“They’re actually in a way better position now than they were a year ago” - NBA analyst says the Brooklyn Nets have the talent to win a title, says they don’t have anything else that’s required
The Brooklyn Nets have finally seemed to get their house in order after the Kyrie Irving fiasco. The Nets have retained the guard for another season and have seemingly got the future of Kevin Durant in control as well.
On ESPN's "Get Up," NBA analyst Brian Windhorst stated that the Nets have the talent and the players to win the championship next season. However, he does not believe that they have displayed the characteristics of a championship-winning team. Windhorst said:
"This team has the talent to win the championship, but they've showed nothing else that's required for a championship team. Chemistry, accountability, availability, they've had none of that. But the talent is absolutely championship level.
"They’re actually in a way better position now than they were a year ago when they had the vaccine mandate and Harden was out of shape. I think they're in a great position but I can't tell you for sure that's it's going to work."
The Nets were swept in the first-round this year by the Boston Celtics. Despite having a fully fit Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets stood no chance against the suffocating defense of the Boston Celtics.
Can the Brooklyn Nets win the championship next season?
On paper, the Brooklyn Nets and their newly assembled Big Three of Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are capable of beating anyone. The Nets possess an offensive juggernaut that can consistently drop 120 points. Durant and Irving's ability to create shots and score coupled with Simmons' ability to run the offense allows the team to get going.
With 36 pts Friday, Kevin Durant bumped up his season scoring average to 30.0555 PPG
Assuming he plays in the Nets regular season finale, Durant would need 27 pts to clinch 30 PPG. He would be the first player in Nets history to average 30 PPG https://t.co/pZbnXVjNa8
With Kyrie Irving playing, Simmons could operate as a point guard who orchestrates the offense without worrying about scoring. Irving would slot in as the off-guard, focusing only on getting buckets. This will also alleviate the scoring burden for Durant, allowing him to be more efficient.
However, there are question marks remaining about the rest of the roster. Patty Mills, Nic Claxton and Bruce Brown are all notable free agents that aren't guaranteed to return to the franchise next season. At the moment, they have seven players on their books as Sean Marks has a lot of work to do in the summer.
Kyrie Irving was 9-9 from the field in the 1st half, his 2nd most makes without a miss in any half of his career.
He was 10-10 in the 1st half vs the Bulls on Jan. 31, 2020. https://t.co/yHUcyivepI
Defense is also a major concern for the Nets. Having players like Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving and Patty Mills means that the team lacks size on the defensive end of the floor. But the addition of Simmons, arguably one of the league's best defenders, will certainly help.
Either way, the Brooklyn Nets have the capability to win the championship next season, but Steve Nash and Sean Marks have their work cut out for them.