The Brooklyn Nets will head into this season with lofty expectations with the return of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Nets were plagued by injuries last year, and the good news is that they will start the year with their players being healthy. Brooklyn will look to run this year back with most of their players from last year.
Brooklyn Nets Season Preview
Recap of Last Season
The Nets came off a successful offseason in 2019 where they landed Irving and Durant in free agency. However, last season wasn’t a smooth-sailing one for Brooklyn. Their stars were missing in action for most of last year. Irving was unable to stay healthy and only played in 20 games last season. As for Durant, he sat out the whole season to recover from his devastating Achilles injury. Despite this, the Nets still earned the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference last year as they finished 35-37 during the regular season.
Brooklyn went into the Orlando bubble without many of their key players. Aside from their stars, Spencer Dinwiddie and DeAndre Jordan did not make it to the bubble because they tested positive for COVID-19. Another player who chose to opt-out of the season was Taurean Prince. Although the Nets played with a depleted roster led by Caris LeVert, it didn’t stop them from playing hard. Unfortunately, this depleted Nets team faltered in the playoffs. The Toronto Raptors were too much for them to handle and they swept Brooklyn in the first round.
Offseason Changes
After the Nets fired Kenny Atkinson in the middle of the season last year, Jacque Vaughn did well after taking over as the interim head coach. Many basketball fans expected Vaughn to become the Nets’ head coach this season. However, Brooklyn shocked the world and hired Steve Nash as their new coach. For Nash, this is his first NBA coaching job. The Nets also hired Mike D’Antoni and Ime Udoka to be their assistant coaches. Vaughn will retain his role as their lead assistant coach.
Brooklyn kept most of their players from last year. The Nets were able to get Joe Harris to re-sign with them during free agency. They also added Jeff Green in free agency and Landry Shamet after trading their first-round draft pick from this year’s draft. They are both complementary players who can fit in nicely with this system. Their most notable departure was Garrett Temple, who signed with the Chicago Bulls.
The injury bug last year for the Nets made it a difficult season for them. However, they will be a better basketball team this upcoming season with Irving and Durant healthy.
Expectations for the Brooklyn Nets
With Irving and Durant healthy to start the year, there are high expectations for this year’s Nets team. It will be a difficult path for any team in the Eastern Conference since it became more competitive. Their familiar foes such as the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Toronto will stand in their way.
This Nets team has a lot of offensive firepower at their disposal. However, it’s their defense that needs to improve for them to become championship contenders. They were ranked 13th in defensive efficiency and 18th in points allowed to their opponents last year. Despite their shortcomings on defense, this Nets team is a force to be reckoned with. The Nets will play one more preseason game before opening their season against the Golden State Warriors on December 22nd.
Brooklyn Nets Season Prediction: 47-25
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