If you want to ask which team is the most disappointing team in the first half of the season, I believe that the answer for many people will be the Lakers, but in the second half of the season, the Nets have a great momentum to replace it. The Nets' defensive quality has fallen off a cliff in the last 20 games, averaging 116.5 points per game, limiting opponents to 46.8 percent in the league and 19th in the league for the league's penultimate number of points, and limiting opponents to 35.9 percent from three-point range and 18th in the league.
After today's 23-point defeat to the Jazz, the Nets have suffered seven straight losses, the league's longest existing losing streak, and no team in NBA history has been able to win the championship after a 7+ losing streak in the regular season.
The Nets' problems are far more serious than not being able to win the championship, because they may not even have a chance to compete for the championship with the Big Three. After a seven-game losing streak, the Nets' record fell from No. 1 in the East to No. 6 in the East, and that doesn't seem to be the end. At present, the Nets are only 0.5 wins ahead of the 7th Raptors, 1 win ahead of the 8th Green Army, and may fall into the playoff area at any time, need to compete for playoff places through cruel playoffs, and one careless person may not even enter the playoffs.
That's not alarmist, the Nets' current situation is too complicated and too bad. Although he has 3 stars, Irving can only play part-time, only playing 11 games so far in the season, Harden's state has fluctuated too much, the frequency of injuries is getting higher and higher, and it seems that he can no longer return to the state of the Rockets. The Nets relied on Durant to survive in the first half of the season, and after Adu was injured, the team won 2 and lost 8, and the problems at both ends of the attack and defense were exposed.
This season, the Nets' record against teams with a winning rate of more than 50% is 11 wins and 17 losses, a winning rate of only 39.3%, and the Nets have suffered 6 consecutive defeats against teams with a winning rate of more than 50%, and the strong teams can only promise, can such a team withstand the test of the playoffs?
Perhaps anticipating the end of the season, the Nets management wanted to change the status quo through a trade in the hope of saving the season.
According to TA famous Shams, the Nets have been worried about the adaptability of the Big Three, Harden needs to control the ball for a long time the style of play can not be compatible with Irving, Durant, Harden is not present, the Nets are completely two completely different teams, when the game hits the decisive moment, the team will fall into a monotonous and boring personal singles.
In addition to worrying about Harden's playing style, the Nets are now worried about Harden's health problems. These factors became the decision to push the Nets trade to send Harden away, and they are currently open to trade Harden and will start deal negotiations with Philadelphia in the coming days! Harden is likely to swap owners with Simmons at the trade deadline!
Philadelphia has been pursuing Harden, which is one of the reasons why they were not in a hurry to trade Simmons before, originally thought that they would have to wait until the offseason to start trade negotiations, did not think that now that the Nets have taken the initiative to relax, Philadelphia will never miss the opportunity to trade Harden again. And the Nets also need Simmons to strengthen the team's already battered defense, Simmons's unparalleled ability to convert offense, can inject vitality into the now dead Nets!
Whether the deal can be reached and whether the Nets can re-enter the championship race, we will wait and see!