The Brooklyn Nets came into the 2021-22 NBA season with very high expectations. They had a very talented “Big 3” on the roster in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. However, things didn’t pan out as hoped this season.
Irving did not get vaccinated and was ineligible to play in home games, sitting out until right around Christmas. Durant suffered an MCL injury that derailed the team’s season, pushing them down the standings. This wasn’t what Harden signed up for, as he quietly requested a trade and eventually ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This all culminated in the Nets ending up in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. They defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, setting up a first-round series against their Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics have handled business at home, winning Games 1 and 2. In Game 1 the victory came via a Jayson Tatum buzzer-beating layup. In Game 2, the Nets controlled the entire first half, but the Celtics came storming back in the second half. Despite leading by as many as 17 in the first half, the Nets lost 114-107, getting outscored 59-42 in the second half and trailing by as many as 12.
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Brooklyn made adjustments from Game 1, as they were much better on the glass. But, their offense went cold, which is hard to fathom when you have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leading the way on that end of the court. The Boston Celtics did an excellent job defensively against that dynamic duo, with Tatum leading the charge.
With the series heading back to Barclays Center in Brooklyn, do the Nets still have a chance to make a comeback? Despite their struggles thus far, the Nets are certainly still a dangerous team. With Durant and Kyrie Irving on the team, they cannot be counted out.
It is hard to imagine Durant won’t turn things around eventually, as he is making only 31.7 percent of his shots through two games and 28.6 percent of his 3-point attempts. The foul line, where Durant has scored 22 points, is the only place he has found success.
Brooklyn is getting solid production from others on the roster, as Goran Dragic, Bruce Brown, and Seth Curry are all averaging at least 12.5 points per game. If Durant can get things figured out, the Nets offense will be rolling.
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The biggest reason as to why the Nets can make a comeback is that they are going to be getting a major boost in the form of Ben Simmons for Game 4. Simmons was acquired from the 76ers in the James Harden deal but has not yet played this season, rehabbing a herniated disk in his back.
It is anyone’s guess how many minutes Simmons will be able to play, as he hasn’t been on an NBA court in more than 10 months. But, his presence will certainly create some interesting opportunities for head coach Steve Nash to take advantage of.
Simmons is an elite playmaker, providing the offense with someone that can get the ball moving and find his teammates in spots they can score the ball. Given how well the other role players are performing on that end of the court, there will be no pressure on Simmons to score the ball, leaning into his strengths.
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Where he will help the most is defensively. As a team, the Boston Celtics are shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from the 3-point line. Simmons is arguably the most versatile defender in the NBA and can be deployed as a stopper at any position.
That end of the court has plagued Brooklyn all season, but with Simmons, it could quickly develop into a strength. It will be easier to hide lesser defenders now, as Nash can rely on Brown and Simmons as stoppers on the perimeter, opening up Kevin Durant to play a rim-protecting role.
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Being down 2-0 is never ideal, but heading back home, the Brooklyn Nets have to have some confidence that they can get this done. They were competitive in both games in Boston despite their leading scorer not being on their game and they are adding an All-Star to the mix. Some people are already writing them off, but the Nets have a chance to get back in this series, starting in Game 3 on Saturday.
