Brooklyn Nets: How the Nets transformed into a playoff contender

The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the best feel-good stories in the NBA this year. Here’s how they have shocked everyone

Before the 2018-19 NBA season started, most of us would have had the Brooklyn Nets as a lottery team, even in the vastly inferior Eastern Conference. I mean, yeah, they had enough pieces on their roster to at least be competitive in games but the playoffs were certainly out of the picture.

Well, how wrong we all were.

Few would have guessed that in February, the Nets would be sitting above .500 and occupy the sixth seed in the East, a full 3.5 games ahead of the ninth spot.

What’s even more surprising is that they have reached this shocking level of success without any top draft picks or marquee free agent signings.

After the infamous Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett trade back in 2013, most expected it to be years before Brooklyn returned to relevance in the league but they have managed to overcome those odds and prove us all wrong.

So, how have they managed to do this?