PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 10: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 10, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
3 reasons Brooklyn Nets won’t win the title: Ben Simmons is a wild card
The trade the Brooklyn Nets made with the Philadelphia 76ers at the NBA Trade Deadline was probably a win for the Nets. They moved an aging, petulant and expensive guard for two solid rotation players, draft capital, and Ben Simmons, who, for all of his warts, is much younger than James Harden and seems like a better two-way fit.
None of that matters in the here-and-now, as Simmons is yet to play a minute for the Nets, nor has he played a minute all season. In fact, the last minute of basketball he played was perhaps the worst of his career, passing up an open layup in Game 7 of the playoffs and starting the spiral that led him out of Philadelphia.
There are reports that Simmons will be back as early as Game 3 of the series against the Boston Celtics, but what does that mean for the Nets? He is rested, surely, but coming off of injury with an incredible amount of rust to shake off. He has never played with Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. Will he play 15 minutes per game? 25? 35?
It’s impossible to know what the Nets will get from Simmons. He may look the part of a do-it-all defender, the kind the Nets need in the worst way, but will he be able to execute a team defensive scheme against a great team in the Celtics right away? How will his back hold up?
Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned offense. Will playing Simmons kill the Nets’ spacing? The Celtics can leave Simmons entirely, or even foul him. Are the Nets simply better off with Bruce Brown, who is smaller than Simmons but has a lot more chemistry built with this roster? No one can know what Simmons will bring this team, against the Celtics or beyond.
Brooklyn Nets have had a chaotic season, having to claw their way into the playoff bracket as the seventh seed. From a long-term injury to Kevin Durant, to Kyrie Irving being ineligible to play over half the season, to James Harden pouting his way out of yet another NBA city, the Nets haven’t had a single moment of calm to catch their breath all year.</p>
<h2>Can the Brooklyn Nets win a title this season?</h2>
<p>Yet the reality is that even as a wounded, tired, chaotic team, the Nets still boast two of the best playoff scorers in the entire league, including perhaps the best in Kevin Durant. Whatever else is going on with this team, those two give them a chance to win every single night.</p>
<p>Vegas certainly agrees with that sentiment, barely wavering on their preseason favorite despite the turmoil. The Nets have the third-best title odds in the entire league, behind only the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks, and they have the second-best odds to emerge from the East.</p>
<p>The Brooklyn Nets are a talented team with an all-time great player in Kevin Durant, but they don’t have what it takes to win the NBA title this season</p>
<p>While it’s hard to bet against Kevin Durant, it’s impossible to think this team should have the third-best odds to win the title, ahead of teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, or even the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Here are three reasons why the Brooklyn Nets absolutely won’t win the 2022 NBA title.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Reason #1 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-442991 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2373,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1384054791.jpeg" alt="Brooklyn Nets" width="3200" height="2373" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1384054791.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1384054791-768x570.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 10: Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 10, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 reasons Brooklyn Nets won’t win the title: Ben Simmons is a wild card</h2>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33260613/brooklyn-nets-trade-james-harden-philadelphia-76ers-ben-simmons-seth-curry-andre-drummond-sources-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The trade</a> the Brooklyn Nets made with the Philadelphia 76ers at the NBA Trade Deadline was probably a win for the Nets. They moved an aging, petulant and expensive guard for two solid rotation players, draft capital, and Ben Simmons, who, for all of his warts, is much younger than James Harden and seems like a better two-way fit.</p>
<p>None of that matters in the here-and-now, as Simmons is yet to play a minute for the Nets, nor has he played a minute all season. In fact, the last minute of basketball he played was perhaps the worst of his career, passing up an open layup in Game 7 of the playoffs and starting the spiral that led him out of Philadelphia.</p>
<p>There are reports that Simmons will be back as early as Game 3 of the series against the Boston Celtics, but what does that mean for the Nets? He is rested, surely, but coming off of injury with an incredible amount of rust to shake off. He has never played with Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. Will he play 15 minutes per game? 25? 35?</p>
<p>It’s impossible to know what the Nets will get from Simmons. He may look the part of a do-it-all defender, the kind the Nets need in the worst way, but will he be able to execute a team defensive scheme against a great team in the Celtics right away? How will his back hold up?</p>
