8th: Brooklyn Nets (↓1)
Alright, buckle up for this one Nets fans. It’s a bumpy ride.
This season started off so positively in Brooklyn. Poised with a new lineup and two new star players in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets were projected to have the new dynamic duo in the Eastern Conference.
Flash forward to today, and it’s a completely different Nets team that remains.
After a long list of player disputes between the new arrivals and old teammates reportedly led to a division of the Brooklyn locker room, the breaking point arrived with the departure of Nets Coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson spent four years in Brooklyn and was praised for getting every bit of talent out of that lineup, however even Atkinson could not survive this nightmare.
The problem directly associated with the team’s success with and without star point guard Kyrie Irving. After missing 44 games this season with a right shoulder injury, the Nets went a surprising 22-22 without Irving, compared to the 8-12 record with the guard in the lineup.
The inability of this team to produce with Irving on the floor is cause for concern, however not an immediate concern. Irving announced earlier this month that he will not be participating in the restart in Orlando due to social justice concerns and while continuing to rehab his injured shoulder.
Along with Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Dinwiddie, Wilson Chandler, and Taurean Prince will all not be joining the Nets in Orlando. Kevin Durant and Nicholas Claxton will also not travel with the team, both nursing injuries that will keep them out for the remainder of the season.
After losing seven players from the rotation, the Nets had to stock up on talent to get them through this restart.
Bring in the free agents:
- Jamal Crawford, G – one-year, $289,803 contract
- Lance Thomas, F – one-year, $262,152 contract
- Justin Anderson, F – one-year, $196,288 contract
- Tyler Johnson, G – one-year, $212,753 contract
- Donta Hall, F – one-year,$101,504 contract
To fill out this roster on such short notice, the Nets have collected a decent pool of talent from to fill out their squad. Whether this team can gel together and make this restart a success is still to be determined, but as of now, it’s looking shaky in Brooklyn.