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The Brooklyn Nets may be one of the most intriguing teams to watch in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Thanks to the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant trades, their roster is completely different than what it was at the start of the season. While they obviously don't have the talent they once had, Brooklyn has still won enough games to stay afloat in the playoff hunt, and they are a near lock to make the postseason. The Nets don't really have expectations anymore, but that might be a blessing.
At 40-35, Brooklyn currently occupies the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they are just 8-13 since February 9th, which was the day that they traded Durant. Replacing two legit superstars is a very tough task, though, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the Nets have been struggling lately.
That said, barring a catastrophic end to the season, the Nets will still find their way into the postseason. They are seven games ahead of the 11th-place Indiana Pacers, so assuming they can win one more game, they will guarantee themselves a spot in the Play-In Tournament at the very least. Still, the Nets will be looking to hold onto the six seed anyway they can.
So the Nets will almost certainly be in the playoffs, but what happens when they get there? Well, that could depend a lot on where they finish in the standings and who their opponent is. So, let's go over all the possibilities to determine Brooklyn's ideal playoff scenario.
Nets' dream seeding scenario, matchup for 2023 NBA Playoffs
As previously mentioned, Brooklyn currently holds the sixth seed in the East, and would avoid the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today. However, the Nets have an identical record as the Miami Heat, and while they hold the tiebreaker over them, they don't have a lot of room to work with when it comes to holding that lead over them. So while they are the six seed now, there's a chance the Nets will still end up in the Play-In Tournament.
For now, though, Brooklyn is in line to avoid the Play-In Tournament, and they have a fairly good shot of holding onto the six seed by the time the season ends. While Playoffstatus.com gives the Nets a 15 percent chance to finish seventh, it gives them a resounding 65 percent chance to finish sixth, and even a 15 percent chance to finish fifth. Their chances to finish any higher or lower than that are very slim, so fifth would be a realistic place to shoot for.
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The big reason why the Nets have such a good chance to avoid the Play-In Tournament is their remaining schedule. With their remaining opponents combining for just a .431 winning percentage, Brooklyn has the easiest remaining schedule in the NBA. And again, their recent 129-100 win over the Heat has given them the inside track to hold onto the six seed at the very least.
So, we've decided that the Nets' ideal seed would be the number five spot, now what about their ideal opponent? If they do finish fifth, their likely opponent would be the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have a 87 percent chance to finish fourth in the East. This matchup would be a mixed bag for the Nets.
Brooklyn is 1-2 against Cleveland this season, but that doesn't really tell the full story. Their lone win, which was a 125-117 road victory, came all the way back on December 26th when the Nets had Durant and Irving on the floor. On the other hand, those two losses came last week on Tuesday and Thursday.
That said, this matchup still may be the Nets' best bet in the first round. The only other team with a real shot to finish fourth right now is the Philadelphia 76ers, and they are clearly a much tougher opponent than Cleveland. The Nets are 0-3 against the Sixers this season, and Philly has been one of the hottest teams in the league since the All-Star break.
It's really hard to find a good matchup for the Nets in the first round. Of the possibilities, though, the Cavaliers seem like the most manageable matchup for them. They're a younger team, and maybe the late-season familiarity could help Brooklyn in a seven-game series. It wouldn't be a great matchup, but the Nets would certainly have a chance against the Cavs if they were to meet up in the playoffs.
