The NBA is a star-driven league and not many teams came in with the hype that the Brooklyn Nets had with three stars in Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. However, a lot of things have changed as Irving is not allowed to play in home games due to the COVID mandate in New York City and Harden forced his way out of the team and was traded to Philadelphia.
The Nets are currently 31-32 and look like they will be in the play-in tournament. Make sure to check out the NBA odds now as we approach the end of the regular season.
Health is Key
The Nets are struggling but a big reason was the fact that power forward Kevin Durant was out due to a MCL sprain in his knee. Before he went down with the unjust, the Nets were competing for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Besides that, shooting guard Joe Harris is out for the remainder of the season after needing a second ankle surgery and they are waiting for point guard Ben Simmons to ramp up.
They are trying to get healthy but the key is going to be Kevin Durant. He is not going to be the savior but he is going to be able to step up and be a beast in the postseason.
Size and Shooting
The Nets have been struggling to have some size the past few years with players that can defend the paint. However, they were able to acquire center Andre Drummond and he is one of the best rebounding players in the entire sport. Besides that, they have veteran leaders like LaMarcus Aldridge as well as a young guy who can switch in Nic Claxton.
Shooting is going to be critical in the biggest stages of the NBA year and even with Harris out, the Nets still have some big shooters. Seth Curry and Patty Mills are incredible three-point shooters as well as mid-range shooters with Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge being deadly in the mid-range game. They have the ability to control the game and should be able to win some games.
Gelling Together
The Nets have a veteran mindset that feel like they can turn a switch. These are the dog days of the NBA season and as long as they make the playoffs (which they will) then they will be a great team. If the COVID mandate still does not allow Kyrie Irving to play in Brooklyn in the playoffs, they will be able to have him play in the first two games of the series. However, issues arise if they play a team like Toronto as they have a vaccine mandate of their own and that means Irving would not play the entire game.
Brooklyn has a few games to play with one another on the court but the biggest thing is they can practice with each other to gain some chemistry. Kyrie Irving is practicing every day in the team facility and Ben Simmons is ramping up from sitting out the entire season thus far so they can practice together. The biggest issue seems to be defensively and Simmons is an All-NBA First Team Defense player and a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate in the future and will help the Nets be better.
Conclusion
Stars are going to step up when the lights shine brightest and the Nets have that in their roster. NBA odds are going to give you some better odds to make more money than we got as the season was beginning a handful of months ago. Brooklyn is going to step up and be a tough out in the postseason against any team in the Eastern Conference and should be able to win the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history.
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