It’s defense. Fans love offense, but defense wins championships.
The Brooklyn Nets have the greatest collection of offensive talent in NBA history. There’s Kevin Durant, who’s arguably the greatest scorer ever to play; James Harden, the most unique and unorthodox offensive player we’ve ever seen; and Kyrie Irving, who handles the ball on a string and can effortlessly give out 30 with his seamless and smooth 3-level effectiveness.
The ‘Big Three’ (photo, InsideHook)
But here’s something else to consider–defense. Granted, KD has been pretty good at that end for most of his career, and he had a chance to shine when he played for Golden State. But as for the other two? Well, there are concerns.
Harden has never been known for his defensive prowess–although I will say that he showed improvement during last year’s ‘bubble playoffs’ and earlier in the season, too. Still, that performance wasn’t enough to call him a two-way threat. In Kyrie’s case, it’s not effort that’s the issue; it’s talent. Yes, he can surprise here and there and make clutch defensive plays, but he gives up his fair share of points.
And when you couple the defensive shortcomings with the team’s first-year coach Steve Nash, who was never a stellar defender even though he was a two-time MVP, there’s not much hope for improvements on the stop side of the game.
But I know many of you will say: How is anybody gonna contend with all that offense? You should also be asking, “Who are they gonna stop? And here’s why that’s an important question.
The Nets are more than likely to get a 1- or 2-seed in the East. Things get tighter in the playoffs, and fewer calls are made. It’s a new ball game. And with the lack of defensive prowess on the Nets’ roster, I think it’s gonna be challenging for Brooklyn to stop Philadelphia or perhaps even Milwaukee.
In Philly, Joel is the most dominant big in the league, and his guys give him the spacing he needs to do his work. Besides, the 76ers are one of the league’s top defensive teams. I don’t see a way for Brooklyn to stop Philly four times in a 7-game series. In contrast, I can see Philly slowing down the Nets’ offense. If I’m wrong, then it will likely be that the Nets’ collection of offensive talent overcomes below-average defense. But my prediction has history on its side.
In the last two decades, the 2017 Warriors were the only team to win a championship with a poor defensive ranking (#11). The Nets currently rank 26th in defense. Ouch!
Yes, defense is devalued by fans these days, but it’s an important factor when it comes down to winning championships. So–at least the way I see it–it’s only a matter of time before the Nets’ flaw is exposed. And I think it will cost them in terms of what they want most–an NBA championship.
What Brooklyn has instead is an overhyped collection of superstars–perhaps the most overhyped the league has seen.
