The Whiteboard: The Brooklyn Nets have a playoff opportunity

By Ti Windisch | Aug 16, 2018

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 11: Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson talks to D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets during a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on April 11, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t exactly a great team, but luckily for the Nets their competition near the bottom of the East is pretty mediocre.

The Brooklyn Nets finally have control of their own draft pick for the 2019 NBA Draft. Just in time for Brooklyn to potentially luck itself into a playoff chase.

Let’s be real. The Nets are not a great team. Brooklyn’s roster is essentially entirely comprised of players you’d like your team to take a flier on, but not give too many minutes to. After their franchise-ruining trade with the Boston Celtics, those guys were just about the best the Nets could do.

If a few of Brooklyn’s young players develop, though, these Nets could find themselves not too far from a postseason berth. It’s always helpful to group teams in a conference in tiers. The first two tiers in the East, contenders and playoff locks, are made up of Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, Indiana, Milwaukee, and Washington. Detroit is really close to that too.

That’s seven teams. The remaining teams in the East, besides Brooklyn, are Charlotte, Cleveland, Miami, New York, Chicago, Orlando, and Atlanta. To make the playoffs, all the Nets have to do is be better than those teams.

They still would need some breaks to get in, unless a complete revelation occurs in Brooklyn. But, let’s say the Heat struggle, the Cavaliers trade Kevin Love, and Kemba Walker either has some nagging injury, takes a step back, or gets traded. All of a sudden, the Nets have a real shot at that eighth seed.

Whether that’d actually be good for Brooklyn is another question entirely. It would be strangely sad to see a Nets team get a non-lottery pick just so they could get mollywhopped by the Celtics in the first round. For how bleak it’s been in Brooklyn, maybe it’d be worth it.

#Content you can’t miss

Khash money; Adam McGee wonders if Khris Middleton can continue to improve as a playmaker

A different perspective; Tom Ziller thinks NBA coaches deserve less attention, credit, and blame for their teams’ fortunes

Kobe vs LeBron forever; The folks at Fastbreak Breakfast wonder if Kobe really wants LeBron to win in LA

Time to Ball out; Mohit Joshi says this season will be a good one for Lonzo Ball

Looking ahead; ESPN’s summer forecast team looks ahead to the 2019 free agency period

Home/NBA