Nets organization
The news came out Tuesday, August 23rd that Kevin Durant will stay with the team. After a period of speculation on where he would end up, Durant will return to the team. Since he’s staying, it’s more likely Kyrie will stay with the team. Rather than speculation on how the team projects with one or both superstars missing, we can forecast the season for the roster as currently constructed. Health and availability permitting, which is a huge assumption for this team, there is numerous talent for the Nets to work with.
The Nets were swept against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last year which dashed any championship hopes. This was after making it to the playoffs as a 7th seed after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the play-in. This was far from how most expected the Nets’ season to finish, but there were positives this off-season beyond Durant deciding to return.
Let’s start with the superstars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The reason the Nets refused to trade Durant was because of how difficult it would’ve been to obtain equal value. If Durant left, Kyrie likely would’ve soon followed. Kyrie missing games for personal reasons wouldn’t be out of character for him. It’s a contract year and it would be in his best interest to play a majority of the season. The Nets have two superstar caliber talents in place, but the remaining roster is also intriguing.
Ben Simmons
The Nets hope Ben Simmons is finally healthy and worth the price to attain him. He has not played in an NBA game in more than a year and there are legitimate questions on how good he will be after the time off. At this point, our only measure of how good he may be is based on the Ben Simmons last seen on the court in 2021. That player was an All-Star and All-Defensive 1st team. Sure, he struggled in the playoffs and we remember him not shooting a layup with Trae Young as his only impediment at the rim.
His offensive struggles are real and his shooting is still nearly non-existent. But shot making isn’t what the Nets need from him. All that’s needed from Ben Simmons is continuing to play great defense and his playmaking on offense. Anything more on offense is a bonus. One of the other main reasons offensive performance isn’t too significant for Simmons is due to the remaining role players on the team. As mentioned, offense wasn’t the primary issue with the team last year and many of those players are still on the team.
Role Players
The Nets had the 8th best offense in the league last year according to CleaningTheGlass. This was the case despite Kyrie playing only 29 games and Durant playing 55. James Harden only played 44 games before being traded to the 76ers. The Nets have a dearth of offensive options around Durant, Irving, and Simmons. The combination of Seth Curry and Patty Mills gives the team plenty of shooting at guard. The tandem does not provide as much ball handling as preferred, but they serve as at least passable options. Joe Harris’s health status is still TBD, but if/when he returns his shooting presence will help immensely. There are fair questions about his playoff performances; however, there are no questions he helps immensely with regular season success.
TJ Warren could be a potential steal if he can get healthy. He provides additional size at wing that the Nets were missing on defense last year and he has proven to be a capable scorer. Another addition of size on the wing was their acquisition of Royce O’Neal. He’s slightly undersized at 6’4″, but he has been a solid role player throughout his career that has shot 39% from three the past two years. He’s a player that should thrive in his role with the Nets.
The Young Guys
They also have some young players returning that have a chance of being slightly better than last year. Nic Claxton will be going into his 4th year and will likely start at the Center position. He’s not forecasted to make a cosmic leap, but he should continue to be solid and better than last year. Cam Thomas returns for his second year and has a chance of being a more significant part of the offense. Day’Ron Sharpe and Kessler Edwards are in their second year too and can make more of an impact.
Outlook
The team has plenty of talent and it might be understated how deep they truly are. How good the team’s peak is will be determined by their best players: Durant, Irving, and Simmons. If their on court fit is similar to how they will be on paper then their talent will shine through. The supporting cast is deep enough for them to be at least decent during the regular season. They may not be championship favorites, but it’s hard to say they’re not in the mix for one.
