How far can the Brooklyn Nets go in the 2021-22 NBA season?
It's no secret that the Brooklyn Nets will have a roster studded with dangerous firepower during the 2021-22 NBA season. They already had a talented group of players at their disposal last year, but after losing in seven games to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Brooklyn front office went on a mission to strengthen the team's core.
With a roster that has so much offensive prowess in the starting lineup, it's often forgotten how crucial depth can be when it comes to the rigorous toll of an entire NBA season. Injuries happen to each team throughout the year. That's why it's always important to have depth so that players can step in and weather the storm if needed.
Last year, the Brooklyn Nets ran into several injuries at the worst possible time. James Harden dealt with a lingering hamstring injury throughout the year that eventually resurfaced during the opening minutes of the playoff series against Milwaukee. Kyrie Irving would go on to suffer an ankle injury in Game 4 against the Bucks and that sidelined him for the remainder of the series.
Injuries happen in basketball all the time and the Nets front office knew they needed to be better prepared for the worst heading into this summer.
What is the floor for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021-22 NBA season?
On paper, the Brooklyn Nets are one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA. It's no secret that this team will be an unstoppable force when they are healthy. Unfortunately for the Nets, it was a rollercoaster of emotions throughout their first year together on the court. Some of their key stars were in and out of the rotation throughout the year with health concerns.
There's an argument to be had that Brooklyn is the only team that can stop itself from a title run. If they can keep their key players healthy, especially heading into the NBA Playoffs, Brooklyn will be the favorite to beat anyone. But with the injury history of players such as James Harden, Kyrie Irving and even Kevin Durant, can this team stay healthy for an entire year?
Let's say for a second that the Nets continue to have problems when it comes to the injury bug. The roster is still strong enough to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. As long as Kevin Durant is in the picture, this team looks to have a floor that at least gets them to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Last year, the Nets would finish up the year with a 48-24 record. What's even more impressive about that is the number of games that the trio of Harden, Durant and Irving missed throughout the year.
Durant only played a total of 35 games last year. Harden was acquired in a trade after playing 8 games with the Houston Rockets and went on to play a total of 36 games with Brooklyn. Irving would get the most playing time out of the bunch, but would still only play in 54 of 72 games. With the amount of playing time those three missed, this Brooklyn team was still a dangerous contender once the playoffs came around.
If you consider everything from the previous year and look at some of the additions that the Brooklyn Nets front office made, it seems hard not to imagine them as a top 3 team in the East at worst.
How high is the ceiling for the Brooklyn Nets this season?
It's pretty simple when it comes to the Brooklyn Nets for the upcoming season. If they stay healthy, they should be one of the strongest title contenders in the entire NBA. But it's not just because of the trio of superstars. Brooklyn's front office went to work in the offseason and made some fantastic additions.
This Nets team realized they needed depth, especially for their goal of a long playoff run with championship aspirations. They went out and added an underrated asset in former San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills. It was a massive get for the organization, as Mills is a veteran who has the potential to find himself in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation.
Free agent G Patty Mills has agreed to a two-year, $12M deal with the Brooklyn Nets, his agent Steven Heumann of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal includes a player option.
The Brooklyn Nets also did a great job of bringing back a number of key pieces from the 2020-21 season. They re-signed Blake Griffin to a one-year deal and restricted free agent Bruce Brown signed a one-year qualifying offer worth $4.7 million.
Brooklyn also struck gold in the NBA Draft when talented offensive weapon Cam Thomas fell into their lap with the 27th overall selection. Thomas turned heads in Las Vegas as he went on to be named co-MVP of the 2021 Summer League.
MGM Resorts #NBASummer League Co-MVP Cam Thomas showed out for the @BrooklynNets in Las Vegas! https://t.co/XaVot1evFy
The Brooklyn Nets will be reloaded and determined to get to the NBA Finals in the 2021-22 season. With Kevin Durant looking like a potential MVP candidate, as well as the strategic additions of veterans like Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Alridge, the Nets will have a dangerous rotation to work with.
If this roster can keep itself healthy, they have the talent to be a scary force for the rest of the NBA to deal with. As some might say, the major opponent that the Brooklyn Nets have to worry about is themselves. So if things fall in place, the Nets could easily end up winning the NBA Championship this season.