The Brooklyn Nets once again took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference Wednesday night, as the return of Kevin Durant and their throttling of the New Orleans Pelicans helped snatch the East’s best record away from the rival Philadelphia 76ers.
Not only are Doc Rivers and the 76ers as talented and deep as the Nets, but they present a very interesting stylistic challenge. While the Nets like to play as fast as possible and utilize their speed on offense, Philly is more content with banging down low in the post with big men like Joel Embiid or the switchblade known as point guard Ben Simmons.
While the Milwaukee Bucks are still as lethal as even given the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brooklyn and Philadelphia look like the two best teams in this conference, and the pair appear to be hurtling towards an explosive confrontation in a hypothetical conference finals matchup.
The 76ers will give the Nets plenty of trouble given their size and the star power of Embiid, but these three stats prove that the Nets might actually have an edge.
Final: Nets beat the Pelicans 139-111 with seven scorers in double-figures. Kevin Durant drops 17 on a perfect 5-for-5 shooting and the Nets remind everyone how dangerous they are when fully healthy.
— Alex Schiffer (@Alex__Schiffer) April 8, 2021
The Brooklyn Nets have the edge over the 76ers due to these three stats.
No. 3: Brooklyn has dominated without Kevin Durant
On any other team in which Durant played in just 20 of the first 52 games in any given year, that might’ve been enough to derail the season. Not only have the Nets survived their stretch without KD, but they’ve thrived, posting a 23-9 mark in games where Durant hasn’t played. Winning 72% of games without KD shows how good Kyrie Irving and James Harden have been.
Harden has taken home Conference Player of the Month honors, while Irving averaged 28.3 points per game on 50% shooting since February 10. The Nets are far from just a two-man show, as the depth that detractors claimed was non-existent after the Harden trade has saved the day many times over.
The Brooklyn Nets were playing well with just Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
Joe Harris and Jeff Green remain two of the best shooters in the league at their position, Bruce Brown has emerged as a unique two-way standout given his physicality, and center Nicolas Claxton is starting to look like a long-term piece Brooklyn can lean on.
With Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge apparently fitting the Nets like a glove, Brooklyn now has even more options to lean on in case one of their three superstars is unable to suit up. The Nets went from laughably shallow to one of the most varied offensive attacks in the league, and that will serve them well in the summer.
No. 2: The Nets’ defense has taken a huge step forward
The Nets’ loss against the Washington Wizards earlier in this season underscored just how wretched they were on the defensive end. Not only have Steve Nash and de facto defensive coach Jacque Vaughn changed the schematics on defense, but it’s helped the Nets become an above-average defensive team.
Since their season-altering loss against the lowly Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn has allowed 110 points per game. That mark, if it held for a full season, would make Brooklyn one of the top 10 defensive teams in the game. Keep in mind, those numbers are coming alongside a fast-paced offense that gives the opponent plenty of possessions.
The Brooklyn Nets finally have a respectable defense.
With as much offensive talent as they have, the Nets are going to put up points. Their defense is ultimately going to be what determines how far they can go in the postseason. The Nets not only chose to give Brown and Claxton more run in the rotation, but they appear to be a more aggressive team.
The Nets will look to ride their new-look defense past some teams like Philly, Milwaukee, and Charlotte that gave them trouble earlier in the season.
No. 1: Brooklyn might have the best offense in league history
In terms of net offensive rating, Brooklyn’s total of 118.5 is not only the best mark this season, but it’s the best mark in league history. When you have three of the top five scorers in the game, points just seem to flow naturally. Go figure.
These numbers have largely been accomplished without Durant, but the Nets were on pace for an even higher offensive net rating before the hamstring injury, so it can be reasonably inferred that this production is set to continue. It doesn’t matter how good your defense is. One of these three stars is bound to go off at some point.
The Brooklyn Nets are extremely efficient on offense — historically so.
Be it through Harden dominating the ball and piling up the triple-doubles, Irving using his mind-bending handles to create shots for himself, or Durant rising over anyone and everyone from long range, Brooklyn’s offense is so multi-dimensional it can even be hard for a team as talented as Philadelphia to lock in on one player.
The Nets went from a very beatable team that needed to get into shootouts every night to a juggernaut that is winning games on the back of three of the game’s best players and an improved defensive mindset. Philly will be tough, but the Nets should feel confident if they meet in the postseason.
Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving has been dominating the Knicks since arriving in BK
Kyrie Irving put up 40 points to help the Brooklyn Nets mount a furious comeback and take down their crosstown rivals, the New York Knicks, in Brooklyn.