It feels as if the Nets have taken every hurdle thrown at them this season and cleared it with a coolness befitting of a championship team.
The championship remains the goal for this squad. No matter how much we doubt them.
They hear the talk about their roster looking more like a revolving door than anything else. Heading into last Friday’s win over the Boston Celtics, the Nets had a franchise-record 32 different starting lineups this season.
They hear the talk about the team across the Manhattan Bridge. Lately, it’s been the Knicks winning ballgames, opening eyes, and stealing away the back page headlines. A nine-game winning streak has awakened the sleeping beast within their fan base.
That’s right, the streets are talking and the Nets can hear the noise.
Even from the top of the hill as the leaders in the East. They can hear the noise and, with the playoffs quickly approaching, can see the storm approaching.
As the world turns, the closer we get to the NBA Playoffs. Every contending team is dealing with injuries and load management. The Nets, however, have been in their own lane this season with what they’ve had to overcome.
Brooklyn’s roster changes, injuries, and numerous changes to the starting lineup have been well-documented. Despite it all, the Nets currently have the top seed in the East with a 41-20 record.
And they’ve done it all with a united front.
Securing that top seed in the East could prove to be crucial. Brooklyn’s latest win, Sunday’s convincing 128-119 victory over the Phoenix Suns, improved their home record to 25-7.
Kevin Durant returned to the court and dropped 33 points in 28 minutes, from the off the bench. Kyrie Irving contributed 34 points and Blake Griffin added 15 points.
Just as easy as Durant reminded all of us why he’s Kevin Durant, the Nets reminded us why they’re now 20-6 this season against West teams. The Suns are the No. 2 team in the West, therefore, this was a statement win for Brooklyn.
“Just give credit to just figuring things out on the fly with this team,” said Kyrie Irving after Brooklyn’s win over the Celtics. “Just being very mature in our approach to the game and living with the results.”
This hasn’t been the smooth walk in the park for the Nets some thought it would be.
Durant, Irving, and James Harden have still only played in seven games together. With Harden’s hamstring still on the mend, it’s likely the Big Three won’t reunite until the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Nets remain the toughest plug-and-play team in the NBA. They’ve been all about the next man up mantra, even if it’s not what they envisioned.
“Like I said, we have talent, but we’ve just been able to remain flexible throughout some of the circumstances that we’ve been faced with,,” Irving continued. “With that in addition to just going out there and really trusting each other, just getting this new group together and trusting what we have going on here. There’s a lot of outside noise in terms of the way we put this team together. It’s inevitable that we all hear it, but what matters is how we handle our relationships within the locker room and then go out and put on a good performances.”
The outside noise will only grow louder from here on. When the playoffs start, we’ll tune in to see if the Nets are truly ready.
Image: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant – Getty Images
