With the NBA restart quickly approaching, it’s time to dive into one of the Nets’ possible playoff opponents.
Barring an extremely disappointing showing in Orlando, the Nets should find themselves in this year’s NBA playoffs. With only eight regular season games left, Brooklyn is the No. 7 seed in Eastern Conference, but only a 1/2 game up on the 8-seeded Orlando Magic. And with the 6 seed mathematically out of reach (8-1/2 games back), the Nets can hope to make it as a bottom two team when the playoffs begin.
If the postseason started right now, the Nets would play the reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors in the first round. While Brooklyn prepares to possibly see their division rival, it’s time we the fans do our homework as well. With that, it’s time to analyze the Raptors and see how the Nets can be successful.
The Coach
After he became one of only five head coaches to win a title in his first year at the helm, Nick Nurse has done an even better job this time around. Many doubters of Nurse’s ability cast off the Raptors’ championship because of three reasons: LeBron James leaving the Eastern Conference, facing an injury-riddled Golden State Warriors team in the Finals, and the fact that Kawhi Leonard went thermonuclear and carried Toronto to its first Larry O’Brien trophy.
While all those are substantial points, Toronto would not have won the Finals with a substandard coach. People forget that the Raptors were down 2-0 in the Conference Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks, only to reel off 4 straight wins. A big part of the turnaround was the difference in adjustments between the two coaches: Nurse changed up the defensive scheme to stop Giannis, while coach Mike Budenholzer stood pat as his team crumbled.
If the Nets see the Raptors in the first round, they’ll need to be cognizant of Nurse’s constant adjustments. Nurse likes to neutralize the stars and make the role players win the games. Players like Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert may have to see two or three defenders at a time, forcing guys like Joe Harris or Taurean Prince to make open shots.