At the 2022 trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets and philadelphia 76ers concocted one of the heaviest deals since the start of the season, with two All-Stars James Harden and Ben Simmons swapping owners.
People generally regret the rapid disintegration of Durant, Irving, and Harden's superpowers after a brief cooperation, but everyone has different opinions about who loses and who makes money in this deal.
ESPN columnist Kevin Pelton gave the Nets a good B+ rating in his trade ratings, but only focused on how Simmons could affect the Nets' offensive and defensive system, and only brushed up on the other two players the Nets got in the deal.
Today, the Nets played at home against the Kings, Simmons still sat on the bench in civilian clothes, but Seth Curry and Andre Drummond made their debuts, played a crucial role in both offensive and defensive ends, and worked together to lead the team to a big win, ending the previous 11-game losing streak and issuing a "true incense warning" to Nets fans.
Seth Curry is also Curry
It's no surprise that Curry was reused in his first game for the Nets. Before being sent to Brooklyn, he was a very important part of the 76ers' offensive system, playing his career-best performance.
Curry, 31, is nowhere near as famous as his brother, but is already a veteran with 8 years of NBA experience. Losing the draft hasn't prevented him from creating his own place in the league, shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range in his career to date, the fifth-highest in the entire history of the NBA.
At the 76ers this season, Curry played his career best, averaging 15 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4 assists per game before the trade, shooting 48 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 87 percent from the free throw line.
It's worth noting that Curry has accurate outside long-range shots, but he's more than just a shooter, his catch-and-shoot shots are just as accurate as dry pull-outs, and in addition to three-point long-range shots, he's also extremely threatening from mid-range. Curry can go to the basket after performing a block with his teammates, and then choose a mid-range emergency stop jump shot, or a one-handed throw to hit the ball, according to statistics, this season his mid-range shooting rate is as high as 54%, better than the league's 97% defender players.
Curry is even a great finisher, shooting 66 percent from the near-rim this season, and while that's not his main attacking area, he's proven capable of scoring here.
More importantly, Curry is also a good offensive initiator, able to make the right decisions in the blocking and dismantling coordination, and passing good balls for his teammates. This season, his blocking and matching with Embiid is one of the most important components of the 76ers' offensive system.
In today's game, Curry played 32 minutes and 08 seconds, shooting 10 of 18 (3 of 8 from three points), scoring a team-high 23 points, while also contributing 7 rebounds and 5 assists. His outstanding play in the first and third quarters became a key reason for the Nets to build a lead and ultimately win the game.
The Nets' first goal today came from Curry's pass assist for Bruce Brown, after which Curry hit two consecutive hits to lead the team to an 11-2 perfect start.
Five minutes and 59 seconds before the end of the first quarter, he received the ball two meters from the top of the arc and shot from two meters away from the three-point line, and the Nets hit the first long-range shot of his career. This ball fully demonstrates his top three-pointer feeling and super shooting confidence!
Under Curry's leadership, the Nets established a 19-point lead in the first quarter. But the Kings didn't give up easily, then slowly narrowed the point gap, and took advantage of a small 6-0 surge after the start of the third quarter to chase the score to 54-55, leaving only a one-point gap.
At the critical moment, Curry showed a big heart, hitting all three shots in the next 70 seconds, and one person scored 7 points in a row to re-stabilize the situation. After that, the Kings never posed a real threat to the Nets' lead. And these three goals just show curry's personal offensive skills in turn.
Throughout the third quarter, Curry scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, in addition to giving up 2 assists, and if he did not stand up for the pressure, the Nets would have suffered a reversal.
As long as he doesn't live neatly, he is the god of Zhuang
Compared with Curry, Zhuang Shen was entrusted with the responsibility of starting the first team in his debut today, which is somewhat surprising.
Although he was once named an All-Star as the boss of the Pistons, Drummond is no longer what he used to be, in addition to a certain decline in his personal status, he is also contrary to the league small-game trend, and always likes to do things that he thinks he can do, but actually does not do well enough.
But the experience of the Lakers and 76ers in the past two years has made Drummond begin to recognize the reality, and the number of times he has forced the "whole work" in the game is much less than before.
