Philadelphia 76ers vs. Brooklyn Nets: 3 bold predictions and a series pick

Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
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Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets Mikal Bridges (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Bold prediction No. 2: Mikal Bridges will continue to look like the real deal for the Brooklyn Nets

Since he was acquired from the Phoenix Suns, Mikal Bridges has been even better than advertised for the Brooklyn Nets. In the 27 games he’s played as a Net, Bridges is averaging 26 points, five rebounds, and three assists per game on 48 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. He’s been so good for the Nets that he’s putting up numbers that somewhat mirror Kevin Durant. I’m not saying that Bridges is going to be the next KD, but he’s been that productive since the NBA Trade Deadline.

And I predict that he’s going to continue that momentum into this first-round playoff series against the Sixers. Overall, the Nets don’t have enough talent around Bridges to push the Sixers all that much, but I do believe that he’s going to continue to impress.

Heading forward, it’ll be interesting to see how the Nets approach the offseason with Bridges. Even though he’s been great, the Nets still have some work to do in figuring out how he fits in the team’s future. Is he the player that the Nets should be building around? Is he going to be viewed as a supporting piece for another star?

Either way, it seems like they have a really good player in Bridges.