With Kevin Durant ultimately staying with the Brooklyn Nets following a lengthy saga succeeding his trade demand, the focus is back on whether the Brooklyn Nets can finally go all the way and win the NBA championship. College basketball head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes that the Nets are capable of bringing home a Larry O'Brien Trophy, but he also thinks that despite the top-heavy roster of Brooklyn at the moment, with Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons providing star power, the guys behind them on the depth chart are going to play a critical role for the team.

Via Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media:

“They’re two of the most explosive offensive basketball players there are in the NBA and if Simmons is healthy, he’s an outstanding play-maker and he’s a great defensive player. So that’s a great team. I don’t know who they have 4-8 but that’s going to be a key component whether than can win a championship.”

Based on at least the bench production of the Nets in the 2021-22 NBA season, that seems to be one of the issues Brooklyn will have to address in the offseason. The Nets were 22nd only in the league last season with just 33.6 bench points per game. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving paced Brooklyn with 29.9 and 27.4 points per game, respectively, while James Harden provided 22.5 points per contest. The next three top-scoring contributors are Seth Curry, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Andre Drummond. Among those five players mentioned, only Durant, Irving, and Curry are still with the Nets, though Brooklyn is expecting bigger roles for the likes of Cam Thomas and, of course, Ben Simmons. The Nets also signed TJ Warren, who can score from all three levels.

The Nets open their 2022-23 NBA season on Oct. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans at home.