A Look Back At The 2021 Brooklyn Nets

July 17^th, 2021

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving finally healthy to start the year, the 2021 Brooklyn Nets appeared to be the amongst the favorites to win the title this season. When they swung a big trade to land superstar guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets, it seemed clear as if the title would be the Nets’ to lose, assuming if they were to stay healthy in the playoffs.

Unfortunately, injuries dogged the Nets all year long, and it was rare when their three best players would be able to play together. James Harden got hurt early in his team’s second round series against the Brooklyn Nets, and Kyrie Irving later ended up getting injured midway through.

Injuries depleted Brooklyn’s depth, but superstar forward, Kevin Durant was able to help lead his team to 7 games before they ultimately lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round this year. The Nets just ran out of gas as they were depleted due to injuries, and they lost in a hard-fought, overtime battle in Game 7 to the Bucks.

Kevin Durant turned in a tremendous season this year, even though his team fell just short in the playoffs, as they lost their series to Giannis‘ Milwaukee Bucks. Durant turned in multiple 40-point games in the second round series against Milwaukee, and Durant had a 49-point, triple-double in a memorable Game 5 win that was a performance for the ages.
(Photo: Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)

F Kevin Durant
2021 (BRK): 35 GP, 26.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.3 BPG, 54 FG%, 45 3PT%, 88 FT%, 26.4 PER, 67 TS%, 5 WS, .206 WS48

Durant played really well when he was on the floor, but for most of the regular season, he was hampered by injuries. He dominated when he played on the court, as he did a superb job of shooting and scoring the basketball to rack up points at will, and he also excelled as an all-around player for his team. He scored 48 points in Game 7 against the Bucks, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to help his team win or advance to the next round.

2021 Season Grade: A
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Starting forward on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 4.5 stars

Brooklyn Nets’ superstar guard, James Harden played very well when he was healthy, but he struggled with injuries this year, and he did not appear to be at full strength in the second round of the playoffs.
(Photo: Adam Hunger/Associated Press, via The New York Times)

G James Harden
2021 (HOU/BRK): 44 GP, 24.7 PPG, 10.8 APG, 7.9 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 47 FG%, 36 3PT%, 86 FT%, 24.5 PER, 62 TS%, 7 WS, .208 WS48

Harden was a big acquisition that the Nets landed in a trade, and when he was healthy, he had a huge impact for his team this year. He was very efficient as a scorer, he did a terrific job of distributing the basketball, and he was a consistent triple-double threat on the floor. He consistently made solid team plays, and his unselfishness and strong play seemed to turn his strongest critics into believers, as it seemed to convince people that the Nets were going to win the championship this year (but they didn’t).

Unfortunately, injuries were a big issue for Brooklyn all year long, and Harden had trouble staying healthy all year. He was healthy to start the playoffs, but he ended up injuring his hamstring in Game 1 of the second round, but he also had injured that in the regular season. Harden had attempted to play midway through and he was able to, but he seemed to be a shell of his former self, as he looked sluggish, he struggled to make shots, and he was even worse defensively than usual.

The Nets will need a healthy James Harden for next season, but injuries could put him at risk for a considerable or steep decline if he continues to have trouble staying healthy in the future.

2021 Season Grade: B+
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Starting shooting guard on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 4 stars

Kyrie Irving played very well when he was healthy, but he ended up getting hurt midway through the second round of the playoffs that caused him to miss the rest of that series.
(Photo: Corey Sipkin/Associated Press, via MassLive)

G Kyrie Irving
2021 (BRK): 54 GP, 26.9 PPG, 6 APG, 4.8 RPG, 51 FG%, 40 3PT%, 92 FT%, 24.4 PER, 61 TS%, 7.4 WS, .189 WS48

Irving had a terrific season when he was healthy, and he did a tremendous job as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator for his team. He was very valuable to his team this year, and his team sorely missed him when he ended up getting hurt in midway in his team’s second round series and had to miss the rest of the playoffs.

