In the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets are the most anticipated team to watch. After the blockbuster signing of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the young Playoffs team with great chemistry and ball movement look promising with the two lethal scorers.
As fans, the wait took longer than expected as both Stars had to rehabilitate their injuries over the season. With the impending 2020/2021 season shaping up, the wait is finally going to be over.
With such a star-studded team and sky-high expectations for their first healthy season together, it is intriguing to predict the top three best scenarios and top three worst scenarios for the Brooklyn Nets moving forward.
Top 3 Worst Scenarios
3. Kyrie Irving Or Kevin Durant Gets Injured Again
After spending a huge part of the salary cap on signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, everyone wants to see the team improve and succeed.
The ownership, executives, and coaching staff would be eager to push this team to contend for a championship right out of the gates. As such, another bout of injury to either of the stars would severely dampen the spirits and throw the team off their tracks again.
2. Internal Conflict
Apart from external factors, the top killer for a team’s success is wedged between its personnel. This Brooklyn Nets team is full of big names, from former All-Stars as their coaching staff such as Amar’e Stoudemire, former coach Mike D’ Antoni and former MVP Steve Nash, to current top players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
The management of egos and navigation between individual demands, needs and personality is something not to be taken lightly.
One potential source of conflict may be between the superstars and coaching staff. Both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have a history of being elusive or not being the easiest teammate to get along with. Therefore, there is a reasonable likelihood of this source of conflict.
Another potential source of conflict may be between the superstars and the rest of the roster. In each roster, there are bound to be leading voices. These players may not be the best players on the team but are veteran presence and whose opinion holds more weight in the locker room. Whether the superstars and the locker room leaders see eye to eye very much determines if the whole team can be on the same page, setting the tone for the team.
In the worst-case worst-conflicts may spew to great proportions and negatively affect the performance of the team.
1. Early Exit In The Playoffs
The past few seasons have been a wait for the loyal Nets fans. With the addition of two superstars and good veterans, the positivity and optimism surrounding the teammates waiting to explode in 2021. With such pent up expectations, the ultimate disappointment to Nets fans must be for the team to be ousted early in the first or second round.
Rounding up the breakdown of these potential best and worst scenarios, one can see that the Brooklyn Nets’ future is anything but set in stone. It would take a season or two to assess how this painstakingly assembled roster and coaching staff can perform under the immense pressures to deliver. Till then, the fans are all in for a surprise.
Top 3 Best Scenarios
3. Roster Gels Instantly
The dream of every NBA team is to kickstart the season with a team that gels well and plays a ball that is natural within the chemistry. This too would be the Nets’ best scenario.
Before the arrival of the two superstars, the Nets young core of Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, and Spencer Dinwiddie, already showed amazing chemistry and team spirit, battling their way as an underdog in the Playoffs. With the addition of other veteran role players like DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, and Taurean Prince, the team becomes a quality group. What will take them from an average Playoffs team to a real contender will be the clicking of their team chemistry and cohesiveness.
2. Deep Run in the Playoffs
Without a doubt, the report card for assessing the Brooklyn Nets has got to include how deep a Playoffs run they make next season.
With their former slew of role players and young studs, the Nets already put up a fight in the quarterfinals. If more max contract players added, the reasonable expectation is now minimally a Conference Finals for the Nets to qualify as not being a disappointment.
1. Wins a Championship
The best Cinderella story for the Nets, of course, would be to clinch the Larry O’Brien trophy in their first season together.
It sounds absurdly difficult but it is not. We are talking about two former champions who played leading roles in their former teams’ success. One is a regular-season Most Valuable Player, a two-time Finals Most Valuable Player as well as a four-time NBA Scoring champion.
The other is an All-Star game Most Valuable Player, a top ten NBA player, a prolific ball-handler, a playmaker, finisher, and scorer. Additionally, Kevin brings with him the knowledge from Steve Kerr and the Warriors dynasty while Kyrie brings with him the wisdom from Brad Stevens, Tyronne Lue, and the winning habits of the Cavaliers and Celtics.
When these two are coexisting well and leading the team together, they can potentially propel the Brooklyn Nets to the next level to win the championship.
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