The bubble has been good to the Brooklyn Nets and interim head coach Jacque Vaughn.
Let’s put it out there right now for everyone, the Nets have become must-watch television again. They’re a team the top teams in the NBA will want to avoid in the upcoming NBA Playoffs.
Wait a minute, the playoffs?
Yes, it’s true the Nets came into the NBA Restart in Orlando as one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. However, if they wound up back home early watching the postseason with the rest of us, it wouldn’t have been shocking.
Brooklyn has added five new players to replace the six they lost for seeding games inside the bubble. That’s massive turnover for a team, already without a large piece of its core, to compete for a playoff spot.
But here they are, two more seeding games left on the schedule, with the seventh spot in the east already locked up. All roads inside the bubble point towards the playoffs.
It’s how the Nets have gone about their business in Orlando, as much as with who, which has opened eyes around the league.
Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, and Jarrett Allen were expected to take on larger roles this summer for Brooklyn. But there’s also been valued contributions from Tyler Johnson, Chris Chiozza, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Garrett Temple and Jamal Crawford’s veteran presence has been a calming influence on and off the court. Great chemistry has become a staple of the Nets in recent years. This is a team that enjoys playing together, it’s obvious in their body language.
That’s a testament to the energy and leadership Jacque Vaughn has brought to the table.
Vaughn has positioned himself in Orlando as the early favorite to become Brooklyn’s permanent head coach. Two of the team’s four wins inside the bubble were impressive showings over the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers. In both games, the Nets dropped 40-plus points on their opponent in the first quarter.
The ball is moving, they’re not settling for bad shots, and the defense has been solid. The players believe in Vaughn and what he’s teaching them.
In Brooklyn’s win over the Clippers, they went into halftime with an 11-point lead. The Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard brought his team back in the third quarter to tie the game. Vaughn called a timeout and Brooklyn regrouped to retake the lead and eventually seal the win.
“He’s done an amazing job, Caris LeVert said. “Everybody trusts Jacque in the organization, everyone trusts his decision-making. He’s made several switches with the lineup, how we’re playing offensively and defensively, he’s been great with adjustments.”
LeVert, averaging 22.6 points per game, is thriving inside the bubble as the team’s leading scorer.
The Nets are positioned for an opening round matchup with the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, the defending champions have also had a strong showing inside the bubble.
“We know they’re a really good team. Obviously, they’re playing good basketball, they move the ball really well, they’re a great defensive team, as well,” LeVert said. “But for us, we feel like it’s about us. If we move the ball well, if we play good defense, if we’re locked into the game plan, we can win that series. We truly believe that. So, we’re gonna go into that playoff matchup all the way locked in.”
They’re locked-in right now and Vaughn has them pointed in the right direction to make some noise in the postseason.