2021 Season Grade: A-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Starting point guard on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 4 stars

Brooklyn Nets’ sharpshooter, Joe Harris has been a vital role player for his team. He generally played well this season, but he struggled against Milwaukee in their second round series loss to them.
(Photo: Steven Ryan/Getty Images, via Forbes)

G-F Joe Harris
2021 (BRK): 69 GP, 14.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 50 FG%, 48 3PT%, 78 FT%, 14.1 PER, 66 TS%, 5.2 WS, .117 WS48

He shot the ball really well during the regular season, and he especially excelled as a sharpshooter in the first round in his team’s series win over the Boston Celtics. However, Harris really struggled to make shots in his team’s second round series loss to Milwaukee, and he seemed to be too tentative on offense at times.

2021 Season Grade: B-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars

Brooklyn Nets’ swingman, Bruce Brown played well in his role this year. Aside from a few hiccups in the playoffs, he excelled as an inside scorer, facilitator, and defender for his team this past season.
(Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images, via Fansided’s Nothin’ But Nets)

G-F Bruce Brown
2021 (BRK): 65 GP, 8.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 56 FG%, 29 3PT%, 74 FT%, 16.1 PER, 60 TS%, 4.4 WS, .144 WS48

Brown had a very good season overall, despite having a few hiccups in the playoffs. He started the year struggling to earn minutes, and at the end of the year, he was a regular rotation player that was depended on for his ability to score on short rolls as well as to defend a variety of positions.

He excelled as a role player, and he was a glue guy for Brooklyn this year. He made shots in the paint during the regular season, he was effective as a facilitator and ball mover, and he looked to be a solid defender on the court this year, as he was relied upon for his perimeter defense and for his ability to force turnovers. He didn’t shoot the three ball nearly as well, and he was a bit streaky as a scorer, but Brown generally had a solid season as a glue guy for his team this year.

2021 Season Grade: B+
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars

Brown will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

G Spencer Dinwiddie
2021 (BRK): 3 GP, 6.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3 APG, 38 FG%, 29 3PT%, 100 FT%, 10.1 PER, 54 TS%, 0.1 WS, .045 WS48

He only played a mere 3 games before getting hurt for the rest of the season, and he was unable to play in the playoffs this year.

2021 Season Grade: I (I for Incomplete)
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars

Has a player option that he can exercise for next season.

Blake Griffin played much better for Brooklyn this past year after having floundered with the Detroit Pistons for the past 1 1/2 seasons with them. While the Nets didn’t quite win the championship this year…Blake Griffin was back to his dunking ways, which prompted a fun Takeline video that featured the Rebuild Lob City song from Jason Gallagher and Jason Concepcion.
(Photo: Mike Stobe/Getty Images, via Yahoo Sports)

F Blake Griffin
2021 (DET/BRK): 46 GP, 11 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3 APG, 42 FG%, 34 3PT%, 74 FT%, 12.9 PER, 55 TS%, 2 WS, .081 WS48

Griffin had an up and down year overall. He was quite disappointing for Detroit, as he ended up getting waived by his former team, but he ended up playing very well for his new team, the Brooklyn Nets. He was rejuvenated, and he had a solid all-around season for the Nets. While there were times where he struggled defensively in the playoffs, Griffin’s solid all-around play helped the Nets this season.

2021 Season Grade: C (F w/DET, A- w/BRK)
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars

Will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

G Landry Shamet
2021 (BRK): 61 GP, 9.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41 FG%, 39 3PT%, 85 FT%, 10.3 PER, 58 TS%, 1.8 WS, .063 WS48

He excelled as a sharpshooter for his team, but he didn’t seem to fare as well in the other elements of the game, and he wasn’t always assertive in looking to create shots on offense.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)

Brooklyn Nets’ second-year big man, Nicolas Claxton emerged to turn in a solid season this year.
(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images, via Fansided’s Nothin’ But Nets)

F-C Nicolas Claxton
2021 (BRK): 32 GP, 6.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 62 FG%, 48 FT%, 16.9 PER, 61 TS%, 1.9 WS, .153 WS48

He really excelled as an interior player in the regular season, and he also rebounded the ball well for his team this year. His play was inconsistent in the playoffs though, as he had trouble making his mark on either end of the floor in the postseason.

