The Complete Guide to the Brooklyn Nets

The Nets had quite the offseason last summer. After finally obtaining some young talent in D’Angelo Russell, they decided to get rid of him so that they could sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The acquisition of the two superstars immediately gave the team lots of attention. The Nets aren’t having that great of a season, holding the #7 seed with a record of 26-30. Brooklyn understood that Durant would be out for this year after tearing his Achilles in the NBA Finals last year, so many were hoping that Kyrie had learned his lesson in Boston and would become a better leader. Not much changed for Kyrie as he is now on another young team with a lot of talent. Their roster looks like this:

Note: Bold = Rookie

         * = All-Star

         ^ = Two-Way

         Italicized = Injured

• Starters:
  • PG: Spencer Dinwiddie (26)
  • SG: Caris Levert (25)
  • SF: Joe Harris (28)
  • PF: Taurean Prince (25)
  • C: Jarrett Allen (21)

• Bench:
  • Garrett Temple (33)
  • DeAndre Jordan (31)
  • Wilson Chandler (32)
  • Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (24)
  • Rodions Kurucs (22)
  • Nicolas Claxton (20)
  • Dzanan Musa (20)
  • Theo Pinson (24)
  • Justin Anderson (26)
  • Chris Chiozza^ (24)
  • Jeremiah Martin^ (23)
  • Kevin Durant (31)
  • Kyrie Irving (27)

The Nets are currently in win-next-season mode. They have absolutely no hope of making it past the first round as both Kyrie and Kevin Durant are both out for the season. The Nets seem to be chugging along with their remaining players and have no ambition for this season.

Spencer Dinwiddie has become a star in the NBA. 

Dinwiddie is having a breakout season, averaging 20.8 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.5 rebounds. All of those are career highs for the former 38th overall pick. His efficiency is a bit low, shooting 41.5% from the field and 30.7% from deep. Being his first season in this role, his efficiency is understandably a bit low. It will likely go back up when Durant and Irving come back next season. Dinwiddie is a border-line All-Star with a great future, and possibly a ring, ahead of him.

Levert is averaging a career-high in scoring. Caris had a breakout season before getting injured last year. He is currently averaging a career-high 15.7 points per game, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. Levert was beginning to look like an extraordinary player, but he is a very injury-prone player as well. His injuries have been affecting his game a bit as he is shooting 39.6% from the field, but a much better 37.6% from deep. His inside game needs major improvements if he wants to become a good player. He is only 25, so he has the potential to be a great player. His development is going to be a very interesting part of the early 2020s for Brooklyn.

Joe Harris is one of the best shooters in the league. He’s not as playing as well as he did last season, but he is still a pretty effective player for Brooklyn. This season, he is averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He is a very impressive shooter, shooting 47% from the field and 40.6% from deep. Anyone who shoots more than 40% from deep is impressive as it is, but to do it on 5.9 attempts is just magnificent. He is the perfect mold for today’s NBA as a 6’6 incredible shooter. When Durant comes back, he will be a key piece for their bench to provide some offense for the team.

Taurean Prince is the most average starter ever seen.

Averaging 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He is also a very average defender to top off his averageness. The only thing not average about him is his shooting percentage, shooting 38.3% from the field and 35.2% from deep. See? Very average. He seemed to hit his ceiling in Atlanta and has slowly declined from an exciting young player to a very normal player. Prince is only 25 so he has time to improve again, but it seems like his role will always be as a solid starter.

Jarrett Allen is an explosive, young Center. The youngest starter on the team, Allen is a potential All-Star in the future who is an athletic beast. He is one of the most consistent players in the NBA, averaging 64.4%. He is also averaging 11.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. His interior play on both ends of the floor is a huge reason why the Nets are in a playoff position right now. His one issue is that he lacks a three-point shot. At just 21 years old, he has time to learn how to shoot. He doesn’t need to be a great shooter, just 25% would be passable so that he could stretch the floor.

The Bench is highlighted by DeAndre Jordan and several other veterans.

Jordan has been a serviceable player for the Nets, averaging 8.3 points and 9.8 rebounds. He is doing what he does best; scoring and rebounding. He’s also shooting 66.5% from the field, another very consistent Center on Brooklyn. They also have Wilson Chandler and Garrett Temple on their bench. Chandler is averaging 6.2 points and Temple is averaging 10.4. The two of them are solid players as they have been for the majority of their careers. The two veterans are acquainted with Durant and Irving and will be great in the locker-room for next season.

Trade Deadline Moves:

The Nets didn’t make any moves this trade deadline. They don’t want to make many moves with their roster because they want to see their team at full strength before they make any changes. 

Playoff Prediction:

The Nets would be slated to face off against the Raptors if they were to start today. The Raptors would lose this series in a sweep. They might be competitive in a few games, but they’re not going to win a game. Without Kyrie, they don’t have a player who is able to take over a game as Kyrie could have to steal one. Without Irving, Dinwiddie doesn’t have that same talent and will not be able to beat Siakam and Lowry.

Brooklyn’s Future:

Brooklyn is going to contend for a championship for the next few years. While they have Kevin Durant, they’re going to contend each year. Durant and Irving are going to make a fierce duo that will haunt the Eastern Conference and compete with Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Eastern Conference Championship.

Their team is pretty much ready. Once they get their roster healthy, they will have one of the most complete teams in the NBA. With Durant, Irving, and Allen starting, and Harris, Jordan, and Levert/Dinwiddie off the bench, this team is a true championship contender. They’d easily be able to compete with the Lakers and Clippers and fight for a true championship.

The Nets have a very good chance at the championship. Unlike the Lakers, they have a really, really good supporting cast. The Nets have a great chance at winning a ring in the Kevin Durant era and anything short of that in a few years will be considered a failure.