The Brooklyn Nets drama filled 21-22 season ended in a disappointing first round exit to the Boston Celtics. However the drama did not end there, as the major story of the offseason was Kevin Durant's trade request and demanding the firing of the general manager and head coach. Although a trade request never transpired and the situation seems to have smoothed over, there is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the team despite the talent on the roster. Questions mainly revolve around how the new Nets big 3 will coexist and how far can Kevin Durant lead them.
When discussing the Nets full potential, there are a wide range of opinions of how good this team can really be. Varying factors such as chemistry, individual commitment, and health play a role in how far people believe they can go. I feel that at their best, if the key players can stay healthy, they have the talent and shooting to make the conference finals. The combination of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving makes for two of the best offensive players in the NBA. Adding Ben Simmons to mix brings versatility with a player that can have an all star level impact on both sides of the floor.
We finally got a chance to see what the new look Nets would look like on the court as they faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans in their home opener. They got off to a horrible start falling behind 32-14 in the first quarter and though they fought back in the 2nd quarter, the game continued to get away from them in the 2nd half. Outside an excellent 32 point performance from Durant, no one made much of an impact offensively for Brooklyn. Obviously the Nets will have a better performance offensively as their season goes but, the Pelicans did expose one of the glaring weakness which is lack of an interior presence. The Nets were out-rebounded by the Pelicans 61 to 39 and were outscored in the paint 62 to 46.
Their season opening performance obviously did not represent the full talent and potential the Nets truly have but, is it cause for concern? I would say no as they improve offensively when their shooters in Seth Curry and Joe Harris are back in the lineup to help with spacing. This will be especially impactful for Simmons as surrounding him with as much shooting as possible aligns with his strengths as a willing passing. Though it will take some time to build chemistry as a unit and will need to find a way to improve their interior defense, I still see them as a top 4 seed in a loaded eastern conference.
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