2020–21 NBA Preview: Part 11
My NBA season preview continues with the number 5 teams in each conference.
East
5. Brooklyn Nets
Summary
Last year, the Nets had a group of scrappy guys who were better than their level of notoriety and outperformed expectations to be a playoff team despite having no real stars for virtually the whole season. So, it stands to reason that if you add to that group two of the best players in the NBA this is going to be a truly great team. ….maybe. But I have a few concerns. First, I’m not sure you will get Caris LeVert or Spencer Dinwiddie playing at their scrappy best as roll players. Second, I’m not actually convinced Kyrie (when you factor in his personality and health) is one of the best players in the NBA. Third, while KD was amazing, he is coming back from an Achilles injury that has a history of taking a lot away from good players. Fourth, while KD and Kyrie are both individually amazing, I don’t think either will actually make the other better. Both play a lot of iso and Kyrie needs the ball in his hands lots. They will trade off making people look bad, but I’m not sure they will feed off each other much.
All of that said, it’s Kevin Durant. You know who he is. He’s Kevin Durant. And that’s going to be enough to make this team very dangerous. In fact, if everything gels and these guys stay healthy or even trade some assets to bring in another big time player (Kevin Love? Blake Griffin?), this team could win the East. They can’t be considered a favorite to do so, but definitely a contender.
Starters
Kyrie Irving
Joe Harris
Kevin Durant
Taurean Prince
DeAndre Jordan
Listen Kyrie has his issues, but he’s also got maybe the best handles in the entire league. And he can score from anywhere and in any way except as a low post threat. He is a nightmare for defenders in isolation and has shown that he can close out games. One of the most dynamic exciting players in the whole league for sure. …but…You ideally want your primary ball handler to elevate the play of his teammates, and I’m not sure there is any evidence that Kyrie does that. He’s not a cancer or anything but he does dribble the air out of the ball at times and while he is a skilled passer, he is always looking for his own offense. He’s also a terrible leader, questionable teammate, immature diva, attention magnet and generally weird guy. On a team with the right level of skill especially when he is not the best player, you can usually live with that, but it matters. He even managed to spark controversy in his first press conference by not showing up, issuing a weird statement and an even stranger explanation. Look that up if you don’t know. This kind of stuff eats at NBA teams. It hurt the Celtics and the Cavs. It will be an issue for the Nets no matter how fun he is to watch.
Joe Harris is quietly one of the best 2 guards in the league. He’s a knockdown shooter, intense defender and even has a bit of a nasty streak. He plays physical on both ends of the court despite not being a particularly great athlete. On paper he looks like about the perfect guy for this team. Spreads the floor. Runs the floor. Great catch and shoot release valve when the superstars are being doubled. Love his game and his fit.
The only question about Durant is whether his injury has cost him a step. After seeing him in the first preseason game, it doesn’t look like it has. And I hope that is the case because he is the best scorer in the NBA and simply unguardable when he’s right. If he set out to do it, there is no doubt he could average 40ppg. He is one of the very few players who makes any team he’s on a virtual lock playoff team and a borderline contender to go to the finals. I’m so glad he’s out of GS where he had to share the ball with all those other shooters and I’m so glad to have him back healthy because he is just such a transcendent player.
Taurean Prince probably doesn’t end up in many finishing lineups unless he so commits to D that he has to be out there to protect KD and Kyrie and get some stops. But he’s a serviceable player to hold down the other forward spot on a team that doesn’t need him to create or score. I’d like him to be a better shooter and ball handler but he’s fine. Jeff Green and some of their younger bigs will also get some run here. They are both undersized 4s but with Jordan and Allen, they are ok for size.
DeAndre Jordan went from an unstoppable force of nature catching lobs from Chris Paul to a forgotten dinosaur in a league that suddenly wanted only shooting bigs seemingly overnight. But I predict he has a bit of a resurgence playing on this team. They need his size, rim protection and rebounding so he’ll get minutes. Both KD and Kyrie can be effective scoring from the midrange out which means a clogged lane due to Jordan’s lack of shooting doesn’t make quite as big a difference. And Kyrie and KD will both attract so much attention, Jordan will never have to create anything. He just has to jump, catch and dunk. He can do that with the best of them.
