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3 reasons the Brooklyn Nets won’t win the NBA title

By Josh Cornelissen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 31: Kevin Durant #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets look on during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center on March 31, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 31: Kevin Durant #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets look on during their game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center on March 31, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 29: Goran Dragic #9 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center on March 29, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Brooklyn Nets defeated the Detroit Pistons 130-123. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

3 reasons Brooklyn Nets won’t win the title: Roster of one-way players

The absolute best version of the Brooklyn Nets looks deadly. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving flanked by a two-way wing in Joe Harris, a pair of defensive maestros (Ben Simmons, Bruce Brown), and a collection of shooting guards (Seth Curry, Patty Mills), centers (Nic Claxton, Andre Drummond), and young, up-and-coming pieces (Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas).

Unfortunately, that group is never going to see the court, as Harris is out for the season and Simmons will be at less-than-100 percent impact due to injury, rust, and lack of chemistry.

Without either, the Nets have had to lean on lineups with Kyrie Irving and two of the three of Curry, Mills, and Dragic. These offense-only three-guard lineups are ripe for opponents to absolutely shred, and with Curry hampered by a lingering injury, Mills looking out of gas, and Dragic well past his prime, those lineups aren’t even optimized to score at the highest levels.

The alternative isn’t much better. Play Bruce Brown and a center and suddenly the spacing evaporates, and Durant and Irving are forced into low-percentage isolations in a crowded paint area. They are two of the best at such shots, but math simply isn’t on their side forced to hit crowded jumpers again and again.

The thinning of the roster has forced the two stars to play high minute totals, and Durant in particular has shouldered a tremendous minute and shot load. Eventually, even he will wear down, and without his legs at 100 percent his jumper is sure to drop off. It is a slow death spiral for the Nets.

The Brooklyn Nets have a top-20 player all-time, another elite point guard in his prime, and a lot of interesting pieces around them. They could make a deep run in the postseason. Yet Vegas, NBA fans, and the greater public are vastly overrating the chances of this injured, discombobulated, defensive farce of a team that is not going to win the NBA title. Next season is a different story, but this year, the Nets don’t have what it takes.

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