Cavs Smooth Sailing to NBA Finals? Rating East Contenders

Feb 9, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward

(7) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Milwaukee won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets currently sit in the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. They are one game ahead of the Charlotte Hornets, a game and a half above both the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers and two games ahead of the Boston Celtics. The Hornets will get Kemba Walker back at some point and the Pacers could see the return of Paul George while the Pistons just added Reggie Jackson and the Celtics really want to tank. None of those teams concern us.

But what about the Nets?

Best Player: Joe Johnson – The 33 year old Johnson is no longer the dynamic two way player that he once was. He isn’t even a highly dynamic offensive threat. Yet for the Nets he is their best player. Deron Williams was supposed to be it but injuries have stolen away his prime. Brook Lopez could also fill the role but injuries and a limited aggressive tendencies have kept that from happening. Instead it is Johnson, averaging 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists that carries the load. Those numbers tell you all you need to know about Johnson’s qualifications as a leading man in the NBA Playoffs.

Biggest Strength: Defense – The Nets are a decent defensive team, ranking 14th overall in the NBA. Much of that has to do with the center position, maned by Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee, and the recently departed Kevin Garnett. With KG back with the Timberwolves, replaced by offensive minded Thaddeus Young, expect that ranking to drop.

Biggest Weakness: Backcourt and High End Talent – The Nets backcourt leaves a lot to be desired at this point. Williams is joined by Jarrett Jack and Darius Morris as former Cavaliers at the point guard position. At shooting guard Alan Anderson, Bojan Bogdanovic and Markel Brown provide very little impact. Beyond that the Nets just lack the high end talent needed to compete with teams like the Cavaliers. Johnson, Williams and KG, along with Paul Pierce before this season, were supposed to be that kind of talent. They did not age well and the Nets are left with very little besides Lopez and Plumlee to build around long term.

Chance of Beating the Cavs in the Playoffs: 1% – Doesn’t feel right to give a team a zero percent chance but the reality is the Cavs would steamroll the Nets. Only injuries to one of the Big Three and a couple bench players could stop this from being a route.

Next: Miami Heat