Brooklyn Nets
There are a lot of jokes to be had about Ben Simmons not playing at all and Kyrie Irving constantly being in-and-out of the lineup due to his vaccination status, but trading James Harden really is a blessing in disguise for the Brooklyn Nets.
This seems like a very rushed move on behalf of the Nets and Harden, but the former league-MVP never really fit in much with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Between Irving being unvaccinated and injuries piling up for the Brooklyn Nets, it seemed like James Harden had given up on the franchise, which is why they needed to move him. In the trade deadline trade with the 76ers, the Nets really made out well, as they acquired a defensive star in Ben Simmons, one of the best three-point shooters in Seth Curry and one of the best rebounders in Andre Drummond.
Depth has been the biggest problem with the Nets this season due to injuries and now, after making this trade with the 76ers, they finally have everything they need to make a real title push.
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Kevin Durant being out with a MCL injury is the main reason why Brooklyn finds themselves ona 10-game losing streak right now.
They now have the talent they need to contend for a title in the Eastern Conference and when Durant returns after the All-Star break, it would not be shocking to see them lose just one or two games the rest of the way at full-strength.
How Ben Simmons will look next to Irving and Durant is the biggest question everyone wants an answer to right now, but Brooklyn really is the best place for Simmons to be.
The 76ers did not find success with Ben Simmons simply because they asked too much of him and tried to fit him into a mold of a player they had hoped he would be instead of fitting him into a mold of the player that he is.
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In Brooklyn, Simmons may still take some responsibilities as being a primary facilitator, but the Brooklyn Nets would be very smart to utilize him offensively as a “roller” in pick-and-roll sets.
Guarding Ben Simmons is virtually impossible seeing as he is athletic and 7-feet tall, plus he could be a terrific rebounder seeing as the Nets also have LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have found a ton of success this season playing multiple big men at a time and crashing the glass on both ends of the court. We could truly see the Nets take a page out of Cleveland’s book and run some similar lineups with Irving, Curry, Durant, Simmons and either Drummond or Aldridge all out there on the floor together.
Make fun of the Brooklyn Nets at your own risk because they truly got better by trading away one of the best players in the NBA over the last decade.
