The Brooklyn Nets have traded for James Harden earlier this season in order to create the most potent big three in the league. James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant are all elite offensive superstars. Their starting lineup contains one of the best shooters in the league in Joe Harris and a reliable veteran center in DeAndre Jordan. While they don’t have a lot of depth, they are still an elite team that has the most star power in the league. Stars are what drives winning in the playoffs, and the James Harden acquisition will show its value deep into the playoffs.
With their win against the Golden State Warriors, the Brooklyn Nets have beaten yet another team with a positive record. StatMuse has recently posted a Tweet highlighting the Nets’ record against winning teams. Winning teams usually have better defenses, and something that we can infer from this statistic is that the Brooklyn Nets can score well on good defensive teams.
The Nets are 9-1 vs teams that are .500 or better this season.
The best record in the league. pic.twitter.com/wu9Q5aEQmu
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 14, 2021
The Brooklyn Nets are a league-best against teams above .500, the best record against teams who have winning records. There have been plenty of teams who are good in the regular season because they can beat bad teams, but when it comes to facing tougher opposition late into the playoffs, those teams fold. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have both won championships, sometimes winning them while playing against one another. They know that the path to winning championships involves having star-caliber teammates.
The acquisition of James Harden is a move with the playoffs in mind. The Brooklyn Nets have made James Harden into their primary playmaker who runs the offense: he is currently leading the NBA in APG, averaging 11.2 APG. But having James Harden as your tertiary scoring options is a great insurance policy in the playoffs. If Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant has an off-night, then James Harden will be able to pick up the scoring on the offensive end.
All three of the stars on the Brooklyn Nets command a huge amount of defensive attention: we’ve seen plenty of teams throw double teams at them, but what happens now that they are all on the same team? It is very hard to defend against three offensive superstars, all of whom can also make the right play if hit with a double team. The Brooklyn Nets are finally clicking on the offensive end, and they step it up when it matters.
At the end of the day, the Brooklyn Nets having a positive record against winning teams in the season bodes well for the playoffs. They can win against teams who are expected to be in the playoffs, and they have the experience that it takes. They understand that as long as they make the playoffs, they could easily get out of the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets are built for playoff success simply due to their experience and star power, and with Kevin Durant, anything is possible.
Credit for Idea: StatMuse