<p>Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned offense. Will playing Simmons kill the Nets’ spacing? The Celtics can leave Simmons entirely, or even foul him. Are the Nets simply better off with Bruce Brown, who is smaller than Simmons but has a lot more chemistry built with this roster? No one can know what Simmons will bring this team, against the Celtics or beyond.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Reason #2 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443674 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1239623925.jpeg" alt="Brooklyn Nets" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1239623925.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1239623925-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 29: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center on March 29, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Brooklyn Nets defeated the Detroit Pistons 130-123. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 reasons Brooklyn Nets won’t win the title: Hardest bracket</h2>
<p>The Miami Heat finished with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, holding things together and tallying wins despite all of their stars missing games. They finished two games ahead of the 2-4 seeds, and just 10 games ahead of the 10th seed. They are not a juggernaut. The Philadelphia 76ers, sitting in fourth, are going to struggle to even make it out of their First Round matchup with the Toronto Raptors.</p>
<p>That side of the bracket in the Eastern Conference looks exploitable, especially for a team with the talent of the Brooklyn Nets. That’s not where they landed, however. Instead, they will play the Boston Celtics, who absolutely demolished the league over the last three months. Win, and they likely get a date with the defending champions. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to get out of the East. Only then would they face whoever makes it out of the other side of the bracket.</p>
<p>If the Nets had been healthier, or James Harden more of a team player, or Kyrie Irving… well, anyway. If the Nets had won a handful more games, they could be in a very different spot in the bracket, perhaps coming out of the 4-5 game looking to make a deep run. Instead, they had to win a play-in game only to line up a showdown with the scorching Celtics. That’s a tough, tough road.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Reason #3 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-443676 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/04/17/brooklyn-nets-nba-title/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1239624142.jpeg" alt="Brooklyn Nets" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1239624142.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1239624142-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 29: Goran Dragic #9 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center on March 29, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Brooklyn Nets defeated the Detroit Pistons 130-123. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3 reasons Brooklyn Nets won’t win the title: Roster of one-way players</h2>
<p>The absolute best version of the Brooklyn Nets looks deadly. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving flanked by a two-way wing in Joe Harris, a pair of defensive maestros (Ben Simmons, Bruce Brown), and a collection of shooting guards (Seth Curry, Patty Mills), centers (Nic Claxton, Andre Drummond), and young, up-and-coming pieces (Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas).</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that group is never going to see the court, as Harris is out for the season and Simmons will be at less-than-100 percent impact due to injury, rust, and lack of chemistry.</p>
<p>Without either, the Nets have had to lean on lineups with Kyrie Irving and two of the three of Curry, Mills, and Dragic. These offense-only three-guard lineups are ripe for opponents to absolutely shred, and with Curry hampered by a lingering injury, Mills looking out of gas, and Dragic well past his prime, those lineups aren’t even optimized to score at the highest levels.</p>
<p>The alternative isn’t much better. Play Bruce Brown and a center and suddenly the spacing evaporates, and Durant and Irving are forced into low-percentage isolations in a crowded paint area. They are two of the best at such shots, but math simply isn’t on their side forced to hit crowded jumpers again and again.</p>
<p>The thinning of the roster has forced the two stars to play high minute totals, and Durant in particular has shouldered a tremendous minute and shot load. Eventually, even he will wear down, and without his legs at 100 percent his jumper is sure to drop off. It is a slow death spiral for the Nets.</p>
<p>The Brooklyn Nets have a top-20 player all-time, another elite point guard in his prime, and a lot of interesting pieces around them. They <em>could</em> make a deep run in the postseason. Yet Vegas, NBA fans, and the greater public are vastly overrating the chances of this injured, discombobulated, defensive farce of a team that is not going to win the NBA title. Next season is a different story, but this year, the Nets don’t have what it takes.</p>
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