Future Net nightmare
Lakers’ Drummond could be big problem in middle
Andre Drummond’s dominant night against the Nets was nothing new. We saw this when he dominated the Nets in back-toback games while he was a member of the Cavaliers earlier this season. I even called this very outcome when he chose to sign with the Lakers over the Nets while a free agent on the buyout market.
My headline? Andre Drummond to the Lakers could create a matchup nightmare for the Nets.
The Nets’ Saturday night blunder against the defending champions sure was a nightmare, and Drummond starred as the Boogeyman. His 20 points and 11 rebounds don’t remotely tell half the story.
Rather it was his 6-10, 280-pound frame that bulldozed the Nets all night long. LaMarcus Aldridge didn’t stand a chance, and Steve Nash never went to DeAndre Jordan.
Drummond’s performance, and the lack of a response embodies the Nets’ biggest issue: The Lakers didn’t have LeBron James or Anthony Davis but still dominated the Nets on the interior. It won’t just be the Lakers that pose this particular issue, either: The Nets’ next two games are against Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves) and Joel Embiid (76ers), and they’ll have to go through Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez (Bucks), Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler (Heat), Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner (Pacers) or All-Star big man Nikola Vucevic (Bulls) if they hope to reach the NBA Finals this season.
“They’re two very different matchups. I think Towns ends up playing more on the perimeter, a lot of pick and pop, a lot of kind of isolating and outside. Jo is obviously a lot more of an inside interior presence who can go outside if he needs to, so different looks,” Nash said of the upcoming schedule. “Our team’s gonna have to be able to attack them defensively in different ways, so I think we’ve gotta be versatile. We’re gonna play different lineups, we’ve got to be able to find an effective balance regardless of the matchup.”
It’s going to be a challenging balance for Nash to maneuver. On one end, Aldridge gives the Nets an added offensive boost. On the other end, he said it best himself: “I have to watch film. I can’t get past how bad I was tonight defensively.”
Nash said Jordan would have to stay ready for his number to be called, but his number should have been called against the Lakers. His number will need to be called in the future if the Nets want to win a championship, and Nash has to be ready to call it.
“I mean, we have 4 or 5 centers so you can’t necessarily play everyone. So I’d love to find a time to give him an opportunity again, but right now we’re trying to figure out where LaMarcus and Blake (Griffin) are at, and even get Nic (Claxton) more minutes, so something’s gotta give and I wish I could give everyone all the minutes they desire, but it’s just impossible,” Nash said.
DINWIDDIE UPDATE
Nets combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie has been out since partially tearing the ACL in his right knee three games into the regular season. He has been rehabbing in Los Angeles and posting his progress consistently on Instagram.
Nash has all but called Dinwiddie’s odds of returning to play this season unrealistic. But will Dinwiddie rejoin his teammates for their playoff push, even if he’s unable to play?
“Actually, I’m not sure of that. I think there is a time when he’s gonna come back to the team, but I don’t know where that is,” Nash said. “I know he’s still right in the thick of his rehab. He’s very dedicated, doing all the work and is ahead of schedule on all that stuff, but I’m not sure when the date is, if it’s playoffs, before the playoffs.
Nash then gave a concrete answer: “But I know there is the plan for him to come back and be around the guys when he gets the bulk of his rehab done.”
Dinwiddie is rehabbing at Phenom Sports Performance in Los Angeles’ Westlake Village. He has been bullish on his chances of returning to play since undergoing the MRI that revealed only a partial ACL tear: “No other structural damage, minimal swelling and cartilage intact,” Dinwiddie wrote in an Instagram caption one day after his injury. “If anything, I’m excited because I’ve made a living off beating the odds. And these odds say AT WORST I’ll be more than 100% by next season.
“Next question: Will I miss the road to a Brooklyn Nets 2021 championship? My response: As we’ve seen before. Crazier things have happened.”
Crazier things have happened, indeed. Since Dinwiddie’s injury, the Nets have traded Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs and a treasure trove of draft picks for MVP frontrunner James Harden. They have also acquired two All-Star bigs in Aldridge and Griffin.
The Nets don’t necessarily need Dinwiddie to win games, and if he does return, it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to help them given he’s been out all season and still would need to ramp his way back into game shape.
Whether he plays or not, the Nets could still use his presence around the team.