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Brooklyn Nets: How does their bench stack up to other playoff teams?

By Jerry Trotta

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Steve Nash high-fives Bruce Brown #1, Jeff Green #8, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot #9 of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center on February 27, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 27: Head coach Steve Nash high-fives Bruce Brown #1, Jeff Green #8, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot #9 of the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center on February 27, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /
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The Brooklyn Nets’ eight-game winning streak came to an end over the weekend, albeit without Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Kevin Durant (hamstring).

That torrid stretch, though, was enough to propel them to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference as we approach the midway point of the season.

It has to be said that the Nets’ bench has really stepped up without Durant, who will now be held out through the All-Star break due to his lingering hamstring issue, and Irving, who’s been forced to miss every couple of games to rest his shoulder.

Given their lack of depth, the fan base is demanding Brooklyn to add more players capable of being trusted come playoff time. Not that the current bench rotation is incapable of doing so, but we can’t blame anybody who wants more established commodities to turn to in the tournament.

Well, taking the Nets’ limited rotation into account, let’s delve into how it stacks up against some of the other supposed championship contenders around the league.

How does the Nets’ bench compare to some of the other playoff teams?

We hate to dampen the mood during such a positive stretch for the Nets, but their bench really pales in comparison to some of their biggest rivals. That obviously doesn’t mean that Durant, Irving and Harden aren’t capable of overcoming their lack of depth, but as we saw with Miami in last year’s Finals, health is never a guarantee to be sustainable throughout the playoffs.

If you take a look at the Nets’ bench right now, it’s being led by offseason acquisition Bruce Brown, who’s currently averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 58% shooting. The former second-round pick has been everything Brooklyn could’ve asked for and more, especially on defense, and fans should expect him to play a huge role for the rest of the year.

Behind him, you have Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, who’s similarly chipping in 7.2 points while shooting an impressive 36.3% on threes. Behind him, however, it starts getting a little dicey, as Landry Shamet has struggled to find his stroke from beyond the arc, though he’s showed signs of improvement recently by drilling 41.8% of his threes over the last 10 games

After those three players, we enter Nicolas Claxton, Tyler Johnson and Chris Chiozza territory. While we’re firm believers that Claxton can play a key role as the backup center following his return from injury, he only has 18 career games under his belt. Is that really somebody you want defending Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounpo or Bam Adebayo in the playoffs? Probably not.

In fairness to the Nets, they probably have the most reliable bench in the East outside of the 76ers, Raptors and Heat. However, when you get into the West, you can’t help but be concerned. We know they would only have to worry about one of those teams, but we would take the Lakers, Clippers, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, and Jazz benches over Brooklyn’s right now.

We love the signings of Iman Shumpert and Andre Roberson for wing defending purposes, but they’re no guarantee to stay beyond their respective 10-day contracts. Even if they do, they wouldn’t set the Nets over the top in the bench department.

The bottom line is that Brooklyn better hope they make out like bandits at the trade deadline and buyout market — or that all three of Durant, Irving and Harden remain healthy. As presently constructed, their bench, as good as it’s been, simply does not stack up to some of the league’s heavyweights.