The Brooklyn Nets are in an odd position. The team let go of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the trade deadline but has enough wins to likely make the playoffs.
The Brooklyn Nets are a game and a half out of the 5th seed, which is the seeding spot that would lead to a first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And apparently, many in the organization do want to see that matchup.
“Multiple people I’ve spoken to recently are privately hoping for a Brooklyn matchup,” reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “It’s easy to understand why. Even though the Cavs, with home-court advantage, would likely be capable of competing — and possibly winning — a seven-game series against any of the teams currently behind them in the standings, the Nets would be Cleveland’s easiest path out of round one.”
The Eastern Conference is very top-heavy this season, with the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers all in a league of their own. For a team that is still quite young, the Cavaliers are likely hoping the best draw they can win a series in the playoffs. Fedor further elaborated on what he was talking about.
“While the Nets haven’t completely imploded since those two megadeals, their organizational ceiling has lowered considerably, and they no longer pose the same challenge in a seven-game series,” explains Fedor. “The Nets are 7-11 over the last month-plus without those two superstars. They also have the most inexperienced coach of the potential first-round foes.”
The New York Knicks currently stand in the way of this potential first-round matchup. And having just beaten the Denver Nuggets, they seem to be showing no signs of slowing down, either. The Cavaliers would have a tough time against the Knicks, but it’s easy to see why they want an easier matchup for their first potential series with this group.
The Brooklyn Nets Should Not Be Underestimated
The Nets were able to acquire a lot of players and assets in return for trading their superstars. And while the team may not be favorites for a title anymore, they still have some tenacious players that can cause problems.
Brooklyn is 3-3 in their last 6 games, and Mikal Bridges has become a 25-points-per-game scorer for them. They have several long defenders capable of giving anyone trouble, even the Cavaliers. It might end up being a case of being careful about what they wish for.
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