The Brooklyn Nets made their first playoff appearance in the last three years this past season. The Nets finished the regular season with a 42-40 record. The Nets’ 42 wins earned the six seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The 76ers earned the third seed giving us our first-round matchup. What started off great with a 111-102 victory in Philadelphia quickly took a turn for the worse.
The 76ers reeled off four straight victories to win the series 4-1, thus eliminating the Nets from the playoffs. How do the Nets respond? They sign one of the most dominant point guards in the NBA, in the last five years. The man who hit the go-ahead, and eventual, game-winning 3-pointer against the Warriors in game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. I am speaking of course of Kyrie Irving. Irving signed a 4 year/$141 million contract on Sunday, June 30.
Irving will provide explosiveness and add an extra element of scoring to the Nets offense. No disrespect to D’Angelo Russell, but Irving is a much better asset to have. Look for Irving to take the Nets to the next level.
Adding Kyrie Irving to the roster with the likes of Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen sounds like a force to be reckoned with. Even with this roster in place, the Nets know they needed to add more.
Who better to add then arguably the new face of the league in Kevin Durant? Durant signed a 4- year/$164 million deal when free agency opened on Sunday. The Nets are settling in for the long haul due to Durant’s Achilles injury. It will be worth the wait because Durant has dominated the league for the last three years. In the last three years, Durant has won two NBA Finals MVPs and helped the Warriors win back-to-back titles. Durant being able to play alongside Dinwiddie and LeVert will help that Nets frontcourt.
The blockbuster signings of Irving and Durant would be enough for some NBA teams. The Nets did not stop there. Brooklyn wants to establish a big 3 at the Barclay’s Center. DeAndre Jordan joins the Nets after signing a 4-year/$40 million deal. Jordan will add size and strength inside the paint for Brooklyn. It gives the Nets a lightning and thunder combination inside with Jarrett Allen. Allen will provide the offense for Brooklyn, while Jordan will provide defense and rebounding. The addition of Jordan will allow the Nets to be competitive against the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. Brooklyn used every asset possible to not leave any stone unturned during the 2019 NBA Free Agency.
As mentioned earlier, the Nets will have to wait for their success. Kyrie Irving can bring the Nets to a 3 or 4 seed this year, but they will still be one year away. When Kevin Durant comes back, that is when the Nets can make strides towards an NBA championship. If everyone stays healthy in 2020-2021, it would not surprise me if the Nets advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Depending on where the chips fall during those playoffs, we could see the Nets in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2003. Brooklyn has become New York’s number 1 team with the moves they have made this free agency period.
