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The Brooklyn Nets season has not gone as planned. This was supposed to be the revenge season after the big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden couldn't stay on the court together last season. But injuries to Durant, Irving's COVID-19 stance keeping him from playing in Brooklyn, and Harden's mental state with the team, that did not come to fruition.
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The combination of those issues led to the Nets free falling down the Eastern Conference standings. That prompted the massive blockbuster trade that sent Harden to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons. Simmons is still yet to be cleared to play as he is dealing with back issues.
But Thursday night, Kevin Durant will make his long awaited return to the court. The Nets superstar forward missed the last 21 games, with Brooklyn losing 16 of those games. It is the perfect time to think about the rest of the season.
Here are the four bold predictions for the rest of the Brooklyn Nets 2021-2022 NBA season.
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4 Bold Predictions For Rest of Brooklyn Nets 2021-22 NBA Season
4. KEVIN DURANT REMINDS EVERYONE HE IS STILL THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD
Durant returns Thursday night in a pivotal matchup against the Eastern Conference leaders, the Miami Heat. I fully expect KD to hit the ground running. He knows there is not much time left to get this team back in gear for the playoffs. Nets coach Steve Nash has been cautious not to rush Durant back too soon. So, it makes sense that he is close to 100 percent going into the game.
While players like Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic steal the MVP headlines, Durant remains the best basketball player in the world. His value cannot be overstated.
https://twitter.com/DrGuru_/status/1499075850620358665
The Brooklyn star forward is easily one of the best scorers the game has ever seen. He can shoot from anywhere, he can dribble around you, he can drive past you, he can throw it down over you. He has every possible skill set offensively and might be the best offensive player in history.
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3. DURANT LEADS THE NETS BACK UP THE STANDINGS
As Durant returns, the Nets happen to play four of the first five games on the road. That means Kyrie Irving will also be able to join his teammate to turn things around quickly. A few games ago, fans were reminded of how good Irving can be when he dropped 38 points in a win against the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Kyrie Irving tonight:
38 PTS
5 REB
5 AST
14-26 FGW in Milwaukee without Durant or Simmons. pic.twitter.com/s1FnKmKm7p
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 27, 2022
It is still unknown when Simmons will join the duo. But even without him, Brooklyn is going to start looking more like themselves. I fully expect them to climb up the standings in the east. They are currently the #8 seed at 32-31. There are 19 games remaining in the regular season.
I believe they will surpass the Toronto Raptors and either the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers to get out of the play-in tournament.
2. NETS MAKE A SPLASH IN THE PLAYOFFS
Hopefully prior to the postseason, Simmons can get onto the court and develop a rapport with Durant and Irving. It's likely that it's too late for Brooklyn to earn home court in the first round of the playoffs. With how deep the top of the conference is, they will probably face a stiff test in the very first round. They might be looking at playing at the Sixers and James Harden, or the defending champion Bucks.
So, it's not going to be easy. But I think talent wins out at least initially. The Nets will advance to at least the second round of the eastern conference playoffs and potentially deeper.
1. BROOKLYN ULTIMATELY FALTERS, KYRIE IRVING, BEN SIMMONS TAKE MUCH OF THE BLAME
As I mentioned, there are only 19 games left in the regular season. That is still enough time for Simmons to get back onto the court. But with the recent news of his back injury he is nursing, it doesn't not sound like his return is imminent. Let's assume he returns with a handful of games left in the regular season. That does not leave much time to build that rapport with Durant.
Irving, on the other hand, obviously can only play in road games. It appears that the Nets will have to go through some combination of the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, possibly three of them, just to reach the NBA Finals. Never mind winning the Finals against the likes of the Suns or Warriors.
It's not in the cards this year for Brooklyn. There is too much to overcome in such a short time. However, if somehow they pulled it off and won the NBA Championship this season, Kevin Durant will likely have earned a place inside the top 10 greatest players ever.
