Durant is out for 4 to 6 weeks due to a sprained injury to the medial secondary ligament in his left knee, and the Nets will now embark on a four-game journey against the Cavaliers, Wizards, Spurs and Timberwolves, which are not competitive against opponents, and Irving can play away games. Without Durant, Harden teamed up with Irving and is expected to win four in a row!
The Cavaliers are currently 6th in the East with 26 wins and 18 losses, the Wizards are currently 9th in the East with 22 wins and 21 losses, the Spurs are 12th in the West with 16 wins and 27 losses, the Timberwolves are 7th in the West with 21 wins and 22 losses, and all four teams have lower records than the Nets, only the Cavaliers are ranked closer to the Nets, and the lineup configuration, even without the Durant Nets, is better. The Nets need to maximize harden and Irving's competitiveness. It is worth mentioning that last season, Harden Irving led the team, the Nets record of 16 wins and 3 losses, the winning rate of more than 80%, the Nets' next four consecutive aways are very promising!
In the four games, the first game is against the Cavaliers, the game time is January 18, 4 o'clock Beijing time, the Nets against the Cavaliers, the two sides have met twice this season, the Nets have won all, one won 5 points, one won 10 points, but this time against the Cavaliers, Ade has a high probability of playing, Zhao Si is suspicious, Durant, Joe Harris, James Johnson and Millsap are absent.
Lack of Durant, the height of the Nets is a big disadvantage, but although the average height of the Cavaliers is dominant, but the inner line of both Allen and Mobley is not known for their own offense, the ability to hold the ball to attack is limited, and need to rely on the guard to organize feeding, while Garland and Rondo are not of the speed type, the size is not large, and Rondo is still absent from this game, Irving and Harden's backcourt combination can easily align with the Cavaliers, and the competitiveness is still quite good.
The five small lineups against the five major lineups are indeed full of points, the Cavaliers interior line must have a certain advantage, and the Nets interior line needs to be based on defense, which is the key to winning, and how effective it is also to see whether Harden and Irving can have a fiery feel on the offensive end! In the absence of Durant, the performance of Irving and Harden determines the nets' next record, I believe that Harden and Irving's ability to lead the team, last season 16 wins and 3 losses, this season will not be bad, four consecutive opponents are not competitive, look forward to the Nets to win four consecutive wins!