What a crazy 2021- 22 season the Brooklyn Nets are having so far! Trades, injuries, and COVID restrictions have all affected the team in some sort of way. The Nets are in the homestretch of their season and are looking to climb up the standings in the Eastern Conference. Let’s look back, shall we?
The Start of the Season
The Nets are looking to bounce back this season after suffering a heartbreaking series loss to the eventual NBA champions, Milwaukee Bucks, in the second round of the NBA playoffs. With Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden on the team, the Brooklyn Nets were one of the favorites to win the NBA title for the 2021-22 season. However, Nets fans and the national media all found out that Kyrie Irving did not take his coronavirus vaccine and as a result, was not allowed to play in home games due his vaccination status. The Nets started their season without Kyrie playing in any of their games. It was not until December 17 that the Nets announced that he would re-join the team as a part -time player. Irving made his first on court appearance of the season on January 5 against the Indiana Pacers. As of March 24, Irving is now allowed to play in home games. Finally!
The Nets started their 2021-22 season off with a great start. They were in first place in the Eastern conference on New Year’s Eve with a record of 23-10. However, there were a few bumps in the road, like a few players being placed on the Covid-19 health and safety protocols list and Joe Harris being listed as out for the rest of the season after having ankle surgery. Harris is a key player of the team, and his contributions will be missed. I can’t wait to see him out on the court again next season!
Disaster Strikes
On January 15, Nets superstar Kevin Durant sprained his MCL in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Durant would go on to miss over six weeks as he recovered from this injury. At the time of his injury, the Nets were 27-15 and only second in the Eastern Conference. The Nets would go on to have a 5-16 record without Durant on the team. During this period the Nets would go on an 11-game losing streak. Essentially, they would go from being a top two seed in the Eastern Conference to being the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. As a fan, the games were brutal to watch during the losing streak.
Trade Drama
On February 10, the Nets traded James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first round picks. This trade affected both teams in so many ways. The 76ers are getting one best scorers in basketball with James Harden and the Nets are adding another shooter to the team with Seth Curry and another center with Andre Drummond. Ever since the trade went down, I feel like Curry and Drummond fit well with the Nets. They’ve made massive contributions to the team so far. Right now, Ben Simmons is working hard to get back onto the court again as he is recovering from a back injury. I can’t wait to see him on the basketball court. As of right now, I would say that we should wait at least another year to say who won this Sixer-Nets trade. The Nets also picked up another shooter in Goran Dragic during the middle of the season.
Final Thoughts
It’s crunch time for the Nets right now as they head into the last couple of games remaining on their schedule. When will we see Ben Simmons play on the court again? What position will the Nets finish the season in? I can’t wait to see how this all plays out!
Photo from Nets Daily