The Brooklyn Nets franchise is one that is in the mind of most NBA fans and media members for the fact of how badly they have failed over the last four seasons despite having a superstar core of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Together, the players were supposed to lead the franchise to the promised land, especially when they had other elite players such as James Harden and Ben Simmons join them. Of course, Durant and Irving’s lack of leadership prevented both Harden and Simmons from thriving, and three of those four players ended up getting traded over the past two seasons.
But the Brooklyn Nets franchise did not always have the team to beat with the elite superstars. Rather, Brooklyn has undergone gigantic changes in their starting lineups because the team has gone from tanking to the middle of the pack to eventually contending. It is always interesting to see a roster change so much until the 2023 season when the Nets no longer have a title-contending team, with Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Cam Thomas forming the core, with Ben Simmons likely out of the picture very soon.
It is time to go back and look at the evolution of the Nets’ starting lineups for the past ten years since the 2014 season. We have already seen the massive changes the Los Angeles Lakers franchise has changed over the past decade, along with the Golden State Warriors, now that they have four more NBA championships to their record. We know the Nets shuffled their lineups over the past four seasons, but let’s dive a bit deeper. It is very interesting to see how the NBA’s most disappointing franchise has struggled over the past decade, and these are Brooklny’s starting lineups in the past ten seasons.
2013-14 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Deron Williams, Shaun Livingston, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett
Regular Season Record: 44-38
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. Miami Heat 4-1
The 2014 season was known as the year that Brooklyn went all-in as they gave up future assets to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to pair with Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. On paper, Brooklyn had a solid roster, while other pieces, such as Shaun Livingston and Brook Lopez, were excellent role players. Unfortunately, Lopez would go on to only play 17 games in the season due to injury.
Perhaps Lopez’s injury hurt the Nets the most, as the team only finished with a 44-38 record as they were beaten handily by the superteam Miami Heat squad led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Not to mention, Pierce and Garnett started declining considerably, and Williams was no longer a superstar. No doubt, this was a failed experiment, as the NBA is a young man’s team.
2014-15 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Deron Williams, Bojan Bogdanovic, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Brook Lopez
Regular Season Record: 38-44
Playoffs: Lost First Round vs. Atlanta Hawks 4-2
The Nets ran it back with an aging core except that Lopez was back to play 72 games. With the center back in action, the team was ready to compete. Pierce and Garnett proved to be completely finished, and Wiliams averaged only 13.0 PPG on 38.7% from the field, also proving to be past his best. No doubt, the Nets weren’t scaring anybody, and they failed miserably.
Brooklyn finished under .500 but still made the postseason in a losing effort to the Atlanta Hawks. The team finished the season 20th in offensive rating and 23rd in defensive rating, proving to be out of their depth on both ends of the court. Making the postseason was not impressive enough, especially since they only won two games to officially end the Pierce, Garnett, and Williams era.
2015-16 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Donald Sloan, Bojan Bogdanovic, Joe Johnson, Thaddeus Young, Brook Lopez
Regular Season Record: 21-61
Playoffs: Missed Playoffs
With the “Big Four” officially over, the Nets had to run it with a host of decent but unspectacular talent, with a 34-year-old Joe Johnson, who would also leave for the Miami Heat after 57 games with the franchise in 2016. As expected, the team fumbled badly, as they completely missed the postseason and only won 21 games.
The Nets were one of the worst teams in the NBA, finishing 27th in offensive rating, 29th in defensive rating, and 26th in PPG. This team could not score, defend, or do anything as it pertained to winning basketball. The future was also in doubt because Brooklyn gave up their future assets for Pierce and Garnett, meaning Nets fans were worried about a long and scary future ahead.
2016-17 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Jeremy Lin, Randy Foye, Bojan Bogdanovic, Trevor Booker, Brook Lopez
Regular Season Record: 20-62
Playoffs: Missed Playoffs
Without many draft assets and yet again another below-average starting lineup, the Brooklyn Nets missed the playoffs without any of the Big Four including Pierce, Garnett, Williams, and Johnson. Brook Lopez was once again the only bright spot on the team, posting 20.5 PPG and 5.4 RPG. The big man was an excellent low-post scorer, but he was not an effective rebounder or a defensive enforcer.
The Nets finished 28th in offensive rating, 23rd in defensive rating, and 29th in OPPG. This team could not find much offense outside of the low-post presence of Lopez and did not have many defenders. Judging by the starting lineup, Brooklyn did not have defensive-minded players or dominant athletes to compete on both ends of the court. Luckily, things would start to get a bit better the following season.
