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The Brooklyn Nets entered the NBA bubble in Orlando without any expectations. However, a roster lacking six of its regular players managed to win five seeding games and almost eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers from the playoff race.
It's no surprise that the Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of getting swept by the brilliant Toronto Raptors in the first round of the postseason. However, if you're a fan or any other stakeholder of this franchise, you'd be taking a lot of positives from the display that this unit has put up in the last few weeks.
The future of the NBA is certainly shrouded in mystery right now. We don't know when the next campaign will begin. However, one thing's certain, the Brooklyn Nets will be hitting full strength by the time the new season rolls around.
So with two elite superstars of the modern game and a good supporting cast, how far can the Brooklyn Nets go next season? I'm going to take a punt and say all the way. Here are five reasons why.
#1 The Jacque Vaughn factor
The Brooklyn Nets promoted assistant coach Jacque Vaughn to the head role after they parted ways with Kenny Atkinson a few weeks before the NBA shutdown. It was supposed to be an incumbent hiring but the phenomenal job that Vaughn has done will surely make general manager Sean Marks reconsider the situation.
A lot of high profile names such as Jason Kidd and Ty Lue have been linked with the Nets job. But irrespective of whether Vaughn holds on to his position, he's still expected to play some part as a member of the coaching unit. His relationship with the players has been crucial to the success Brooklyn Nets have had in Orlando and that's likely to continue next season.
Besides his role as a mentor, he's likely to be able to maintain an amicable atmosphere in the locker room and that goes a long way in ensuring focus through the length of the season. Moreover, he's always going to command the respect of the roster which is increasingly becoming a tough thing to do in the modern NBA. Just ask Jim Boylen.
#2 The return of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving
What's better than having two superstars who can combine for 60 points on any given night? The fact that the aforementioned superstars are real-life friends and egos won't come in the way.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are expected to play a huge role for the Brooklyn Nets upon returning from their long injury layoffs. There will be obvious doubts concerning the quality of the two players upon their comeback but they're likely to prove their haters wrong.
Irving has had several shoulder procedures before. Yet, he averaged a good 27 points per game in the 20 outings he had this season. Durant is a bigger concern, especially since he's returning from an ACL tear. KD's athleticism helps him out a lot, but let's just remember that his size and natural ability to score a basket is what makes his so effective offensively. He won't be the same monster on defense right away, but that can be worked upon during the season.
Also read: Kevin Durant vows to not act professionally on Twitter
#3 The emergence of Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert was the one true scoring option that the Brooklyn Nets have had on their roster in the NBA bubble. Yes, Joe Harris was also there but nobody was expecting him to drop 20 every game. LeVert rose to the occasion and managed 25 points per game during the seeding phase at 48% shooting.
There were murmurs of the Brooklyn Nets front office potentially packaging him and Spencer Dinwiddie in a deal to attract a third superstar but that equation can more or less be thrown out of the window now. He's only going to get better from here plus his ability to play at the 2 slots him perfectly alongside Kyrie and KD in the starting line-up.
#4 Quality in every department for the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have done a commendable recruitment job in the last few years and it shows on their current roster. Besides the Irvings and Durants, they've got experienced campaigners in the form of DeAndre Jordan and Garrett Temple to hold raging nerves.
The presence of youngsters – young vets, if you will – in the form of Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Caris LeVert among others makes them future-proof.
The likes of Dinwiddie and Temple can get the offense rolling from the bench while Jordan can give the up-and-coming Allen defensive cover. Dinwiddie has played as the de facto leader of the unit with Irving missing major chunks of the season so you know whom to give the ball to when the superstars are taking a breather.
#5 The rest of the Eastern Conference
The Brooklyn Nets will be a much better side next season. Looking at the top of the East table, the Boston Celtics are the only other side for whom the same can be said with conviction.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has his free agency situation but the rest of his supporting crew in Milwaukee is only getting older. The Toronto Raptors could lose out on crucial cog Fred VanVleet to free agency. The Philadelphia 76ers could decide to blow it all up and start from scratch.
The Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers remain 'almost' teams who could make a big trade to improve on paper, but as such, the Brooklyn Nets stand out right now. There's a good chance that they'll zip through the Eastern Conference Playoffs next season. And once you get to the NBA Finals, it's anybody's game.
Also read: Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction and Match Preview - August 23rd, 2020 | Game 4
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