NBA Daily: 2022-2023 Season Preview #17 – Brooklyn Nets
By Reylan Loberternos
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 02 Oct 2022
In this limited 30-part series, we shall be discussing each team’s latest developments, current roster, and future prospects in the upcoming 2022-2023 NBA season. For every team, we will examine bit-by-bit the important aspects that may shape its progress and provide a rough projection of how it will fare vis-à-vis its previous year’s performance and versus the rest of the league.
BROOKLYN NETS
2021-2022 Season Win-Loss Record:
44-38
Depth Chart:
PG – Kyrie Irving, Patty Mills, Edmond Sumner
SG – Joe Harris, Seth Curry, Cam Thomas,
SF – Kevin Durant, Royce O’Neale, TJ Warren
PF – Ben Simmons, Markieff Morris, Yuta Watanabe
CE – Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe
Injury Updates:
Swingman TJ Warren missed the entire 2021-2022 NBA Season due to consecutive stress fractures in his left foot. There is no timetable, yet to his return.
Head Coach:
Steve Nash
Headliners:
Last year started with a lot of promise for the Brooklyn Nets. With Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant forming a formidable offensive trio when the Nets acquired Harden from the Houston Rockets. Nets fans were salivating at the thought of having three players capable of exploding for at least 30 points in any given night. Unfortunately for the franchise, it all ended in so much disarray.
The three All Stars only played a total of 16 games together, largely because unvaccinated Kyrie Irving wasn’t allowed to play in arenas with Covid-19 restrictions, including their very own home floor. Such was the case until when New York City’s mayor announced that he’s exempting athletes and performers from city’s vaccine mandate for private workers in March 23, 2022.
Sadly so, Harden was already gone by then. The former league MVP, together with Paul Millsap, was then dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers prior to the trade deadline for disgruntled star Ben Simmons, alongside Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first round picks.
Overall, Irving played 29 regular season games, averaging 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on a nightly basis. Durant, for his part, amassed 29.9 markers, 7.4 boards, and 6.4 dimes per game in 55 regular season outings.
This year, though, the Nets are expected to bounce back from a very dismal performance last season. Simmons adds another dimension to this Nets team so lacking in defense. They’ll probably start the three, with Simmons at the four spot and occasionally playing point forward. Make no mistake about it, Ben Simmons is a legitimate All Star caliber player. His defense is among the best in the league and coupled with his excellent playmaking, made the Sixers a perennial playoff team when he was on the court.
Shooting won’t be much of a concern for Simmons, especially because he’ll be surrounded by two of the best offensive players of all time in Irving and Durant. He’ll also have excellent shooters in Patty Mills, Seth Curry, and Joe Harris to pass to.
This team may lack in frontcourt depth, but this may be easily addressed over the course of the season prior to the trade deadline. Nonetheless, Nic Claxton has shown spurts of brilliance last season and the team is hoping that he’ll work on his consistency and improve even more with another year of experience.
The Nets have three great players. They will have 82 games to figure out how to play together, as preparation for a deeper playoff run this time around.
Comments are highly appreciated. You may send them to reylanloberternos@yahoo.com.ph and you may follow me @reylan_l on twitter.
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