With or Without Otto Porter, the Brooklyn Nets Can Make the Playoffs

Can the Brooklyn Nets shock the world and make the 2018 NBA Playoffs?

The Nets recently signed restricted free agent Otto Porter Jr. to a four-year, $106 million max deal. Porter Jr. is a talented young wing who can provide the Nets with efficient shooting and defense at the 3 and 4. However, it seems that the Wizards will match, forcing Porter to stay in Washington.

While it seems that the Nets will finish with a worse record than last year after losing Brook Lopez, it is quite possible that the opposite may happen.

From a weakened Eastern Conference to new additions to the team, the Nets may be able to shock the world with a trip to the playoffs, with or without Otto Porter.

Many teams in the Eastern Conference who made the playoffs last season have started a rebuild this offseason. This includes the Pacers, Hawks, and Bulls. These teams are not looking to win, as they are most likely trying to tank for the top pick in the 2018 draft.

Any other teams?

It can be argued that the Nets have a better roster than a few other teams as well. It seems that they simply have more talent than the Orlando Magic, who have struggled over the past few years.

Also, the Nets have a roster that fits together better than the Knicks’ roster, as the Knicks’ hodgepodge of players seems to never work out.

If we put all the teams previously mentioned below the Nets in the standings, the Nets would be at the tenth seed. However, the Nets can rise up in the standings from a variety of factors.

Other teams may have significant injuries, losing key players that will lead to a plummet in the standings. A team that may likely face this issue is the Sixers.

Embiid managed to only play 31 games last season before a meniscus tear ended his season prematurely. Also, Ben Simmons sat out the entire season with a foot injury. One major injury could drop a team from inside the top eight to outside the playoff picture.

The Nets also need to stay healthy. We all know the consequences of losing one key player of the team. When Jeremy Lin went down last season, the Nets were getting blown out and going on long losing streaks. When he came back near the end of the season, the Nets played near .500 ball.

The Nets need to make sure their players stay healthy throughout the season. The players must be keeping up with conditioning and the training staff must pay close attention to their workouts.

But, it may simply come down to luck. Preventing injuries is impossible, but decreasing the likelihood of them isn’t.

However, the most simple and likely way the Nets can make the playoffs is improvement with the players they already have.

Russell can take a leap forward and become a 20-point-per-game scorer. Levert can improve his shooting and develop his playmaking even further. Whitehead can develop more control on his drives and improve his three-point shooting. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could improve his three-point shooting to league average while still playing tremendous defense.

The possibilities are endless. The Nets just need a few of their players to make big strides to see a sizable increase in wins.

Conclusion:

With a combination of improvement and luck, the Nets can make the playoffs. It is realistic to say that the Nets may have sneaked into the playoffs had Lin been healthy the entire year. If everything goes right this season, expect the Nets to possibly sneak into the seventh or eighth spot, with the young guys getting some valuable playoff experience.