Brooklyn Nets have changed for the better
One of the most surprising teams of this young season has been the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately for the Nets, their start to the season wasn’t exactly what they had in mind.
A team that has made three straight playoff appearances since their move to Brooklyn has opted to keep its roster relatively intact over the summer. In the month of December, the Nets have shown noticeable changes and have now won four of the last six games.
In light of the recent success of the Nets, I will now delve deeper into the recent success of the Nets.
Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez:
The Nets’ biggest move of the summer was locking up center Brook Lopez and power forward Thaddeus Young on long-term deals. Brook Lopez leads the team in points and has improved his impact on defense, averaging 19.6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks. Thaddeus Young has been averaging 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds, giving the Nets energy and aggression on both sides of the court. While these two players have been consistent threats throughout the season, the two have stepped in the Nets’ recent victories. Earlier this week, Brook Lopez led the Nets with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in their 110-105 win over the Rockets. Thaddeus Young, on the other hand, has posted double-doubles in each of the last four games.
While Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young have certainly played well throughout the season, they have stepped it up as of late. If they can continue to post stellar numbers, the Nets can rise up the rankings in the East.
Bench Players are stepping up:
When the season started, there was little concern whether a starting lineup featuring Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, and Jarrett Jack could compete with other teams. However, losing several key bench players this offseason (Mirza Teletovic, Alan Anderson, Mason Plumlee), there was a concern about whether the Nets’ second unit could compete with other teams. While the Nets bench has not played well for a majority of the season, the Nets are finally getting a much-needed boost from the second unit. On December 10th against the 76ers, Andrea Bargnani went off for a season-high 23 points. In games against the Warriors and Suns, Shane Larkin stuffed the stat sheet contributing 10+ points each night. If the Nets’ second unit is healthy and can rise to the occasion as they have the past few weeks, the Nets have the ability to re-enter the playoff race and continue a progressive improvement of the team.