The Nets reunite with the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs, a fitting first meeting since 2019, just before the franchise-altering signings of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
They’ve since dealt away both, finding themselves in a similar position to where they were then. Brooklyn has a fun, scrappy roster with legitimate young talent and a good deal of assets, but how does 27 games of that fare against a perennial postseason threat led by the likely league MVP?
These two teams have only matched up once since the big trades, not including Sunday’s playoff preview. Philly trailed for most of the game, but escaped with a close victory, giving us a small sample of how each team will scheme for each other.
The series might come down to the most glaring weakness in the matchup, Brooklyn’s half-court offense. While Mikal Bridges has emerged as a surprise No. 1 option, the rest of the roster is largely filled with complementary pieces who can’t create their own offense.
This has translated into their offensive statistics since the deal ranking in the bottom third of the league. If the Nets want to steal this series, they’ll need a number of things to go right on that end.
First, Bridges and others need to have prolific individual offensive series. The young wing is still unproven as a lead scorer, having only these 27 games to flesh himself out as one.
Bridges can definitely carry the load some nights and just get the Nets opportunities, but banking on him going supernova won’t be enough. Spencer Dinwiddie is the next natural pick to spark Brooklyn’s offense, but he’s struggled shooting since the deal and is less inclined to attack the rim, especially with Joel Embiid lurking.
If the Nets can’t find offensive generation from these two, they’re running short on options. Philly will be able to blow up their movement sets with smart switching, so if it’s not them, Seth Curry or Cam Thomas better step up.
They don’t need superstar performances out of these names, just timely buckets when the pace slows and things bog down. Brooklyn can find easy scoring opportunities elsewhere.
The Nets will have to run hard in transition to convert defense to offense whenever they can. They’re much younger and quicker compared to the prodding James Harden and Embiid, and will need to take advantage.
In semi-transition and in the half court when Philly switches Embiid off his man, the Nets have to attack wisely. Their guards going one-on-one against Embiid won’t generate a good shot, but finding a driver elsewhere with him out of the paint, hitting a big posting a small or getting his man downhill off a quick pass are ways to take advantage.
Bridges probably sees normal coverage until he gains Philly’s respect, especially given their optionality of wing defenders. If he begins popping off from mid-range they’re likely to adjust and turn him into a playmaker, which he’ll have to be.
The Nets can also go to a super small look to play five-out, with Dorian Finney-Smith at the center and Royce O’Neale subbing in for Nic Claxton. That lineup has a high positive point differential in only 55 minutes, but is worth a look if the offense isn’t clicking like it should.
The Sixers will have their adjustments, including going to a zone and making the Nets beat them from outside. Brooklyn has to be ready to hit shots, cut and make the right passes as a team for the whole series.
On the defensive end, the Nets have a good formula for throwing Philly off rhythm. They have a bunch of rangey, high-effort wings to rotate all over the place and apply pressure where needed.
An important factor is their ability to guard the vaunted Harden-Embiid pick-and-roll with their combo of Bridges and Claxton. They did a great job in their lone meeting with Philly and could help subdue a top weapon of the Sixers.
Brooklyn will try to send the heat at Embiid then recover off the pass, but the team’s lack of size will be tested. At times, Embiid just pummeled through a few of their guys for a score.
Bridges looked good on Harden, who will call for wing screeners to get more favorable matchups. Brooklyn can’t play his game and switch Joe Harris onto him lazily.
Perhaps the biggest thing defensively will be if the Nets can finish possessions. They’re not a great rebounding team since the deal, and if they’re giving up easy second-chance opportunities, they’re not giving themselves a chance to win.
PREDICTION
While Brooklyn is effectively a brand new team with lots of interesting parts that don’t cleanly fit together yet, the team seems to match up better than expected against a legitimate contender. Still, the talent gap and dearth of offensive options gives the edge to Philly in six games.
