In the first game after the All-Star holiday, the Nets were slaughtered by the Celtics at home 106-129, and the Nets never led from beginning to end, losing outright. The loss was the Nets' 13th loss in their last 15 games, and in the past month, only the Rockets in the league have had a lower win rate than the Nets.
Losing constantly, it was a sad story, the Nets, who once led the East, are now only eighth in the East, and if this qualifying position is maintained until the end of the regular season, they will have to play the playoffs to make the playoffs.
Before the start of the season, american bookmakers gave the odds for winning the championship, and the top and second places were the Nets and Lakers, and now the two teams are in the playoff area, looking like brothers and sisters.
Fortunately, for the Nets, they only temporarily "look" the same as the Lakers, and there is still a big difference in substance.
Against the Celtics, the Nets' top four players in terms of annual salaries, Durant, Irving, Ben Simmons and Joe Harris, all four of them are paid a total of $125 million this season.
What is the concept of $125 million? Players from 8 teams this season have collectively earned less than $125 million a year.
If you add Dragic, who just joined the Nets and did not play for the Celtics, the Nets' five-man group that missed the game can form a championship starting lineup, which is the Nets' joy and worry.
The worry is that there are a number of very good players on paper, but they can't play for the time being. The good news is that after all, it is only "temporary", and when they usher in the union, it may be the day of take-off.
Nash revealed before the start of the match against the Greenshirts that Durant's knee injury recovery rate is amazingly fast, he has already undergone intensive training, and if all goes well, Adu may return next week, and Dragic is almost in this time frame.
Nash spoke about Irving's situation in previous interviews, and New York Mayor Adams has stated plans to phase out the vaccine injunction in the coming weeks, meaning Irving is expected to attend home games and say goodbye to "part-time" status.
'Kyrie has been very good in both training and video lessons, I can see the focus and the sense of urgency from him, if he can play all the games of the team, it's exciting and hopefully it can be achieved in the short term.' Nash said.
Simmons is currently in the preparation stage, he has not played an official game in the NBA for 8 months, his physical condition needs to be adjusted in place, and more importantly, psychological adjustment, he has been mental health treatment during the days when he fell out with the 76ers.
"It takes some time to get back to life after being out of the game and the team for so long." Nash said.
Now the more troublesome is Joha, who may need to have ankle surgery again, and it is difficult to say whether he can play this season, but the Nets got Seth Curry in Harden's trade, and the shooter side filled the gap.
Even without Joha, the Nets' ideal full body effect shocked the league's powers, and even vaguely had the feeling of "cosmic bravery", Durant was still Durant, Irving and Seth Curry (or Mills) were Brooklyn splash brothers, Simmons was the Nets' "dream-chasing", and Dragic was the second team leader of Iguodala and Livingston.
Simmons can be used as an offensive launch point, teammates around him tactical running, by him to distribute the ball, this is Simmons's strength, he likes to partner with shooters, can either feed the ball to the shooter group, but also use the space brought by the shooter group to break through and create damage.
Exceptional physical talent allows Simmons to play more of a role in the Nets' system, such as the number five position in the small lineup, and when the space is opened, the "West Emperor" has a misplaced crushing force.
Simmons is inferior to Harden in terms of offensive technical comprehensiveness, but in terms of fit with the Nets, Simmons may be better than Harden, and he can make the ball move more smoothly rather than stay in one person's hands for a long time, which is the tactical effect Nash wants to see.
"Simmons has a better view of the field and a smoother handling of the ball," said one executive from the Eastern Conference team, "with him paired with two top scorers, the Nets offense will be a big problem for most teams, more worrying than their previous configuration." ”
Simmons' more valuable tactical value for the Nets is on the defensive end, he has been a member of the defensive team for the previous two seasons, and is truly an indiscriminate defensive gate from the first position to the fifth position. The Nets are 19th in defensive efficiency this season, and 28th in defensive efficiency during the recent wave of 15-13 losses, and they need a top defender to "transfuse" the team, especially Nash also likes to change a lot of defense, the league's strongest players, the West has a dream, the East is Simmons.
Simmons has technical flaws, three points are negligible, and the free throws are sometimes incredibly bad, which makes him a projection black hole at key moments, which is also the direct reason for Simmons's fallout with the 76ers, but the Nets have Durant and Irving, and they need a decisive moment, and it is not Simmons' turn to shoot, he just needs to shoot the free throw when the opponent implements the "cut the West" tactic.
Dragic is an important gain for the Nets in the buyout market, Dragic was Nash's little fan when he played for the Suns, this time rejecting invitations from other teams, choosing Brooklyn to run to Nash.
Dragic is 36 years old, and his competitive status is certainly not comparable to when he was selected as an All-Star, even compared to when he helped the Heat reach the Finals two years ago, but the Nets signed him, not to make him a savior.
Irving is currently not released from the game at home, Simmons is recovering physically and mentally, Joha is recuperating, Dragic can add insurance to the Nets in the backcourt, he can be used as an organizer or as a fixed-point pitcher to integrate into the tactics. Dragic's focus on the Nets is a time of uncertainty for Irving, Simmons and Joha, increasing the depth of the squad and the stability of tactical choices, providing a buffer before the arrival of the fully integrated Nets.
The Nets' paper lineup looks very suitable, if they can play in full fitness, it is undoubtedly a big favorite, but when Harden joined, the Nets lineup also looked beautiful, and there was praise for the early arrival of the season finale, but the result was a chicken feather.
After losing to the Celtics, the Nets only have 22 regular season games left, their rotation lineup changes are not small, 22 games to grind is not so enough, not to mention when Irving can play at home, when Simmons will play is still unknown.
There's a saying that regular-season record isn't important to the Nets, just play the playoffs, but history tells us it won't work. Since the Knicks in 1999, there has not been a case of a team ranked sixth or below in the division reaching the Finals, and you can do it in the regular season if you don't straighten out the offense and adjust the defense in the regular season. This doesn't make logical sense.
Moreover, if the Nets are in eighth place in the East, according to the rules of the playoffs, they have to go to the first round of the playoffs to play seventh, and now the seventh place in the East is the Raptors, Toronto has a vaccine ban, and before it is lifted, Irving can't go.
Another big question mark for the Nets is simmons mentality, the kind of player who lies in his comfort zone and doesn't want to come out, and if someone offends, he will hit back in a very violent way. As Simmons' agent, Rich Paul doesn't support Simmons fighting the 76ers without playing, but Simmons doesn't listen to advice at all, preferring to pay a fine to the end.
Durant is also sensitive, Owen's mind is even more impossible to guess, the two of them and Simmons together, when it goes well, it is better to say, if you encounter adversity, it will be unpredictable.
NBA star Barkley refers to the Nets as the "sleeping giants," arguing that their roster is more balanced and taller than before. The Nets in perfect condition are indeed "giants" who can crush opponents, but they are still "sleeping" at least for now.
When you can wake up, there is no answer yet, the regular season will be over on April 10, leaving little time for the Nets.