2017-18 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: D’Angelo Russell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Allen Crabbe, DeMarre Carroll, Tyler Zeller
Regular Season Record: 28-54
Playoffs: Missed Playoffs
The Brooklyn Nets managed to steal a 21-year-old guard in, D’Angelo Russell from the Los Angeles Lakers, and the young player managed to help the team to 28 wins and somewhat of a bright future. Alongside him were Spencer Dinwiddie (12.6 PPG, 6.6 APG), Allen Crabbe (13.2 PPG on 37.8% 3-PT FG), and DeMarre Carroll (13.5 PPG). This team was not ready to win, but there were some solid players.
Players such as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert also had solid seasons, and the team would get much better the next year. But with a 28-54 record, the Nets were not ready to win just yet, and they missed the postseason yet again. This goes to show how going all-in for old players is not the best strategy, and Brooklyn suffered a few years after that as a result.
2018-19 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: D’Angelo Russell, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, Rodions Kurucs, Jarrett Allen
Regular Season Record: 42-40
Playoffs: Lost First Round vs. Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
Finally, the Nets made the playoffs with a 42-40 record, with D’Angelo Russell making his first playoff game. Russell was consistent offensively, posting 21.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 7.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 43.4% FG, 36.9% 3-PT FG, and 78.0% FT. Russell was solid at creating offense for himself and for his teammates and helping the Nets stay above .500.
Other players such as Joe Harris (13.7 PPG on 47.4% 3-PT FG), Caris LeVert (13.7 PPG), and even Spencer Dinwiddie off the bench (16.8 PPG) were excellent contributors. As expected, the Nets lost in the first round despite a relatively decent season considering how badly the franchise messed up a few years back with their all-in strategy.
2019-20 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Caris LeVert, Taurean Prince, Jarrett Allen
Regular Season Record: 35-37
Playoffs: Lost First Round vs. Toronto Raptors 4-0
The Brooklyn Nets might have stolen the 2020 preseason, as they convinced both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to join the team. Durant was going to miss an entire season due to his major injury in the 2019 playoffs, but he was still getting paid despite his missed time. Kyrie only appeared in 20 games in the season and did not play enough to crack the official starting lineup as a result.
Regardless, the Nets finished a shade under .500 and still made the playoffs in a losing effort to the Toronto Raptors. Spencer Dinwiddie was sensational (20.6 PPG) and barely missed the All-Star Team, Caris LeVert started showing his talent (18.7 PPG), and Taurean Prince held down the forward spot. The team snuck into the playoffs but fell to the Toronto Raptors in a disappointing 4-game sweep.
2020-21 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan
Regular Season Record: 48-24
Playoffs: Lost Eastern Conference Semi-Finals vs. Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
Kevin Durant was back, Kyrie Irving was healthy, and the team even had James Harden on the squad as they made the playoffs together. So how did this team not win it all? For one, Harden struggled with injuries throughout the playoffs, and Kyrie ended up dealing with his own health issues. With Kevin Durant putting up historic performances against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round, the Nets had a chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals regardless.
The Nets ended up falling to the Bucks, and Milwaukee ended up winning the NBA championship at the end of the year. The team also did a nice job bringing in veterans such as Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, but health and roster inconsistencies destroyed this team’s title chances considerably. Luckily, Durant, Irving, and Harden were on the roster, and the future was supposed to be bright… but it wasn’t.
2021-22 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Andre Drummond
Regular Season Record: 44-38
Playoffs: Lost First Round vs. Boston Celtics 4-0
The Nets ran it back with their dominant Big Three, which was considered to be the most talented offensively trio ever, but Harden began acting up and wanted to be traded. Harden did start 44 games, which is enough to make him a starter above, but he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, and Seth Curry came back in the deal to start in the playoffs. Of course, Ben Simmons was involved in the trade but was not healthy yet.
The Nets finished the season at 44-38 despite Harden’s trade request, Kyrie Irving’s vaccine drama, and Ben Simmons’ absence. Durant did his job on the court, and the team ended up going against a talented Boston Celtics led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Nets were embarrassingly swept, and the criticism of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (especially) began to heat up. Of course, the 2023 season would continue with the drama.
2022-23 Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton
Regular Season Record: 34-24
Playoffs: TBD
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving each requested to be traded in the preseason, and it was almost expected that they would be traded. Rather, the Nets organization held the team together as the potential of Durant, Irving, and Simmons was still there. The team began to heat up, owning a 31-20 record and looking like a title contender. Unfortunately, the Nets organization decided against paying Kyrie Irving a max contract, and the point guard ended up asking for a trade which was granted.
With Kyrie gone, it was only natural for Kevin Durant to request a trade. Durant was also traded before the trade deadline, and a host of young players (Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson) were brought in along with future first-round picks. Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith are solid starters, and Nic Claxton is a contender for the All-NBA Defensive First Team by posting 12.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 2.6 BPG. This team might have enough to hold onto a .500 record at least and make the playoffs, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the future as Brooklyn is in a position to sign a max free agent or perhaps start rebuilding around Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.
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