Goran Dragic joined the Brooklyn Nets after getting bought out by the San Antonio Spurs following his trade from the Toronto Raptors. He was supposed to be another weapon for the Nets off the bench but failed to make an impact on a team that was disjointed for almost the entirety of the season. And now the opportunity seems to have gone, with the Nets getting swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
The dysfunction around the Nets can be attributed to several factors this season. Considering that players like Dragic, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond, who were all added to the team halfway through the season played big minutes in the playoffs, it’s easy to understand why a lack of cohesion was apparent within the team. Kyrie Irving’s absence didn’t help, as he knows, and neither did their numerous injuries.
And Dragic summed it up quite succinctly after the final loss of the season for Brooklyn, saying that the Nets were seemingly dealing with new issues almost daily during the season. He also spoke about his future with free agency approaching.
Goran Dragic on his time in Brooklyn: "Every day there was something different, something difficult." Said he hasn't thought about his free agency situation.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 26, 2022
“Every day there was something different, something difficult.”
Overcoming various hurdles was always going to be key to the Nets enjoying any success whatsoever this season, and it seems they couldn’t quite manage to do it like they might have hoped to. While the team did manage to reach the playoffs despite their various setbacks, facing the hottest team in the league since starting 2022 meant that they were demolished in the first round.
The Nets will still feel as if they should have done better, not winning even one game with a duo like Durant and Irving is hard to fathom. Dragic averaged 10.5 points per game, but his contribution also turned out to be meaningless in the end. Unless Brooklyn can find stability and consistency next season, the team may never be able to win a championship like they were designed to do.