Bench
This is honestly one of the best benches in the league. A bunch of these guys could end up starting and would be starting for other teams. Dinwiddie, LeVert, Jarrett Allen, Jeff Green, Tyler Johnson, Landry Shamet are all very very good players and seem like excellent roll players, though we don’t really know about LeVert. But since they will be able to feature him coming off the bench, that may not be much of an issue. Plus, Dinwiddie and LeVert are accustomed to playing together which should help. They also have shooting, size and athleticism. And there are more guys who can play I haven’t even mentioned. This looks like it will be a 12 man rotation at least which protects them from Covid and will give them a very good chance of extending the leads their starters will get them.
Offseason
This offseason was about 2 things: Getting its stars healthy and resigning FA Joe Harris. Check and check. It wasn’t glamorous, but it didn’t need to be. I don’t know much about their draft pick Reggie Perry, but he’s a project big that they can afford to bring along slowly. I also love the pick up of Shamet who is an underrated shooter that you can start or bring off the bench.
Key to season
KD and Kyrie meshing and staying healthy. If that happens, this team will be as tough to beat as any other Eastern conference team. If they have any friction or if Kyrie keeps getting in his own way, their ceiling might be second round exit.
Misc
This team probably has the best package to offer Houston for Harden. I’m not sure he’s a perfect fit on this team, but he would instantly make this team the Eastern favorite. So, keep your eye on that.
I bet Steve Nash makes a very good coach and he has a great staff. I’m very optimistic about him.
The Knicks are now officially the old Clippers to the Nets’ Lakers. Amazing.
Easy Money Sniper is one of my favorite player nicknames in the NBA.
Sneaker Note
After a bunch of teams with not much to talk about, the Nets are kinda loaded. Spencer Dinwiddie has his own shoe brand and they aren’t terrible. Better than any of Curry’s shoes for example. I’ve never worn them, but they don’t look bad and I think it’s cool that a non star just went out and started a brand.
Not only are Kyrie and KD basketball legends, they are also two of the biggest players in signature sneakers for Nike. KD has the best overall signature line of any hooper not named Michael. His shoes are consistently great on and off the court. The KD 4 is beloved by sneakerheads. The KD 6s are some of the best sneakers ever. So many cool colorways and a great overall design. The 7s are some of my all time favorite to play in. The 8s are also great to play in and some of the best basketball shoes to wear off the court. The 10 wasn’t my fav, but I appreciate the innovation. The 12s and the latest 13s are both colorway dependent, but also excellent shoes to actually play in. Honestly, if you like sneakers, you need to get some KDs in your lineup.
And Kyrie doesn’t have the deep list, but he also has some great, great shoes. The 2s and the 4s are some of my all time favorites to play in. They have some crazy awesome colorways and collabs. Krispy kreme, Sponge Bob, Doernbecher, Sue Bird. Take a look. If you like your sneakers colorful and wild, he will have something for you. I am not a huge fan of Kyrie, but I’m a pretty big fan of his shoes.
KD and Kyrie may be the best 1–2 shoe combo in the NBA.
West
5. Denver Nuggets
Summary
I can’t stand the Nuggets. There is nothing wrong with them, they are just Blazer rivals and so I’m contractually obligated to hate them. And I do. So there you have it. But they are good. Really good. Jamal Murray officially took the star leap last year in the bubble where he became the perimeter scorer and closer they have needed him to be. With Jokic already looking good in preseason and a good mix of shooters, depth, youth and size, this team probably has reason to be mad at me for putting them too low.
Starters
Jamal Murray
Garry Harris
Will Barton
Paul Milsap
Nikola Jokic
As I said Murray is now the man. He’s not on par with Curry, Dame, Harden and Luka, but he’s next tier down which is still great. He’s good on and off the ball and has become both a clutch and consistent scorer. I’m not sure he’s good enough to take this team to the finals, but he is probably the best player that still is only known by basketball junkies and Denver fans.
