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Former NBA player JJ Redick shared that he had reservations about the Brooklyn Nets’ chances to win the NBA trophy this season. The co-host of the “The Old Man & the Three podcast” stated that the team from Brooklyn had provided no evidence that they should be taken seriously. Led by stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the franchise is believed to be stacked enough to win it all. However, Reddick’s doubts seem to be fair, considering all that happened with the franchise during the offseason.
Last season, the Brooklyn Nets were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. Despite having Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, they seemed to have faltered due to the lack of support from the others. To rule out a similar possibility, the team signed Royce O’Neale and TJ Warren in the summer. They would also be welcoming three-time All-Star Ben Simmons and sharpshooter Joe Harris back from injury. Although with all of these names, the Brooklyn Nets do look like a considerably strong name on paper, Redick picked the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks as his favorites to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Speaking more about the same on ESPN’s “The First Take,” he said:
“Obviously the Bucks are yet to play a game, the Nets are yet to play a game. I think the Bucks and the Celtics are the two favourites to be in the Conference Finals and I think after that you look at the 76ers. You mentioned their additions of PJ Tucker and De’Anthony Melton and you have to look at the Miami Heat, who were one shot away from getting into the Finals last season. I think the Nets are the fifth or sixth-best team.”
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Are the Brooklyn Nets legitimate favorites to come out of the East?
The Brooklyn Nets are one side that have been marred by controversies throughout the offseason. If all of that is kept aside, they have one of the best teams in the league. Led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets seem to have all the areas covered this season. Defense was a big concern for them last season. However, with Ben Simmons back, that seems to be an area where the Steve Nash coached team will see massive improvement.
A supporting cast of Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, TJ Warren and Royce O’Neal adds a lot of solidity to the roster. But considering the strength of the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets will have to do more than just put up a strong lineup every game. They will have to firstly keep all the drama outside as that has been something that has affected them the most in the past few years. Health is also a big factor as injury to even one of their stars could derail their campaign. Considering that they take care of all these things, the Brooklyn Nets could certainly make a push to win the Larry O’Brien trophy.
