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Playoff Picture: Brooklyn Nets

By Luke Duffy

Apr 10, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball as Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) defends during first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball as Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) defends during first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Markel Brown (22) reacts after a hard foul by New York Knicks point guard Langston Galloway (not pictured) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Markel Brown (22) reacts after a hard foul by New York Knicks point guard Langston Galloway (not pictured) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Why They’ll Fall Short

There are a whole host of reasons. Jack we’ve covered above, and Williams we don’t need to talk about anymore. It’s crazy to think he was one thought of (Along with Chris Paul) as the best point guard in the entire league. Now he’s not even a top 10 (15 even?) guy at that position. If Lopez gets injured, always a possibility, things could turn really ugly, really quickly here.

This team ranked as the 18th-best offense and the 24th-best defense during the regular season. It’s hard to tell which is worse. This team has the offensive weapons to be a little higher, yet they aren’t. Being the worst defensive unit in the playoffs (just below Toronto) with a first-round matchup against a great offense like the Atlanta Hawks, is probably even more depressing.

Sitting 19th in assists per game as a team means there’s a lot of isolation plays by the likes of Johnson and even Williams. As a team, they shoot 33 percent from beyond the arc as well. In an era where three point shooting is at a premium, that is just not an acceptable number for a playoff team.

Teletovic would have improved that number, but it’s not on just one guy to be able to shoot from deep.

This team shouldn’t go very far, and they won’t. In fact, not getting swept may be seen as some sort of small victory. There are too many players who either haven’t shown up or are past their best to be able to make a meaningful contribution over long stretches for this team. On the bright side though, they’re not the New York Knicks, so it could always be worse.

Next: Can Former Star Turn It On?

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