One team that has been a pleasant surprise this season is the Brooklyn Nets, who are currently the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference at 36-36. Led by Magic Johnson castaway D'Angelo Russell (20.2 points & 6.7 assists), this Nets team is quietly becoming one of the more dangerous teams in the NBA. They have a solid backcourt composed of Joe Harris (13.4 points) and Spencer Dinwiddie (17.5 points & 4.8 assists) in addition to Russell, a sound big man in Jarrett Allen (11.1 points & 8.4 rebounds), a versatile swing man in Caris LeVert (13.8 points), and some solid role players like DeMarre Carroll, Shabazz Napier, and Allen Crabbe.
What's most exciting about this Nets team is their youth. Just about all the guys I listed are either still in their mid-20s or younger. With plenty of time to continue to grow and gel, this Nets team is expected to get even better in the coming seasons.
The feel good story from this Nets team is Russell, who was the #2 overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2015. After having him for just two seasons, the Lakers decided he wasn't a legit franchise player and shipped him off to the Nets hoping to get back better assets. Rather than proving the Lakers right for giving up on him so soon, Russell is making the Lakers look like fools. He's having the best season of his career and was named an NBA All-Star earlier this season. When you consider the pedigree he had coming out of Ohio State (McDonald's All-American, Jerry West Award, and Consensus first-team All-American), it really is surprising that the Lakers wouldn't at least wait until his rookie contract is up before making a decision on him. Fortunately for the Nets, their decision to trade for Russell has paid off as they now have one of the brightest young stars in the league.
While the future looks bright, I don't expect this Nets team to do much in the playoffs this year, likely getting bounced in the first round by either the Raptors or the Bucks. Even if they do, this will still be a productive year for them. All teams have to take their lumps in the playoffs and the sooner they can take them the better.
The bottom line is that things are looking good for this Nets team. They have a star point guard, a talented young core around him, and plenty of years to develop. When talking about what teams to look out for in the coming the seasons, the Nets are definitely worthy of discussion.
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