2021 Season Grade: B
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)

Jeff Green was an important role player for the Brooklyn Nets this year, and he turned in a tremendous game where he scored 27 points to lead his team to a Game 5 win in the second round of the playoffs against Milwaukee. Unfortunately for him and his team, they later ended up losing their series to the Milwaukee Bucks in 7 games.
(Photo: Will Newton/Getty Images, via Fansided’s Nothin’ But Nets)

F Jeff Green
2021 (BRK): 68 GP, 11 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 APG, 49 FG%, 41 3PT%, 78 FT%, 13.0 PER, 62 TS%, 4.1 WS, .107 WS48

He shot the ball very well this past season, and he had one really good game in Game 5 of the second round of the playoffs. Though he wasn’t quite able to help his team advance in that series, Green excelled as a shooter and scorer in his role this year.

2021 Season Grade: B
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars

Green will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

C DeAndre Jordan
2021 (BRK): 57 GP, 7.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 BPG, 76 FG%, 50 FT%, 17.1 PER, 74 TS%, 3.9 WS, .152 WS48

He played fairly well in his role, as he excelled as an interior player this past season. He did a good job of scoring and defending in the paint, and he did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He didn’t play a single minute in the playoffs despite being healthy though, and that may have to do with his lack of perimeter or perimeter defensive skills.

2021 Season Grade: B-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Rotation player on the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2 stars

F Alize Johnson
2021 (BRK): 18 GP, 5.2 PPG, 5 RPG, 59 FG%, 100 FT%, 23.5 PER, 64 TS%, 0.9 WS, .227 WS48
2021 (G-League): 15 GP, 16.6 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 57 FG%, 33 3PT%, 76 FT%, 22.3 PER, 65 TS%, 1.6 WS, .158 WS48

He played very well in the G-League, and he was able to latch on midway through the season with the Brooklyn Nets. Johnson played very well for the Nets in limited minutes this past season, and he could be due for a rotation spot with them next season.

2021 Season Grade: A
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)

F-C Reggie Perry (Two-Way)
2021 (BRK): 26 GP, 3.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 41 FG%, 19 3PT%, 77 FT%, 11 PER, 47 TS%, 0.2 WS, .040 WS48
2021 (G-League): 15 GP, 18.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 52 FG%, 32 3PT%, 77 FT%, 19.9 PER, 64 TS%, 0.6 WS, .066 WS48

He is a rookie big man that was able to get some rotation minutes early on due to his intriguing blend of athleticism and promising skill level, but he couldn’t quite establish himself enough to stay in the Nets’ rotation this year.

While he excelled as a rebounder and he showed some passing skills, he didn’t make shots efficiently enough, and he will need to improve his defense in the meantime.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)

G-F Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot
2021 (BRK): 58 GP, 6.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 37 FG%, 31 3PT%, 81 FT%, 7.8 PER, 49 TS%, 0.3 WS, .015 WS48

After having played very well last season, Luwawu-Cabarrot struggled to adjust to more of a star-laden system, of having to play next to superstars, and though he passed the ball more, he was ultimately nowhere close to as effective as he was in 2020.

While he may still be a talented player that can shoot and score, he may need a change of scenery that also employs more of a motion offense and a team-oriented system to allow him to play to his strengths more for next season.

2021 Season Grade: D-
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

Luwawu-Cabarrot will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

G Mike James
2021 (BRK): 13 GP, 7.7 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.5 RPG, 37 FG%, 35 3PT%, 78 FT%, 11.9 PER, 48 TS%, 0.1 WS, .028 WS48

He excelled as a distributor, and he showed the ability to knock down threes, but he struggled to make shots efficiently, and he didn’t seem to make a huge impact defensively.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

James will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

G Tyler Johnson
2021 (BRK): 39 GP, 5.4 PPG, 2 RPG, 39 FG%, 36 3PT%, 86 FT%, 8.2 PER, 55 TS%, 0.7 WS, .049 WS48

He showed off some shooting and scoring skills in a limited, bench role, but he really didn’t do much else, and he barely played in the playoffs this year.

2021 Season Grade: C
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars

Johnson will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season.

G Chris Chiozza (Two-Way)
2021 (BRK): 22 GP, 4 PPG, 3 APG, 1.1 RPG, 35 FG%, 31 3PT%, 76 FT%, 12.9 PER, 46 TS%, 0.3 WS, .063 WS48

Chiozza did a good job of distributing the basketball, and he is an active defender that can force turnovers. He really struggled to make shots, and he did not play much in the playoffs this year.

