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Brooklyn Nets: 5 things that must go right to make 2019 playoffs

By Chris Milholen

BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 17: DeMarre Carroll #9 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates a win against the Dallas Mavericks on March 17, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 17: DeMarre Carroll #9 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrates a win against the Dallas Mavericks on March 17, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 08: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson #24 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts after an injury during the game against the Toronto Raptors at Barclays Center on January 08, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

The Brooklyn Nets must remain healthy

The Brooklyn Nets had their fair share of time-consuming injuries last season. It is not the players’ fault if they do get hurt, but staying healthy and having the regular rotation available will be crucial in a potential playoff drive.

The main injury the Brooklyn Nets faced last season was D’Angelo Russell’s knee injury. Russell hurt his knee in early November in the closing minutes against the Utah Jazz. The injury led to Russell being sidelined for nearly two months.

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    • The now-traded Jeremy Lin missed 81 games after rupturing his right patellar tendon on opening night. That added to Russell’s injury cut into Brooklyn’s depth in the backcourt.

    The Nets did not totally suffer with Russell sidelined due to the great play of backup guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Although Dinwiddie did a good job of starting while Russell was out, Brooklyn lost 21 games during that period. This shows how meaningful Russell is to the Nets.

    It was not just Russell that went down with injuries. Almost every player on the Brooklyn Nets roster missed time last season with injury.

    It is vital for the Brooklyn Nets to remain healthy in order to punch their ticket to the 2019 playoffs. Each player on the Brooklyn Nets roster has a role that is important.

    From bench players to starters, injuries can really kill not only their ability to win, but also their motivation to win games and compete at the highest level.

    Another fact when it comes to injuries is that players do not come back the same right away. We saw when Russell returned from his knee injury, he did not drive the ball as much as he did before the injury.

    This goes for any player coming back from an injury, which is completely understandable; they do not want to re-injure themselves. Also, when players come back from injuries, they usually have minutes restrictions.

    Brooklyn cannot afford to run multiple players on minutes restrictions with their eyes on a playoff spot.

    If the team can avoid injuries, the rotation remains consistent. A consistent rotation is almost always a hallmark of a playoff team. Speaking of the rotation …