The Brooklyn Nets’ win over the Chicago Bulls mere hours after trading Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant away could easily be seen as a fluke. But the Brooklyn Nets’ have the people talking a lot more right now.
Going up against the 35-19 Philadelphia 76ers today, many thought the Nets might get crushed under the weight of the Sixers’ starpower. But that wasn’t the case in the first half.
Led by a dazzling debut from Mikal Bridges (acquired from the Suns in the Durant trade) and strong follow-up performances from Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie (both acquired in the Kyrie trade) along with Joe Harris, the Nets bombarded the 76ers with points and took a 60-52 lead into halftime.
Brooklyn’s strong performance with a group of players that none would classify as “superstars” has everyone saying the same thing: That these Nets are a lot more fun and easy to root for than the ones who were just traded:
Mikal + Cam = KD.
The first round picks are gifts…
Enough saaid #NetsWorld
— saaid (@saaidNBA) February 12, 2023
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I like this @BrooklynNets team better then the one with 3 superstars #Netsworld #NBA
— Bledi (@BljediBardic) February 12, 2023
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This new look Brooklyn Nets is actually looking solid. It’s not dominated by big names, but talented hard-working ballers. Go @BrooklynNets. #NetsWorld #NBA
— Mwendaz (@BareTendai) February 12, 2023
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Whether or not the Nets find a way to win this game or make the playoffs, it’s becoming pretty clear that the Nets didn’t intentionally tank the season with the trade decisions they made.
While the Nets are now long shots to make the NBA Finals, let alone with a title, a foundation for something that could be great is starting to come together.
Will the Nets continue to win with their new lineup?