The focus of the Brooklyn Nets took a drastic turn over the past few years. They went from title contenders to a bottom lottery team in two seasons. However, many events occurred during this span, which made this one of the most chaotic and unpredictable periods in NBA history.
How The Brooklyn Nets Superteam Fell Apart The Birth of the Superteam On June 30, 2019, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant announced they were joining the Nets. While Durant was sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season, Brooklyn made the playoffs but got swept by the Toronto Raptors in the first round. Despite their season’s disappointing conclusion, optimism was high in the borough.
On January 14, 2021, James Harden was traded to the Nets to create one of the scariest trios the NBA has ever seen. The addition of Harden struck fear in the league. Brooklyn had other key players like Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge , and people were comparing this team to the 1996 Bulls and 2017 Warriors .
The Downfall While the trio seemed nearly unstoppable, injuries limited the big three to only playing 16 total games together. Despite dealing with injuries, the Nets finished the regular season second in the Eastern Conference with a record of 48-24 in 2020-21. They looked unstoppable in the first round of the playoffs, eliminating the Boston Celtics in just five games.
The Nets were led by Durant, who averaged 32.6 points per game in the series. However, the outcome was different when they matched up against the Milw.