The Brooklyn Nets are gearing up for a postseason run following Sunday night’s season finale. Following a variety of midseason additions, the Nets have found a new identity as a group. Yet, Brooklyn managed to shut out the noise and remain in playoff reach all season long. A part of that was due to the team’s ability to adapt on the fly to their new teammates and gel quickly with one another.
The Nets clinched the No. 6 seed in the East, and now the team will be heading to Philadelphia as the underdogs against the 76ers.
Jacque Vaughn and his coaching staff will have some tough choices to make throughout the next week. With the team likely sticking to a seven-to-eight-man rotation, some of Brooklyn’s rotation pieces may have their minutes cut in half. Some may even get completely axed from the playoff rotation.
Nets players that could get axed from the playoff rotation
Edmond Sumner
Edmond Sumner seemingly found a role within the Nets’ rotation this season. The 27-year-old averaged 7.1 points per game, 1.5 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game in 13.9 minutes per game over 53 games. The Xavier alum even got called into the starting lineup seven times this year. Unfortunately, the regular season and the playoffs are a bit different.
While Sumner has provided Brooklyn with very meaningful minutes, the five-year veteran lacks playoff experience, which the young team will need. In his time in the league, Sumner has been to the playoffs three times with the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, the Pacers didn’t win a playoff series during Sumner’s tenure.
With the Nets playing a title contender in the Sixers, the Nets will already have no room for error. If Sumner can’t provide the team with trustworthy playoff minutes, the team will likely elect to restrict the six-foot-four guard’s minutes. Sumner is listed as the team’s third-string point guard, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Nets give Patty Mills his minutes due to his playoff experience.