The Brooklyn Nets have sole possession of 4th place in the East. They’re 7-3 in their last 10 games and 10-5 in their last 15 games. It feels like just yesterday when Twitter was long their minds about the Nets and their absolute failure of a season.
Let’s trace back to why Twitter was in shambles over the Nets. There were a lot of reasons. To put it simply, Steve Nash was coaching terribly. Ben Simmons was playing terribly. And Kyrie Irving…
And on December 9, the Nets are gearing up to be a scary team in the East, although it may remain crazy to say they’re better than the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks. But they’ve got a shot against (nearly) anyone, and that’s because of the man who got the Nets back to this point: Kevin Durant.
Durant’s always in headlines, whether it be because of a Twitter post, commenting about his teammates, or an incredible performance. And he has a lot of all three of these things, but in particular, his play on the court this season has been nothing short of spectacular. He’s averaging 29.8 points and 5.5 assists with a 66.4 TS%(!) while shooting only 34.2% from three in the first 26 games of the season.
Not to mention, the Slim Reaper is shooting 58% from mid-range this season, per Cleaning the Glass. That’s simply an absurd number. He’s really, really good at that midrange thing. The only team that has proven themselves able to slow down Durant is the Celtics with their defensive scheme versatility and physicality, so it’s the Celtics that the Nets want to avoid for as long as possible in the playoffs.
Of course, when Kyrie Irving is actually playing basketball, he’s a really, really good player. In his 18 games played, he’s averaging 24.9 points and 4.6 assists on a 58.4 TS% (like Durant, he’s struggling from deep with a 31.5 3PT%). Outside of these two superstars, the Nets have constructed a very quality lineup, so it makes sense why they have gone on this run.
Ben Simmons started to get into a basketball groove again right before he got injured again. In his last eight games, he averaged 11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists on a 74.3 TS% while playing undoubtedly his best defense of the season. He was clearly showing his best form of the season, and if he performs at that level upon return, it helps the Nets even more.
Nicolas Claxton has been really good this year. He’s been very improved both defensively and in terms of his rebounding. His play there has been huge for the Nets, as those areas were the biggest questions entering the season. He’s been uber-efficient, too, as he’s had a 69.1 TS%.
People love shooting around their stars. And there’s no doubt that the Nets have that. Joe Harris (37.2 3PT%, 5.4 3PA) doesn’t have the stats to back up elite shooting right now, but his name value tells us what he is there. Seth Curry (42.0 3PT%, 4.3 3PA) and Yuta Watanabe (57.1 3PT%, 3.0 3PA) have both been incredible shooters, as has Royce O’Neale (40.4 3PT%, 5.6 3PA) -- who also brings it on the other side of the court. That’s without mentioning Patty Mills, who has seen limited playing time this season. TJ Warren is also getting worked back into the lineup, which should give the offense a boost.
The Nets bounce back is complete, largely due to their two star players and cast of really good supporting guys. Be on the lookout for Brooklyn.
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Charlie Spungin , NBA Analyst