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The Brooklyn Nets season has been all over the map, filled with drama on and off the court. Nets superstar point guard Kyrie Irving publicly announced his stance against receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to rules in New York City, it kept him from playing home games all year. Despite that, the Nets came out hot this season, behind Kevin Durant and James Harden. But injuries and inconsistent play caught up to them. Harden appeared to have quit on the team, and was eventually traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. Simmons is yet to play and recent reports have the possibility that he might not return this season. Nevertheless, Brooklyn has the talent and championship experience to finally bring a championship to the Nets organization.
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So, let's take a look at the three reasons the Brooklyn Nets will make and win the 2022 NBA Finals.
3 Reasons Why the Brooklyn Nets will Make and Win the 2022 NBA Finals
3. KYRIE IRVING
News broke on Wednesday that the rules in New York City are about to change. Irving is going to be allowed to play home games as well as road games.
Kyrie Irving is officially cleared to play in home games after NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced an exemption to the city’s vaccine mandate for pro athletes and performers pic.twitter.com/EDV2HsLeUw
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2022
That is a massive shift in the Eastern Conference that cannot be understated. Kevin Durant is considered by most to be the best all-around basketball player in the world right now. But even the great KD needs some help.
The league has changed and you need at least two superstars in today's NBA to win a title. It is going to be really tough for the Nets to hold home-court in the playoffs against some of the east's elite teams. Holding home-court without Irving would have been nearly impossible.
Keep in mind, the eastern conference, likely for the first time in a very long time, is the stronger conference. There are six legitimate title contenders. It's going to take a lot just to come out of the east. With Irving on the floor, that is now possible.
Irving has been playing at an insane level recently. He is averaging 38.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and two steals per game over the last month. Those are other-worldly statistics. Brooklyn cannot count on nearly 40 points from Irving every game in the postseason, but he is at least a true Robin to Durant's Batman.
2. THREE-POINT SHOOTING DEPTH
As the NBA has continued to evolve, the importance of having a number of players that can shoot from deep has become very important. The days of the mid-range game have gone by the wayside. Why take a 20-foot contested two point shot, when you can likely have a cleaner look for three?
Between the acquisitions of Goran Dragic and most importantly Seth Curry, the Nets now have a plethora of guys that can shoot from deep. Obviously Durant and Irving have range, but Curry has been huge for them.
Since the trade that brought Simmons and Curry, Stephen Curry's brother has taken on an important offensive role. He has played in 12 games since the trade, scoring in double figures nine times. Seven of those games, he scored at least 18 points including dropping 27 points hitting seven triples in Friday's win against the Blazers. Curry even spoke about this, pointing out that teams shouldn't be able to just run two or three guys at KD without paying a price.
Seth Curry on his return easing the offensive responsibilities off Kevin Durant:
"You shouldn't be able to just run 2-3 guys at a player the entire game without having to pay for it" pic.twitter.com/N1goREfaSb
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) March 19, 2022
Role players almost always play better at home. Six of the Nets final nine games this season are in Brooklyn. Curry should continue being a vital contributor on offense.
1. KEVIN DURANT IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD
I wonder if basketball fans truly understand how great Durant is. He is one of the best shooters we have ever seen. KD has every shot in his arsenal. He can pull up in transition. He can spot up and knock down shots. Durant has a turn-around game. He can take you off the dribble if you play too tight. Even if you play perfect defense, he is 6′ 10” (most players say he is taller) and will easily just shoot over you.
One of the things Brooklyn was missing was championship experience. KD brought that with him from Golden State. Don't get me wrong, Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were also big parts of the two titles those four won together. But there is a reason Durant was named NBA Finals MVP both times. It's because he is on another level. He was the best player in those series and is the best player in the world.
Durant will remind everyone of that fact this summer as the Nets capture their first ever franchise title.