Brooklyn Nets: Analyzing the team’s 8 games leading up to the Playoffs

Game Five – Nets vs Magic

With the Magic just a half-game behind the Nets, no contest feels more important for Brooklyn in regard to any potential playoff implications. Despite Brooklyn’s position above them, the Magic continue to persist as thorn within Brooklyn’s side, having stolen both games during each team’s limited series this season.

Although Brooklyn established a lead going into the fourth quarter during their most recent matchup against the Magic, they surrendered the game during its waning moments, also dropping the series having fallen behind two games to zero.

With such circumstances considered, the Magic appear as no easy foe once lining up against the Nets. But despite their advantageous situation going into the game, their narrow yet still convincing victories and the manner by which they played during said victories now redirects the Nets and their efforts hopefully toward the right direction.

During Orlando’s most recent victory, forward Aaron Gordon served as the Magic’s most damaging weapon, with Brooklyn only responding with undeniably laughable forces set up defensively. Whether down low within the pain or from far out, even beyond the arc, Gordon punished Brooklyn with his versatile scoring capabilities.

Once the buzzer sounded, the scoreboard reflected an Orlando deficit turned into a lead thanks to Gordon’s diverse offensive playstyle alongside his closing swat against LeVert, which truly concluded his performance with a memorable finale. But, although coach Vaughn remains a generally inexperienced coach, he must know how to adjust his team based on these repeated failures against Orlando.

With Gordon’s excellence backed up behind former All-Star Nikola Vucevic, the Nets must upgrade themselves down low to finally defeat the Magic.

Going forward, a lineup featuring Jarrett Allen as a power forward, backed up by Jordan at the five spot feels extremely beneficial, offering the Nets a chance to even things out against Orlando’s powerful frontcourt duo and then allow their superior frontcourt players to take advantage.

This might keep Brooklyn from stretching the floor as much and consequently limit their offensive capabilities, but it was their defensive struggles that brought Brooklyn crumbling down during their last game, and as noted earlier, Dinwiddie and LeVert should help pick up the slack.

Once again considering their future competition, alongside the small real estate separating them from to Orlando, this game highlights their schedule as one crucial to Brooklyn’s playoff plans, and one optimistic fans certainly expect to the team to emerge victorious from.