Do the Brooklyn Nets have enough frontcourt depth post-deadline?
When the Brooklyn Nets made the trade for James Harden a few months ago, a huge concern was the front-court depth that was left on the team. Trading Jarrett Allen to Cleveland left Steve Nash’s squad, at the time, with DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green as their main frontcourt pieces alongside Kevin Durant.
Front-court depth was a legit concern two months ago, but the addition of Blake Griffin and the emergence of Nicolas Claxton has eased some of those concerns. Three out of his last 5 games, Claxton has scored 11 or more points and continues to show his defensive versatility in being able to switch on smaller players and guards.
By adding Griffin, Sean Marks add a big body who is no longer a superstar, but can produce at a high level game in and game out. In the two games he has played, he has embraced being a role player around a team that will be littered with superstars.
Griffin also gives Nets head coach Steve Nash flexibility with his front-court rotations. Griffin has been rejuvenated since joining the Nets and maybe a nice chess piece for Nash. Brooklyn has more depth than they started the season with, but do they have enough to compete with the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks?
Can the Brooklyn Nets lean on their frontcourt in the postseason?
If the Nets would run into Joel Embiid and 76ers, only then might the front-court depth become an issue. Before going down with a bone bruise, Embiid was arguably the league’s MVP. He was averaging 29.9 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.3 APG on 52% shooting. The Nets don’t have a true rim protector to matchup with Embiid.
The Nets would have to rely lot on Jordan, who has had an up-and-down season to date. However, he is the only player on the roster who has the size and strength to hang with Embiid down low. In any matchup against the 76ers, this team would have to beat them with their explosive offense, as opposed to slowing down Embiid.
There is still a buyout market that may prove to be prosperous for Brooklyn down the line. Perhaps the Nets will get involved in the Andre Drummond sweepstakes, as he will probably be one of the biggest names available. Ultimately, the Nets should feel very comfortable about their front-court depth and their chances of winning a championship.
With their superstar trio ready to take over games, Brooklyn should be excited about their capacity to contend.