Garry Harris shoots, handles and defends. Really good 2 guard. That said, he probably needs to be better for this team to be a contender. As I look over the rotation, this is the one place where I’m kinda meh. Harris is solid, but he’s no McCollum.
Will Barton is a certified Blazer killer. Maybe it’s his history here or just fluke, but he always hurts the Blazers. He’s an athlete that can now shoot enough to be a problem. He’s not a star but can play with the ball in his hands and affect the game without it. He’s a good fit for this team even without being a star.
Paul Milsap is still good. Old, not the defender he once was, but good. His shooting combined with his rebounding (more “3 and reb” than “3 and D”), makes him a major nightmare mismatch and great fit. He clears driving lanes but also brings a physical presence. He’s on the downside of his career but thanks to the emergence of Michael Porter Jr. (who may be too good not to start before the season is over) Milsap doesn’t have to play big minutes and can be saved for important matchups.
Jokic is the dude on this team. Best passing big since Sabonis. Killer 3 point shooter. Incredible low post footwork and collection of old man moves. Not a great defender on the perimeter but holds his own in the post. But the real thing here is is basketball IQ and ability to completely control the game from the high post as the offense runs through him. HIs outlet passes are beautiful sight to behold and his playmaking generally is up with anyone in the league.
He makes everyone on this team better and is the real reason this team could be back in the Western conference finals this year.
Bench
Denver lost Plumlee and Grant which will hurt, but this bench is very talented and even appears to have Denver set up for the future. I’m really hoping Bol Bol gets some run because I love the former Duck and think he could be really good. RJ Hampton was thought to be a top 5 pick before going overseas and leaving some question marks which allowed him to slide to Denver. He could be very very good. JaMychal Green is getting a lot of love and he can help, but I think he’s a step down from Grant. Campozo (the best player in Europe) comes over to play some back up PG and run the second unit. They do lack size off the bench unless Bol Bol develops.
But all of this is just window dressing for Michael Porter Jr. Once a good bet to be first player in his class to be drafted, MPJ appears fully recovered from the back injury that allowed him to slip down to Denver. He reminds me a lot of Jason Tatum. Like Tatum was earlier in his career, Porter is a bit too in love with the 3 ball. Once he realizes that no one can guard him in the mid post he will be an impossible matchup. He ought to study guys like Dirk and Peirce because he could honestly be a more athletic version of those guys. That’s far from a lock as he would have a lot of development to go through to get to that level, but his ceiling is incredibly high. It is conceivable that by the end of the year he could be their clear 3rd option on his way to being their first in a couple years. Watch out for this guy.
Offseason
Losing Grant hurts but they were smart to let someone else overpay him. RJ Hampton could be an absolute steal of a draft pick. People love Campazzo but I wonder if he can guard anyone in the NBA. It was a question whether they could resign Milsap and they did that which was quite important. People see this team and its lack of bankable stars and expect them to try to convert some roll players or up and comers into another true star through trade. Not yet. But they didn’t need to have that kind of offseason. They just need to keep their guys healthy and improve.
Key to season
Porter Jr. taking a big leap. If he gets 30mpg and fully takes advantage, this team could start looking like a legit contender real fast. If he continues to be a high volume low IQ/efficiency guy, the ceiling for this team drops a couple stories.
Misc
I wonder what might happen if Harden added Denver to his list of possible destinations. Would Denver give up Porter? Porter and Hampton? …and Harris? And picks? Would a Jokic, Harden, Murray combo vault them to Laker/Clipper territory? Don’t sleep on Denver. It doesn’t seem like their style, but guys like Harden don’t come on the market very often.
Sneaker Note
Ok, let’s keep it moving. Nothing to see here. Not really a lot going on in the sneaker world for these guys. The best thing I can think of is that Murray sometimes where’s Dame’s signature shoe, which I don’t care what people say has to be a psychological advantage for a player to see opponents wearing his shoe.
Top 4 teams in each conference coming soon.
