On paper losing a player like James Harden sounds detrimental for a team. The opposite looks to be true for the Brooklyn Nets after their blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. During his Brooklyn tenure, Harden never quite looked like the MVP Houston Rockets version of himself. More than that, the writing was on the wall that he was ready to depart during the summer. Brooklyn managed to flip him for depth and better roster fits, making them look more dangerous come playoff time.
Brooklyn Nets: Addition by Subtraction
The New Additions
Brooklyn now welcomes Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks. Harden leaves along with Paul Millsap, who was not in the Nets’ rotation.
The drama between Simmons and Philadelphia was long-lived as the dynamic former All-Star did not make an appearance this season. He carries career averages of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. This comes along with absolutely elite defense. Sure, Simmons won’t shoot the ball, but he does plenty of other things at an elite level.
Curry is averaging 15 points, three boards, and four assists per game. He’s an absolute sniper from deep, draining his shots at a 40 percent clip this season. All in all, Curry is one of the top bench players in the entire league.
Drummond is known to be a rebounding force. This season he’s averaging six points and nine rebounds per game. This comes playing behind Joel Embiid. It wasn’t long ago that Drummond was consistently averaging 15+ rebounds a game for the Detroit Pistons.
Lastly, the first-round picks will come in handy. They now own Philadelphia’s 2022 pick. It’ll be towards the end of the draft, but it remains in the first round. The other pick comes in 2027 (top-eight protected).
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The Fits With the Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn, of course, still has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. There are issues surrounding their availability, but if all of that is resolved come playoff time then Brooklyn will be a true force.
Irving and Durant can drop 30+ points in the blink of an eye. If healthy, there are no worries about their play. Now, however, Brooklyn has great pieces throughout the team instead of relying upon three stars.
Joe Harris should be back. Having Curry and Harris on this offense will make for incredible shooting. Teams can’t forget about Patty Mills either, who remains an elite shooter. These three guards will be electric together in this offense.
Simmons will guard the opposing team’s best player every night, no matter the position. In addition, he helps in rebounding and can very well find himself averaging as many assists as Harden did.
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The frontcourt has more beef to it as well. LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin are solid veterans but had too much on their plate. Drummond eases that. Throw in Nic Claxton as well, and Brooklyn has a very solid rotation. Simmons and Durant can play up there too.
James Johnson has worked his way into the rotation. Young players like Cam Thomas, Kessler Edwards, and Day’Ron Sharpe are also contributors.
The team now looks even more complete. For now, however, they need to focus on seeding as their current slide is hurting.
Main Image: Embed from Getty Images
