Nets: Shaq Boldly Picks Brooklyn to Pull off Monster Playoff Upset

TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal has lofty expectations for the Nets in Orlando.

The majority of Nets fans likely want nothing more than for the 2019-20 season to conclude as soon as possible when the NBA resumes in Orlando later this month. It’s not farfetched to say that, of the 22 teams entering the bubble, Brooklyn is the most depleted squad, as the team is missing almost half of its roster due to either injury or COVID-19.

Without Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan and Taurean Prince — to name a few players that won’t be making the trip to Disney World — most analysts expect the Nets to be dispatched pretty convincingly in the opening round of the playoffs.

One of the few exceptions? None other than “Inside the NBA” co-host Shaquille O’Neil. The Hall of Fame big man is predicting that Brooklyn will defeat whomever they are matched up against.

https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1283781835915493377?s=20

Thankfully, Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker, Vince Carter and Jared Greenberg weren’t about to let O’Neal make a joke out of their segment, as they were quick to roast him for the boneheaded take. This is the sort of nonsense we would expect fellow TNT analyst Charles Barkley to spew. In normal circumstances, it’s Shaq who finds himself dismissing and lambasting these sort of predictions.

We’re not so sure that the three-time Finals MVP is even confident in his prediction, because he refused to answer what teams the Nets are capable of beating. As things stand, and the standings could still change, Brooklyn will face off against the Toronto Raptors in the first round.

O’Neal means to tell us that the Nets makeshift roster comprised of youngsters in way over their heads and washed up veterans can take four out of seven games against Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Co.? This year has been as unpredictable as any in recent memory, but Brooklyn toppling the reigning champions isn’t happening in this lifetime.

https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1280634584854441984

We could provide a breakdown of the rest of the top dogs in the East, but the point would be moot. The Nets will leave Orlando early and with their tails between their legs. That’s not callous, either. It’s merely the reality of their ransacked roster.