NETS REALLY BELONG
And next step is pretty close
I’m not saying the Nets are toast, down 3-1 to the 76ers after Saturday’s heartbreaking Game 4 loss. I’m saying there’s a longer game, and this series is already a win on those terms.
This is supposed to be the year the Sixers blossom into a full-blown title contender. GM Elton Brand went all-in, trading for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris during the season. They have Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, two flawed but still-improving All-NBA-level young talents, and J.J. Redick, only one of the most fearsome shooters in the history of basketball. The Sixers are loaded, and unlike some other young powerhouses, have veterans performing at a high level to offer a steady hand in the playoffs.
The Nets are playing them to a standstill.
Yes, that’s due to health and conditioning issues with Embiid, and sure, that’s due also to the unique … let’s say challenges of keeping Simmons effective in the half-court without a jumper, and, OK, the series has tilted in Philly’s direction in games won by thin margins, which nonetheless add up to an enormous 3-1 series lead. All that is true, but the Nets have proven beyond any doubt that they are right there with the Sixers, and for long stretches have looked like the better team as D’Angelo Russell rips the defense apart and Spencer Dinwiddie drops shot after shot with the confidence of a 10-year All-Star. The Nets aren’t just hanging in, they’re acting like they belong.
We’ve seen that the Nets can punch above their weight class against a loaded team that may be looking at its best shot at a title (the Sixers have hard choices to make with their salary cap situation). The next question is, how can this team get better?
Free Agency is the obvious answer. Kevin Durant is out there, as is Kawhi Leonard and Butler and Klay Thompson. Any of those players would elevate a team that’s already proven its core belongs in the playoffs. Another upside of providing proof of concept here in the playoffs is that it tells the Nets they’re not so far off they need to consider shedding nearly all their players to clear space for two max free agents. And they may be close enough to contention to go allin on a one-year rental, as Toronto did with Leonard.
The Nets have all their upcoming draft picks, and picked up Denver’s first-rounder in
the Kenneth Faried deal. With cap space to burn and draft picks to spare, they could make a lesser but realistic offer for Pelicans stud Anthony Davis.
The all-in trade scenario is admittedly a long shot, but there's a knock-on effect for the Nets in free agency as well.
As with many things in today's NBA, LeBron James was the first. He set a new precedent in 2010 when he left Cleveland for Miami, and he was the first star to leave a Finals team and join a basement-dweller when he returned to Cleveland. He did it again when he joined the Lakers last offseason, and didn't have nearly as much success. Baseline success matters for players picking a destination. They want to play together, but they also want to make sure they aren't going to need help.
If it comes down to the Knicks and the Nets for prospective free agents, it's going to be a tough call. The Knicks' Mitchell Robinson is shaping up to be one of the best role players in the league, but the Nets' depth and youth dominates the Knicks' other prospects. And while the Knicks can add Kyrie Irving as well, D'Angelo Russell is 22 and very well may be better than the 27-year-old Irving over the next decade.
All this is background noise until the Nets finally bow out of the playoffs, or win 15 more games to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy, I suppose. But just as soon as their postseason is over, these will be the most important issues facing the franchise. Every game they win, every quarter they go toeto-toe with a ready-made contender and come out ahead, will put them in better shape to join them.