The Brooklyn Nets are going to be one of the most scrutinized teams in the NBA this season.
They have the star power to win the NBA Finals, but there always seems to be something holding them back.
Brooklyn is one team that everyone will have their eyes on this season.
After getting swept in the first round of the playoffs last year, this is a huge year for the Nets to show they are legit.
Here are three reasons to watch the Nets this season.
The Play Of Ben Simmons
All eyes will be on the return of Ben Simmons this season.
Making his Nets debut this season, the former first-overall pick has struggled.
He is averaging 5.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.
After 5 games, Ben Simmons total scoring stats look like a statline from a game:
28 PTS
12-27 FG
0-1 3P
4-10 FT pic.twitter.com/PWRF8rxhVs— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 28, 2022
Simmons has once again shown no ability to shoot the basketball.
While he can still be an impactful defender, Simmons looks useless on offense.
After averaging 15.9 points per game in Philadelphia, it will be interesting to see if he can do that again in Brooklyn.
Durant And Irving Drama
The Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving before the 19-20 season.
Both players have yet to play a full season in Brooklyn.
There just always seems to be something shadowing these two players.
Durant requested a trade before the season, and Irving missed almost every home game last season due to vaccine mandates.
If these two players can stay healthy and focus on winning games, they can be very good.
If not, this season could be a disaster.
Championship Contenders?
Will this be the year the Nets make a serious run at the title?
Durant and Irving are healthy entering the season, but they do not have much else beyond them.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are only the second pair of teammates to each record 100-plus points over the same three-game span in which their team lost every game, per @EliasSports.
The other pair was Kiki Vandeweghe and Alex English in 1983 for the Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/SykyOXVnyU
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 28, 2022
The depth of the Nets roster is not strong and they could be in some trouble over a long 82-game season.
Also, the Nets starting the year 1-5 is not a recipe for success.
The noise and drama around this team will only get louder the more they struggle.
Brooklyn is one of the polarizing teams in the NBA and everyone will take notice.
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