Brooklyn Nets
The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets season can be defined by a toe on the line.
What did we learn?
The Nets went ALL IN trading for James Harden, sacrificing their depth and mortgaging their future.
And so, in a day where dynamic duos are all the rage in The Association, the Nets brought together the newest Big 3 to take the league by storm. The latest “Superteam” that we didn’t ask for but didn’t know we needed.
In an unexpected and shocking turn of events, it was Kyrie who was the most reliable of the trio, playing 54 games to Harden’s 36 and KD’s 35.
Kyrie’s off-court antics were still present, yes, going as far this time to him not showing up for work and nobody knowing why or where he was. The great Zach Lowe said on his podcast after the trade that bringing in Harden gave the Nets some “Kyrie insurance.” That was so very apt.
When Harden first arrived in Brooklyn, he was actually the one who the Nets could count on the most to stay on the court. KD missed practically two straight months, playing in just one game from February 6th to April 6th, while Kyrie was in and out of the lineup, missing seven games of his own during that stretch.
The Beard adapted just fine to repping the gray and black, showing that his beginning of the season malaise with the Rockets was a farce, the final push needed to get him the hell out of H-Town. Kyrie even handed him the keys. “You’re the point guard, and I’m gonna play shooting guard,” was the literal quote. Harden averaged 24.6 points, 10.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Nets, including a remarkable twelve games with 14 or more assists. Harden had climbed all the way from Ground Zero in Houston up into the MVP conversation by the end of March.
But that’s precisely when Harden strained his hamstring. He tried to return after missing just two games and tweaked it again, causing him to miss the next month of ball, just as KD was finally ready to return after extra cautiously nursing his own injured hammy.
Without Harden, KD jumped back into the lineup with Kyrie and did what he does best: Fucking HOOP. The Slim Reaper you might have forgotten, with his feathery touch and unguardable jumper, his long frame roaming seemingly everywhere on defense. And his buddy Kyrie? A 50-40-90 guy still very capable of turning into Uncle Drew at a moment’s notice.
Who else did we have here? Basketball is a team sport after all.
The Net who played the most games this season was a familiar face, one Joe Harris, who played every game save for three, totaling a very nice 69. Joseph H. Buckets was the best three-pointer shooter in the league at an exceptional 47.5 percent on 6.4 attempts per game, reveling in WIDE-open looks.
Jeff Green was right behind Joe Harris at 68 games played. Ole reliable Uncle Jeff was also, believe it or not, above 40 percent from 3. He still had his bounce, too, power dunking on many an occasion. (Can you hear Bird now? “That’s a MAN’S JAM!!!”)
We learned that Blake Griffin was not the washed up version of himself that we saw at the beginning of the season in Detroit. Blake was invigorated and helpful in Brooklyn. An instigator and savvy vet, not afraid of the moment or to accept his new role.
Bruce Brown was a godsend for the Nets, excelling in the rover do-a-little-bit-of-everything part.
He caught a lot of flack, but Landry Shamet (the Shamster!), wasn’t quite as bad as everybody said he was. But he didn’t improve any either with identical stats to last season, still a regression from his rookie year.
DeAndre Jordan played 57 games and averaged 22 minutes per game, but he was rendered unplayable in the playoffs, not making it off the bench once. Keep in mind the Nets are paying $10 million a year (and for two more years!!) for a guy they can’t play in the playoffs just cause he’s friends with KD and Kryie.
DJ’s replacement, Nic Claxton is a solid but raw player with length who needs more time to develop. The skills are there, though.
And big props to Steve Nash, a helluva first year for a first time head coach. We actually enjoyed watching his mic’ed up inside the huddles and interviews. Insightful and genuine.
The Nets finished with the highest offensive rating in the NBA at 117.3 and were 22nd in defensive rating at 113.1. The offensive firepower was no joke, but the big question was always if Brooklyn would have enough on defense in the playoffs or if the health concerns would come a calling.
Harden returned at the tail end of the regular season, and the Nets had their Big 3 in tact for their 1st Round gentlemen’s sweep of the Celtics. But then in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Bucks, Harden tweaked his hammy again just 43 seconds into that first game.
The Nets still beat the Bucks in the first two games without Harden and almost pulled out Game 3 in Milwaukee, leading 83-80 with 1:23 left in the game but giving up a 6-0 Bucks run to close it. And then in that fateful Game 4, Kyrie went down and out with a nasty rolled ankle. An 11-point Bucks win later and the series was tied up 2-2.
Harden managed to suit up in Games 5-7 since Kyrie was unavailable to play, but he was clearly heavily hampered and could not come close to doing the things that Harden normally does. He truly looked like a guy playing on one leg.
That didn’t stop KD from putting on an absolute masterpiece in Game 5. Durant played all 48 minutes and dropped a legendary 40-point triple-double: 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists (along with 3 steals and 2 blocks!) to lead the Nets back from the wilderness, trailing by as many as 17 points, to secure a 3-2 series lead. It was a performance for the ages, but it has to be noted that Uncle Jeff chipped in an enormous 27 points by way of making an incredible 7-of-8 three-pointers.
KD didn’t get that kind of help in Games 6 or 7. Not even close. Jeff Green scored 5 points in Game 6 and went scoreless in Game 7. And Joe Harris was abysmal all series long, missing numerous wide-open looks at crucial times that he had been making all season.
Even so, the Nets were right there at the end of Game 7. Down by 2 points with six seconds left.
KD had the game-winner, the series-clincher, one of the most iconic shots of all-time, but his big toe was on the line.
The Nets were gassed in OT, but KD had another shot at a game-winner at the very end of OT. That time he air balled. Nothing left in the tank. The Nets bench scored 0 points the entire game.
It’s said that he wears a shoe size up, so if KD wore the size that he should, the Nets win and the Bucks never get a ring. The margins of this game are so very thin.
And the thing about legacies is that it’s not just about one guy or even a Big 3. Your 4-8 matters so much. If Joe Harris or Jeff Green show up at ALL…
The Nets move on.
But we’ll always remember this playoff run by KD.
The Slim Reaper is BACK.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Over 45.5 wins, but we don’t suggest trusting the Nets defense in the playoffs.
Nets 2020-21 Record: (48-24)
YES, our preseason Over/Under prediction hit! And the Nets defense in the playoffs was a lot better than we thought it would be.
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What’s Next?
It happened so long ago that it’s easy to forget that the Nets played pretty much the entire season without Spencer Dinwiddie who tore his ACL on December 27th in just the third game. Dinwiddie opted out of the final year of his contract, declining his $12.3 million player option and is now an unrestricted free agent. The buzz is that he wants to head back home to LA.
Other Brooklyn free agents: Blake, Bruce Brown (restricted), Uncle Jeff, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, and Tyler Johnson. Also Reggie Perry (the Fridge!), Chris Chiozza (Cheese!) and Mike James who are all restricted.
For a second straight season, the Nets are in the luxury tax and the bills are about to get much, much worse.
The Nets actually still have their own 1st Round draft pick this year at #27 and three second-rounders. To encourage them to draft for defense would be Captain Obvious.
Kinda like saying that they need to stay healthy at the same time.
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