Offseason report card: How did the Nets’ playoff starting five do
The Nets had a roller coaster season where they played 38 different starting lineups. Injuries and trades were mostly responsible for why a common starting lineup was never consistent. By season’s end, head coach Steve Nash finally found the recipe. Instead of having Blake Griffin come off the bench, he started him at the five for the playoffs. This put Kevin Durant and Joe Harris at the forward positions with James Harden and Kyrie Irving in the backcourt.
Although this starting lineup went 5-1 in the playoffs, we were unable to see it’s potential due to injuries, particularly from Harden and Irving. With that being said, here is a season report card on how these five performed during the season.
Kevin Durant: A+
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Coming off an achilles injury was all the motivation Kevin Durant needed. Durant overachieved this season for a player coming off such a devastating injury. He averaged 26.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 5.6 APG on a career-high 45% shooting from three and a career-high 54% shooting from the field overall during the regular season. In the playoffs, he was a different beast. KD averaged 34.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 4.4 APG on 51% shooting from the field. As the Nets leading scorer in the postseason, the Nets forward was an inch away from hitting a shot to send the Milwaukee Bucks home. It was certainly the comeback no one else but Durant expected.
Kyrie Irving: A+
Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving certainly had one of his best seasons this year. His efficiency was off the charts. Uncle Drew averaged 26.9 PPG, 6 APG, and 4.8 RPG on a career-high 51% shooting from the field. The Nets guard also recorded shooting splits of 50-40-90 for the first time in his career, becoming only the ninth player in NBA history to reach such heights. While averaging 22.7 PPG in the playoffs, his postseason was cut short due a severe ankle injury that plagued him in Game 4 of the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks. It was a monumental season for Irving regardless and it was only missing a championship at the end of it.
James Harden: A-
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
James Harden came to Brooklyn in early January, igniting a big three of three of the most prolific scorers this game has ever seen. The Beard made it clear that he was only focused on winning upon his arrival and in doing so he identified the needs of the team immediately. The team needed a primary playmaker and the Nets guard took full responsibility of the job. Harden's scoring numbers suffered as a result, but his sacrifice is the reason why the Nets offense flourished. His averages during the regular season flirted with a triple-double on his way to 24.6 PPG, 10.9 APG and 8.5 RPG. No other player on the roster was capable of facilitating the offense the way Harden did. He just made the game easier for the rest of the team. With averages of 20.2 PPG and 8.6 APG in the playoffs, this didn't reflect the player we saw in the regular season. That was because of the hamstring injury the beard suffered in Game 1 of the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks. This limited Harden in Games 5-7 of that series and his numbers dropped because of it. However, he still somehow found a way to impact the game with his gifted passing ability. There was literally nothing more the Beard could have done to try and will this team to victory all season long.
Joe Harris: B
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Joe Harris capped off his best regular season to date this year. The sharpshooter averaged 14.1 PPG on a career-high of 48% shooting from three and 51% shooting from the field. His durability was also unmatched, playing in 69 of the 72 games of the regular season. Unfortunately for Harris, his playoff performance against the Milwaukee Bucks did not reflect the player he had been playing like all year. In the series with Boston Celtics in the first round, he found a way to adjust. His numbers were 13.4 PPG on 52% shooting accuracy from three and 47% shooting from the field. Milwaukee's length defensively gave Harris problems as his numbers dropped the following series to 9.6 PPG on 33% shooting from three and 35% shooting overall. At this point, Kyrie Irving and James Harden's health became essential for Harris to find his rhythm. With them gone, he obviously couldn't find the same looks as before. He also didn't seem comfortable when those two weren't on the floor healthy because it put more pressure on him to knock down timely shots.
Blake Griffin: B+
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
After leaving the Detroit Pistons in March, Blake Griffin still was not 100%. A knee injury that forced him to play only 19 games in the 2019-20 season kept Griffin cautious about his health all year long. It also forced him to do some extra conditioning to get back into shape. When he arrived in Brooklyn, he was feeling better health-wise. If the return of his vintage dunks weren't enough to show that, then certainly his energy would. Griffin pointed out that he missed playing meaningful basketball again during the playoffs because on the Pistons, it put a pause on that for him. He was used to playing meaningful basketball all year long on the Los Angeles Clippers. The veteran went on to average 10 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.4 APG during the regular season. In the playoffs he went for 9 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.8 APG. It was a mediocre season for Griffin, who can potentially make it to the hall of fame one day. Don't let the stats fool you, his hustle and overall energy was contagious and it rubbed off on the rest of team. However, he is capable of much more.
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