NBA: Which team will finish third in the Eastern Conference?
By Marc Sherman
Brooklyn Nets
How will a Kyrie-led Brooklyn Nets team fare in the East? Can Brooklyn replicate and exceed their success from last season? Will Kyrie become a locker room distraction again?
The Nets heavily participated in the star-studded offseason by acquiring Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and De’Andre Jordan. Coming out as one of the winners in the summer.
Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait another year before we see the 7-foot scorer suit up for Brooklyn, as stated by General Manager Sean Marks.
Still, we get to watch Irving and Jordan team up in Brooklyn. Irving signed a four-year, $140 million deal while Jordan signed a four-year, $88 million deal including a $24 million player option.
Last season the Nets finished with a 42-40 record. They faced the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually fell 4-1 in the first round. D’Angelo Russell and the Nets were the surprise team of the league last season. Unexpectedly exceeding expectations, Brooklyn optimized their talents and went on a 20-6 run in the midst of the season, increasingly bolstering their playoff chances.
Now, add Kyrie Irving and De’Andre Jordan. Kyrie averaged 23.8 points, five rebounds, and 6.9 assists, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 from 3.
Jordan finished last season with averages of 10.9 points and 11.4 rebounds.
They’ll be joining an already established playoff team and be reasonable upgrades from the previous players that held the position (D’Angelo Russell, Jarrett Allen).
This Nets squad features Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Joe Harris, and Taurean Prince.
Brooklyn has the talent to improve their win total and rise in the Eastern Conference seedings. The popular question is where will they place.
Their championships aspirations will have to be stalled for another season as they wait for KD to return from his Achilles injury that he suffered in the NBA Finals. But, they’ll still be exciting to watch as they slowly rise to the top of the East.
Many rumors surfaced a season ago pertaining to Kyrie and his disruption in the Celtics locker room. That is my biggest concern for this Nets team. Kyrie’s willingness to try and gel with the already established connection of the Nets will be the storyline heading into the season.
If Kyrie can commit and set aside his ego; then the team can build that camaraderie to have a successful season.