Owen was back, finally back. According to Nash's pre-game schedule, he played 31 minutes against the Pacers, shooting 9-of-17, with 22 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. The most crucial thing is that in the last quarter, crazy cut 10 points, helped the team turn the tide, won this game, and avoided 4 consecutive losses.
Then again, facing the Indiana Pacers, the Nets with the Big 3 played like this, there's nothing to celebrate. Instead, it should be reflected and summarized, why it is so difficult. Durant also got rid of the slump of the first 3 games in this game, and strongly scored 39 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Harden continued to concede the reins, with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
When everyone felt that the title race was back, the Nets ignored one problem: Nash continued to self-destruct the road ahead. 41+40, Irving's return is too scary! Nash's platoon was too strange to be saved by one man at a critical moment.
41+40, exhausting the main force
Irving is back, facing a weak team, Nash is still over-consuming Durant and Harden, so can it really survive the playoffs?
Durant played 41 minutes and 21 seconds, shooting 15-of-24 and 2-of-6 from three-point range, with 39 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Harden played 40 minutes, shooting 5-of-12 and 0-of-4 from three-point range, with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Throughout the season, Nash has been such an "operation", he has ever thought: Durant's Achilles tendon is broken, Harden's hamstring has been strained twice.
There are two disadvantages to overusing the main force; (1) the physical consumption of the core players is too large, which will cause injury and illness to the body. (2) Squeeze out more rotating players, other players do not get the opportunity to exercise. Players such as Edwards, Sharp, Thomas, and David Duke should be used and trained more in the regular season!
Owen's return is too scary
Why we say that Irving's return is too scary, mainly in two aspects: (1) the efficiency of the fast attack has increased too much. Harden's speed has slowed down a lot, so Irving's success rate of the next fast attack is extremely high, which is what no one with the Nets has been able to do before. (2) The offensive efficiency is very high, the plus-minus of this game is as high as +16, the first among the starters, and the second among the players in the whole game. The Nets are not short of offensive players right now, but they are short of players who are more efficient offensively efficient.
In the crucial fourth quarter of the game, Irving's single-handed ability was fully exerted, and 10 points in a single quarter was the most hardcore statement. The better Irving is, the less pressure Durant will be.
Nash platooning is too bizarre
In addition to the excessive use of the main force, Nash's platoon deployment ability is also debatable. In today's game, Nash changed the starting 5 Tigers in order to welcome Irving's return, specifically: Irving, Harden, David Duke, Durant, Clarkston. Nash thought David Duke could be a surprise soldier and focused on training him. But the result? He played 17 minutes and 39 seconds, shot 0-of-2, had 2 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist, and the all-game plus-minus was -13.
David Duke had played well in previous games, but he was not suitable for the starting appearance of the partner team. Having energy, motivation, rebounding card position, and attacking with the ball are all his strengths. However, with Durant, Irving, harden, this player's characteristics should be: can shoot, can defend. Strangely lined up, almost let the Nets fold the battlefield, almost ushered in a wave of 4 consecutive defeats.
The key moments are saved by one person
The Nets were able to achieve a 19-point comeback, and one player who played crucially was Bembry, who didn't get playing time in the first half. The second half was almost full, playing 20 minutes, shooting 5 of 5, 2 of 2 from the free throws, and had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks, plus or minus of +24, the highest of all players.
In the fourth quarter, the Pacers scored just 20 points, and Bemburi's defense was credited. In fact, Bemburi has always been the team's starting No. 3 position, and the effect on both ends of the attack and defense is very good. However, it is really strange not to know why Nash arranged for David Duke to start.