In fact, as long as he keeps his own points and concentrates on grabbing rebounds and defending, Drummond is still a good blue-collar interior. This season in the 76ers, he averaged 6.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks in 18.4 minutes per game, of which the rebounding rate in the backcourt was the first in the league, and his height, body shape, defense, rebounding, and certain passing ability can all improve the Center Position of the Nets.
Today's game, with Aldridge back and Claxton said to be able to play, Drummond is still the starting player, which shows Nash's trust in him. He also did not live up to this trust, showing his presence in the box from the beginning, in addition to the protection of rebounds, there was also a tough defense against Sabonis's low back play, causing opponents to make mistakes.
The reason why the Nets made a perfect 11-2 start, Drummond's role on the defensive end is as important as Curry's role on the offensive end.
Not only that, in the third quarter, the Nets withstood the pressure of the opponent's counterattack and regained control of the situation in their own hands, drummond is also the most important helper on Curry's side.
In those few minutes, Drummond became the expected "God of Chuang". In addition to grabbing 5 rebounds in a single quarter, he also completed 3 dunks, including one blocking and removing shun, one empty spot to eat cake, and one fast attack counterattack.
Zhuang Shen's most exciting personal performance of this game also occurred in this period - 4 minutes and 27 seconds before the end of the third quarter, Meitu blocked shun, received a pass from Barnes in the penalty area, and Zhuang Shen could only let go of his defensive object to make up for the defense. Meitu immediately passed the ball to Holmes behind Zhuang Shen, who received the ball and buckled it, unexpectedly, Zhuang Shen quickly turned around, and the back came first, and a big hat flew the ball!
Throughout the game, Drummond played a total of 24 minutes and 7 seconds, shooting 4-of-7, 3-of-4 free throws, contributing 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. When he was on the floor, the Nets beat their opponents by 23 points!
Is spring for the Nets coming?
As a championship-oriented team, beating the third-to-last-to-last Kings of the West at home with 22 wins and 36 losses doesn't seem like much to brag about. But if you consider the recent situation of the two teams, this victory is not so simple.
It's true that the Kings have been underperforming this season and have been hanging out in the lotto zone for a long time. However, the deal before the deadline has given this team a significant upgrade in strength. While the loss of Halliburton is a lament for many, it is more about the huge potential he has in him. In terms of immediate combat power, the exchange of a redundant backcourt player for an All-Star center like Sabonis who can play the axis of the attack undoubtedly boosts the King's immediate competitiveness.
After the trade, the Kings won two consecutive reversals, beating the Timberwolves and Wizards, and the momentum was in full swing.
The Nets, on the other hand, not only have just experienced 11 consecutive losses, but Durant continues to be injured, Simmons is still recovering, and Irving is unable to play because of the home game. However, in such a difficult situation, they still relied on the excellent performance of a group of role players to beat the Kings with obvious upward momentum.
In today's game, the Nets almost everyone has contributed, in addition to curry and Zhuang Shen, who made a perfect debut, Bruce Brown contributed 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks in 8 of 12 shooting, and Ade came off the bench to efficiently cut 19 points and 8 rebounds, all of which can compete for the best player of the game. More critically, the positive attitude shown by the whole team is exactly the same as before the trade.
In fact, in the last game against the Heat, the Nets' spiritual temperament has been significantly different, only because the strength gap is too large, it has not been able to end the losing streak. Today, two new signings appeared, and the opponent became a relatively weak king, and winning became reasonable.
And, that's just the Nets without the Big Three. Durant has begun to resume personal training, Simmons may come back at any time, although the Nets are still facing the heavy responsibility of running in less than two months of the regular season, but their imagination space is already very tempting.
Curry and Chuang Shen are not perfect players, but they are not the protagonists of the deal after all, but only the "head" of Simmons' side, the role players of the Nets. However, role players are also very important, and role players can play a key role when used well.
The Nets were indeed forced to send Harden away, and replacing Harden with Simmons, Curry, Drummond, on paper, it is difficult to say that it is a lineup upgrade. However, considering the mental change brought about by this deal and the balance of formation configuration, perhaps the Spring of the Nets is really coming.