3 Nets who should see their minutes cut after Harden-Simmons trade

The Brooklyn Nets are a far different team than they were a week ago. For starters, the Nets won a game on Monday night for the first time since Jan. 21. And then there’s the James Harden and Paul Millsap trade where Brooklyn added Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond into the mix.

Curry and Drummond made their debut with the Nets against the Kings while Simmons (conditioning) sat out. LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) also returned to the court after missing time with a sprained ankle.

Now that Steve Nash will have the chance to create consistent rotations (or at least we hope he will), there are a few players that Brooklyn will no longer have to turn to as much.

Here are three players who should see their minutes cut due to the Nets-Sixers trade that took place last Thursday.

3 Brooklyn Nets who should see their minutes cut after recent trade.

3: Kessler Edwards

Out of the four rookies on the team, Kessler Edwards has started the most games (19). He became a consistent starter in January but over the past few weeks, his performance has dropped.

Edwards is averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in the 26 games that he’s played in. He’s shooting 41% from the field and 34.5% from the 3-point line.

The 21-year-old is on a two-way contract and to be eligible for the playoffs, his contract will have to be upgraded. Without a doubt, that should happen but he doesn’t need to be in the starting lineup.

Edwards’ defense is what sets him apart and on Jan. 29 against Golden State, he did well guarding Steph Curry. The rookie trailed the best 3-point shooter in the game and tallied two blocks against him while also defending All-Star Andrew Wiggins. In the 32 minutes that Edwards played, the Warriors outscored the Nets by one point.

So, yes, Edwards has been the 3-and-D player that Brooklyn needs but it seems like in recent games he’s hit a wall.

In the eight games that the Nets have played so far in February, Edwards has scored a combined 38 points in 176 minutes. He’s shot 6-of-26 (23.1%) from the 3-point line and 15-of-47 from the field (31.9%).

Edwards’ play so far this year has been solid for a rookie and his game will continue to develop but he should be part of the second unit.

Curry and Drummond are going to continue to start for Brooklyn and when Simmons is ready to play, he’s going to be a starter as well. Kyrie Irving is a starter in away games and Kevin Durant will round out the starting lineup after the All-Star break.