Dec 20, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) looks on from the bench against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
‘Twas some time before Christmas, and all through the city,
The Nets prepped for the Warriors and Cavs with no pity.
On back-to-back evenings, it seems oh so daunting.
Even if they’re blown out, the fans will be watching.
The holidays are a time for fun, family and food, and the NBA’s idea of fun is scheduling the Brooklyn Nets with a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. Don’t get me wrong. It’ll be fun to watch. Will it be competitive? Hopefully.
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Golden State is as unselfish as they are potent, and almost every team in the league has their hands full guarding a team with so many guys who are entirely willing to make the extra pass; giving up a good shot for a great shot.
Cleveland is a different kind of beast. Kyrie Irving is viewed in a different light after his incredible run in the Finals. LeBron James is, well, LeBron James. There isn’t much to say about him. Kevin Love, however, is the player who needs to be respected more than ever. He’s wholly embraced his role and is playing the best basketball of his career.
Dec 6, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) react after a three point shot by Golden State during the second half at Barclays Center. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 114-98. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Four Golden Dubs
When the Warriors come to Barclays on December 22, the Nets will have their hands full and could potentially get squashed by 25. Golden State has the firepower to score more than 140 on a terrible Nets defense. It would be right in line with the expectations heading into the game, but Brooklyn’s offense also has a chance to light up a rather unstable Warriors’ D. They don’t play bad defense and can lock up when they need to, but it’s so much easier for them to shoot their opponents out of the gym than it is for them to play solid defense for 48 minutes.
Honestly, who can stop Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green when they’re running an unselfish, motion offense?
Aside from Curry, Golden State has all the tools to play effective defense. Because they run such a quick pace, their defensive efficiency is fifth in the league, but they give up nearly 104 points a night (18th). Brooklyn loves to play up-tempo, and this game could turn into a shootout very quickly. It’s similar to when the varsity team in high school scrimmages the JV team and the more inexperienced guys get hot and make the favorites a tad uncomfortable.
Mar 31, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) defends Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Three Cleveland Cavs
Following the game against Golden State, the Nets charter a flight to Cleveland to face the defending champs, who will be well rested after playing the Milwaukee Bucks on December 21. Although the Cavaliers aren’t as explosive as the Warriors, they’re still a contender. And they’re still a much better team than the Nets. Regardless, Brooklyn can compete with them if they play nearly perfect basketball.
That’s a grand “if,” though.
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Reducing turnovers is huge; LeBron James and Kyrie Irving need to be limited in their transition offense. When the King and his Prince can run, Cleveland is at their best. Stopping Kyrie means leaving James open, and stopping James means leaving Irving open. Essentially, it’s a lose-lose.
Typically, teams can get away with letting a superstar get his way and forcing everyone else to beat them. One of the takeaways from the 2016 Finals is that LeBron and Irving have enough to beat a team by themselves. And the Warriors were much tougher to beat than the Nets.
What Brooklyn has going for them is that J.R. Smith is out with a hand injury, removing one the Cavs’ most dynamic and lethal shooters.
It’s highly unlikely the Nets pull off an upset against either team, let alone both. What’s more likely is that they’ll keep it competitive, but, as I alluded to earlier, it’s going to take perfect basketball not to get blown out by two of the NBA’s best teams.
