets Season Preview
Oh how the times have changed. The Brooklyn Nets went from one of the NBA preseason favorites to win the Eastern Conference, and even NBA championship contenders the past few seasons, to a team that is expected to finish about in the middle of the pack.
It doesn’t help when you have generational talent on your team such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden and then all of a sudden you don’t have any of them. That trio came and went quickly and not many people will likely ever remember them as Nets players after their career is over.
While this current roster doesn’t have a superstar or a team that is expected to go to the NBA Finals, they still project to be a fun, young team who should play great team basketball. It should be a positive season to build off of moving forward though.
The good from this team is two players who came over from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson. They are both long and athletic wing players who can shoot the ball. These are two great pieces for a winning team and Bridges even proved he can be an elite scorer in this league last year.
Another piece that is by far the most intriguing is Ben Simmons. Simmons won Rookie of the Year and averaged 16 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds for years in the league before absolutely disappearing these past few seasons. The Nets traded James Harden for him, among other pieces, and now they are looking to revamp him into an All Star again.
Simmons is the greatest question mark with this team. If he can get back to the player and defender he was, this team could go from middle of the pack in the East to a contender. After all, the East is seen as a two-team conference with Milwaukee and Boston. A third team may emerge and it could very well be the Nets if everything starts to click.
Overall, temper your expectations for this team. Expect them to be solid and probably aim for the play-in games with a chance at the playoffs. Their upside revolves around Ben Simmons and getting him back into his old self. If he is rolling, the rest of the team will come with him and Brooklyn could be contenders.
By Jack Stradley, I’m a sports writer always looking for a gripping story and a hot take.