“Teams are going to try to avoid them” - CJ McCollum on top-seeded eastern conference teams facing the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs

Despite being ranked eighth in the movement, the Brooklyn Nets still find themselves heavy favorites to make it out of the Eastern Conference.

New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum believes that teams in the Eastern Conference will try to avoid a possible first-round match-up with the Nets as the playoffs inch closer.

McCollum is one of the most influential players within the NBA community. A big part of that is due to him being the president of the National Basketball Players Association.

He also has his podcast, where he shares his basketball knowledge amongst other things. In one of his recent podcasts, he said:

“I think a lot of teams are going to try to avoid them. In the event that the Nets finish up as the eighth seed, they probably play the Toronto Raptors, who are the seven seed. In the event that they beat them, which I think they would, they would secure the seven. Which means the two seed would get the reward of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving.”

The fact is that the Nets are only in that position because of the off-field issues and injuries surrounding the team.

Kevin Durant has missed nearly half the season due to injury. Kyrie Irving did not play the first half of the season and is now a part-time player due to his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. James Harden decided he didn’t want to play and indirectly demanded a trade.

The Nets traded Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, who hasn’t played yet this season. They also received Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, who are just role players and are unable to carry the team.

If the Nets could get healthy before the playoffs begin, they could be a dominant team heading into the post-season.

Will teams try to avoid the Brooklyn Nets?

Brooklyn Nets stars Ben Simmons (left) and Kevin Durant (right) while injured

In the NBA playoffs, the team with the best record gets the reward of facing the teams with the worst record. That usually gives the team a better advantage in the series and an easy road to the second round of the playoffs.

This season, due to the drama surrounding the Brooklyn Nets, they are unlikely to end up higher than the sixth seed. That would put a team that has played well all season up against the Nets, who have an early-season MVP candidate and possibly two healthy All-Stars.

No matter what that team is, it will be a tough series. Last season, in the absence of Irving and Harden, Durant took the NBA Champions Milwaukee Bucks to seven games. He was a big toe away from beating them. That should worry any Eastern Conference team that has to face the Nets in the first round.

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