NBA Power Rankings: The Celtics continue winning despite adversity

24. Brooklyn Nets

The Nets’ early season start was fun and all, but they are coming back to Earth. The defense is still solid, and teams struggle to get good shots against them, but the offense is a problem. That was already a concern when Jeremy Lin went down, but D’Angelo Russell’s injury will only make it worse.

If a positive can come out of this, it’s that players like Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be asked to do more now, and have to take on responsibilities that will be challenging for them. It may get ugly at times, but that’s fine if it pays off for the Nets down the line.