The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2022 season as title favorites. However, they did not live up to that hype, finishing with a 44-38 record, which was good enough for seventh in the East. The title favorites couldn’t even avoid the Play-In tournament. However, the Nets ended the season strong on a four-game win streak. So, can the Nets make history and become the lowest seed ever to win a championship?
The Nets need to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to get the seventh seed. If they lose to Cleveland, then they will be forced to play either the Atlanta Hawks or the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth seed. If the Nets win one of those two games, they are going to the playoffs.
The Brooklyn Nets can become the lowest seed to ever win a title
Brooklyn is led by two of the best players in the league – Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Durant looked like an MVP candidate until he went down with a sprained MCL in January. He finished the season with averages of 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
Irving had his own drama to deal with, being an unvaccinated player in the NBA. The point guard missed 54 games due to the vaccine mandate. Luckily for Irving, the mandate has been dropped, so he can play anywhere except Toronto. In Irving’s small sample this season, he averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals.
Also, there have been reports that Ben Simmons could be ready in Round 1, should the Nets make it there. If Simmons were to return, it will be the first time this Big 3 would be able to play together, and it would be a big addition to the Nets’ playoff run.
So, with Brooklyn close to full health, how much of a run can they go on during the playoffs? Brooklyn will either play the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat in the first round. No matter whom they play, it will be an interesting series, and I think the Nets can pull off the upset.
One thing that could hurt the Nets would be injuries. The reason the Nets are even in the Play-In tournament is that their best players have missed loads of games this season. We know Irving missed a lot, Simmons hasn’t even played this season, and Durant missed 28 games. It would be a shame if the Nets got bounced early because of more injuries.
This might be a hot take, but I think the Brooklyn Nets are going to beat either Miami or Boston and proceed to make some noise in the playoffs. If Brooklyn gets Simmons back, they will be a scary seven/eight seed, and they might just win the whole thing.