Eddie Johnson believes Brooklyn Nets are slaying teams with their shots from behind the arc: "They didn't feel any threat from Cleveland at all"
The Brooklyn Nets have been the hottest team in the NBA over the past month. Brooklyn have won their past nine games and 13 of their past 14 games. NBA analyst Eddie Johnson shared high praise for the Nets.
Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the 1988-1999 Sixth Man of the Year stated:
"They didn't feel any threat from Cleveland at all, even in the run that they had. Everytime they would come down, you would think they'd try to squeeze off something closer to the rim, they'd take threes. I mean, and they kept going further and further back."
Johnson continued:
"[Yuta] Watanabe knocked down a couple. [Kevin] Durant came down, knocked one down. And then Kyrie [Irving] pretty much pulled up from about four feet behind the three. I mean, they have some confidence in them, but look, they're the best shooting team in the league right now."
Finally, he added:
"They believe that they can make shots, and that's a dangerous thing for the opponents."
The Brooklyn Nets, who started the season at just 2-5 under Steve Nash, are 20-7 under head coach Jacque Vaughn. Brooklyn is currently shooting a ridiculous 39.1% from three-point range, which is the best mark in the NBA.
Watch Eddie Johnson's full comments on the Brooklyn Nets below:
Can the Brooklyn Nets compete for a championship?
While the Brooklyn Nets have been the best team in basketball over the past month (losing just one of fourteen games over that span), they will ultimately be judged on how they perform in the postseason. Since signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, Brooklyn has won just one postseason series.
One reason why this year could be different for the Nets is their defense. While Brooklyn has struggled on the less flashy side of the ball throughout the tenure of their two stars, they have been a top-ten defensive unit this season. They currently rank ninth in opponents points per game and tenth in defensive rating.
Watch highlights from the Brooklyn Nets franchise record-setting half below:
Combined with their offense, which ranks 13th in points per game and fifth in offensive rating, the Nets have emerged as legitimate title contenders. If they are able to continue to defend and knock down three-pointers at a high level then they will be a very difficult team to beat due to their combination of talent and depth.