Looking back at the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets and how special of a season that was for the franchise.
Since the Nets moved to Brooklyn, I’ve been a fan of the players that have worn the simple and smooth black and white jerseys, but the group that wore them during the 2018-2019 season became my favorite of all time.
Adversity and chemistry allowed the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets to blossom into one of the NBA’s most improved and exciting teams.
Bleacher Report projected the Net’s 2018-19 record to be 29-53. The injury to Caris LeVert in November 2018 followed by the Nets slump would have made you believe the prediction. From November 21th, 2018 to December 7st, the Nets lost eight straight games. However, it seems the setback sparked a turning of fate. Under the leadership of D’Angelo Russell and company, they proceeded to go on a seven-game winning streak and more.
They finished the season with a record of 42-40, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
The Net’s growth and exciting play were incredible to watch. There was nothing like hearing Ian Eagle exclaiming, “That’s a man’s jam!” after a Jarrett Allen dunk, or watching Theo Pinson lead the bench in their signature celebrations. I’ll never forget the Net’s 28-point comeback against the Sacramento Kings where D’Angelo Russell scored a previous career-high of 44 points.
It was awesome to see the team rally around Rondae-Hollis-Jefferson after he made the game-winning shot. That game was a symbol of the “Brooklyn Grit” of the 2018-19 Nets. That same grit is what Brooklyn strives for today. It prompts the question, what would’ve happened if the Nets stuck with their core?
While the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets did not have the star power they currently do, their chemistry appeared off the charts. I believe the improvements they made over the course of the season were substantial enough to run it back. The players they had have mostly maintained or taken new heights. Most notably, Jarrett Allen is an all-star now.
Spencer Dinwiddie is still one of the best role players in the NBA. Joe Harris pre-injury was one of if not the best shooter in the NBA. D’Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert are thriving with their new teams. I think the Nets were one piece away from making a deeper run. Let’s examine the 2019 offseason for how this missing piece could have been filled.
The Nets had some decisions to make following their successful season. Namely, D’Angelo Russell’s ascent begged the question if the Nets should have offered him a max contract. What’s more, the 2019 free agency was loaded with talent. My wishes for the Nets were to re-sign D’Angelo Russell and bring in another top-tier player to strengthen their weaknesses. It was clear the Nets had great offensive upside and their defense was surprisingly ranked above average.
What they were missing was consistency at the power forward spot. They heavily relied on Rondae-Hollis Jefferson, Jared Dudley, and Rodions Kurucs at the spot. These players played their role well, but I believe singing Julius Randle in addition to retaining key role players would have solved the Net’s missing piece of the puzzle.
Similar to D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle had the makings of a breakout season. He saw his points-per-game increase from 16.1 to 24.1. Some would argue his improvements only came from an increase in field goal attempts and a larger role within the Pelicans offense. However, similar arguments were made about D’Angelo Russell’s improvement, and he was able to be an impactful leader for the Nets.
In addition, I believe Randle’s chemistry with Russell from being Laker’s teammates would improve the team dynamic, something we saw as instrumental to the Net’s success. In addition to signing Julius Randle, the Nets needed to keep key role players. Their role players were not only important for chemistry, but for leadership. In the midst of the Net’s losing streak, it was reported that Jared Dudley was responsible for rallying the team together.
This is one of the events that sparked the turning of the Net’s season. For this reason, the Nets needed to bring back players like Jared Dudley, Rondae-Hollis Jefferson, and Demare Carroll. Bringing back the same veteran presence, role players, and talent with the addition of Julius Randle would have allowed the Nets to improve upon their already impressive 2018-19 season. Things obviously did not happen this way.
During the summer of 2019, the Nets signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Deandre Jordan. This signified major changes to the franchise. I was ecstatic to hear that two of the NBA’s top talents were coming to Brooklyn, New York, but I wondered what this meant for the culture of the team. Would the new-look Brooklyn Nets be able to replicate the same energy they did during the journey of the 2018-19 season?
Many of the pieces that helped build the foundation were gone with the signing of Durant and Irving. This included role players, core players, and coaches. That list grew larger with the James Harden joining the team. Watching a team of all-stars is fun, but in my opinion, it does not compare to witnessing a team with less talent overcome the odds to make it to the top.
That is why the 2018-19 Brooklyn Nets team holds such a special place in my heart. Do you agree with my takes? Could the Brooklyn Nets have achieved the same results or gone further than the current team if they held the core together?