The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and with 8 group showdowns having already played game 4, the league landscape has changed again.
Brooklyn was swept away
The Nets lost 112-116 to the Celtics in the G4 game and were eliminated. Brooklyn struggled to win in the playoffs, becoming the only team in the playoffs so far that they failed to win and eventually passed out.
The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round
The 76ers have lost 2 straight
The 76ers suffered a slap in the face of the Raptors at home, and after a large number of turnovers and poor offense, Philadelphia lost 88-103. The 76ers, who swallowed two straight losses, led 3-2 on the big score. However, the G6 Raptors will be more difficult to beat when they return home. Whether the 76ers can advance to the second round is up for the record.
The Raptors beat the 76ers and trailed 2-3
Brooklyn was swept away, 76ers 2 consecutive defeats! Harden leaves Durant, nets, Philadelphia lose twice!
Harden is gone, and the Nets are the losers
In the second half of the regular season, Brooklyn qualified for the playoffs after a wave of four consecutive wins before rising from 10th to 7th in the East. Although they eventually advanced to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, the Nets' goal was still to win the championship. After all, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are the top scorers in the league.
Kyrie Owen and Durant
However, facing the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, the Nets still exposed too many shortcomings. With a lack of offensive and defensive capabilities on the inside and a lack of height on the outside, Nash can only choose to let Durant and Irving play almost the whole game to maximize the team's upper limit on the offensive end. However, in the face of high-pressure defense, Durant and Irving are greatly consumed.
The Nets, apart from Irving and Durant, will never find a third player to dominate the ball and score consistently. It seems that James Harden's application to be traded to the 76ers is a big loss for the Nets.
Durant and Irving were targeted in the first round
In the first round of the playoffs last season, the Nets led by James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving beat the Celtics by a big score of 4-1. This season, the Green Army and the Nets played again, directly sweeping Brooklyn 4-0.
Durant, Harden and Irving in the Nets
Harden's departure from the team can be described as a major blow to the Nets. On the one hand, many of the players who were traded were under the team system and embarrassed. Although Cescuri can output on the offensive end, his lack of height has become a defensive loophole on the field. Ben Simmons missed the entire season, and the Nets failed to upgrade their defensive end and backcourt strength. Drummond, though occasionally stunning in the regular season, couldn't adapt to the high-intensity pace of play on the playoff stage.
Nets Ben Simmons
Harden's departure has greatly damaged the Nets' strength on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. Durant and Irving have to take care of scoring, tandem teams and defense while facing the Celtics' multiplayer package, which makes it more difficult for the two to lead the team. Durant and Irving both ushered in the first season of their careers to be swept. The Nets, which aim to win the championship, have clearly become the losers this season.
76ers James Harden and Nets Kevin Durant
Get Harden, the 76ers become losers
Although the 76ers got James Harden, their performance in the playoffs was not as good as expected. With a 3-0 lead, the 76ers swallowed up a two-game losing streak. Sending Harden away, the 76ers lost Embiid's backup Drummond, making the inner rotation more stretched, which indirectly led to Embiid's injury. Losing outside shooter Cescuri, Philadelphia's three-point ability fluctuated dramatically. Harden's big deal has led to a decline in the strength of the 76ers' internal and external lines to varying degrees.
James Harden encountered the focus of his opponents in the series against the Raptors. Harden became the most important scoring output on Philadelphia's outside line, but Harden was once again pulling his crotch on the playoff stage. The lack of offensive aggressiveness, insufficient number of shots, low shooting rate, and excessive mistakes have once again appeared in James Harden.
James Harden in the game
Once Harden encounters a tight defense in the playoffs, his shortcomings will be exposed. When Durant and Irving play around the two top outside scorers, because the two can attract a large number of defensive resources from opponents, Harden can play well in Brooklyn.
Harden, as the absolute core of the outside line, has been unable to lead the team to win the series, which has been proven in past seasons. Today's 76ers, although they have Embiid and Harden, are in a critical situation.
Embiid was wrapped up
Embiid's right finger ligament was torn, desperately needing Harden to be able to step up on the offensive end. Harden's role as the top scorer on the outside line has not performed well in the playoffs. The 76ers, who want to win the championship, have to face Embiid's injury and hope that Harden, who has weak playoff habits, is in a dilemma.
Philadelphia, which is determined to win the championship, suffered a huge setback in the first round, which obviously did not meet their expectations for a trade with Harden. Coupled with coach Dow Clifford's lack of ability to change and adapt, this makes the 76ers' playoff prospects even more worrying. In this way, the 76ers' road to victory will also be full of hardships.
Harden hits the basket
If they fail to win the championship, the 76ers will also be a failure this season. That means the 76ers will also be a big loser.
Nets, 76ers lose twice
It seems that James Harden left the Nets, left Durant, and chose to join the 76ers, which is a lose-lose situation for Brooklyn and Philadelphia.