Fansided

NBA Powerless Rankings: What to do what to do what to do

By Matt Rutkowski

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JANUARY 23: The Oklahoma City Thunder stand for the National Anthem before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JANUARY 23: The Oklahoma City Thunder stand for the National Anthem before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JANUARY 23: The Oklahoma City Thunder stand for the National Anthem before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JANUARY 23: The Oklahoma City Thunder stand for the National Anthem before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on January 23, 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. The Brooklyn Nets

Well well well well well well well well well.

The Brooklyn Nets are not the worst team in the league. Far from it, actually. Despite injuries to both D’Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin as well as acquiring Jahlil Okafor, there are seven (7) teams with worse records than the Nets at this point in the season.

And they’re fun! Not just, pity fun but actual fun! In the past, there was a small amount of entertainment in “what will those scrappy kids do to lose tonight,” but now there is a glimmer of hope that they might actually beat any given team on a given night. They’ve already beaten Cleveland, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota, and they even pushed the Warriors pretty hard in their one meeting this year. If an opponent takes a night off, the Nets will be there.

Plus Spencer Dinwiddie exists, and exists extremely much.

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I don’t think “what do we do at the trade deadline” was a problem many expected Brooklyn to have this season. It’s not the same problem as the aforementioned teams, but it is an offshoot. Instead of worrying about making the playoffs, they have to worry about draft picks. They have no reason to be bad this year, but have reason to be bad next year when they finally get their pick back.

So do they try and trade for someone who will improve them short term but distinctly not improve them medium term? Is that a possibility? This is the first time in a while Brooklyn has had this problem, and unlike everyone else it’s probably a good problem to have.

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