2021 Season Grade: D
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Back end roster player, possible back end of the rotation player in the NBA
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)

Head Coach:
Steve Nash
2021 (BRK): 48-24, 7-5 in the playoffs
Coaching career: 48-24, 7-5 in his playoff career

Brooklyn’s rookie head coach, Steve Nash turned in a solid season as his first year as a head coach in the NBA. He helped navigate the team through injuries, and in the playoffs, the Nets looked to be strong contenders. However, injuries quickly hit the Nets in the second round, and that combined with the strong play of the Milwaukee Bucks were too much for Brooklyn to overcome in their playoff series loss to them.
(Photo: Sarah Stier/Getty Images, via Forbes)

He was hired because he had a strong rapport and relationship with Kevin Durant as well as with general manager Sean Marks, and the prevailing thought was that Nash’s creativity could help land Brooklyn a championship. Unfortunately, they fell just short of that.

During the season, Nash was experimental with a lot of different lineups due to injuries. But as the playoffs wore on, he didn’t experiment as much or utilize any kind of unique tactics, and he just started over-relying on Kevin Durant. With the injuries piling up and as they ran more conventional offensive sets and by giving such a load to one player, the Nets wore down in the playoffs, and they were unable to keep up as they lost in a tough, seven-game series to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round this year.

2021 Season Grade: B
Expected 2022 NBA Role: Head coach of the Brooklyn Nets
Projected 2022 NBA Rating: 2.5 stars (3 stars potential)

For those that want to watch Takeline’s “Rebuild Lob City” video of Blake Griffin bringing his dunks back, here is the video. It’s a fun and catchy song, by the way.
(Source: YouTube/Takeline)

A Brief Summary of the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets’ Season:

They were able to navigate an injury-ridden regular season very well, and the Nets won 48 games to land the 2^nd seed in the East, and they were able to get all three of their superstars healthy to start the playoffs.

However, injuries started to hit the Nets once again, and the Nets started over-relying on their one healthy superstar, and their lack of creative tactics and overuse made it tough for them to stay with a healthy, Milwaukee Bucks squad, as they lost to them in the second round this year.

The 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets’ Season Grade: B-

The Brooklyn Nets’ Projected 2021-22 NBA Rotation:

Projected Starters:
F Kevin Durant
F Bruce Brown
F Joe Harris
G James Harden
G Kyrie Irving

Key Reserves:
F Jeff Green
F Blake Griffin
G Landry Shamet
C Nicolas Claxton
C DeAndre Jordan

Others competing for a spot in the rotation next season:
The 27^th Overall Pick of the 2021 NBA Draft
F-C Alize Johnson
G Mike James
F-C Reggie Perry

Other players that are currently projected to be on their next season’s roster:
The 44^th Overall Pick of the 2021 NBA Draft

Others:
The 49^th Overall Pick of the 2021 NBA Draft – Likely a Stash Pick, or a Player that will end up on a Two-Way Contract
The 59^th Overall Pick of the 2021 NBA Draft – Likely a Stash Pick, or a Player that will end up on a Two-Way Contract

Impending Restricted Free Agents:
G-F Bruce Brown – Expected Back
G Mike James – Expected Back

Impending Unrestricted Free Agents:
F Blake Griffin – Expected Back
F Jeff Green – Expected Back
G Tyler Johnson – Not Expected Back
G Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot – Not Expected Back

Players with an Impending Player Option:
G-F Spencer Dinwiddie – Not Expected Back

Projected Players Cut From Next Season’s Roster:
G Chris Chiozza (Two-Way)

Projected Offseason Plan for the Brooklyn Nets:
The Nets don’t have any cap space to work with, and they also have a history of packaging and trading their draft picks to other teams.

For their offseason, they need to make sure they can get their three superstars, Durant, Harden, and Irving healthy, and they should implement a load management plan (at least in the regular season) to ensure their health. Maybe they should not let them play in back-to-back games.

This also would mean that they will need to strengthen their depth. They’ll need to add more wing players and shot creators that can shoot, defend, and score off the dribble, and they’ll need more confident role players that can knock down shots in the clutch.

The 2022 Brooklyn Nets’ Expected Win-Loss Record, and Projected 2022 Season Finish:
54-28, 1^st in the Eastern Conference in 2022

Expected 2022 Season Outcome:
The Nets will likely finish at or near the top of the standings in the East next season, and if they can stay healthy and at full strength in the playoffs, they would have a good chance to win the 2022 NBA title next year. But that is a big if.