How Brooklyn Nets Will Be Able to Persevere Through Injury Troubles
The Brooklyn Nets were never expected to go the length of the full 82-game season in one piece.
But injuries have plagued the Nets earlier than expected in 2013-14, putting head coach Jason Kidd in a tough spot during his first year on the sidelines.
Paul Pierce (groin), Kevin Garnett (right ankle), Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) have all missed time with various injuries, which is the primary reason for Brooklyn’s sluggish start.
However, this was not a team built for the regular season—the Nets were sculpted for playoff basketball.
And if they can enter the postseason free of injury, they will be able to make a run at the Eastern Conference crown.
Enduring Injuries to Lopez and D-Will
Weren’t Garnett and Pierce the guys who were supposed to be injured?
Well, both Lopez and Williams have jumped aboard the injury train with sprained left ankles, leaving Shaun Livingston and Reggie Evans to fill their roles in the starting lineup.
D-Will has been plagued with nagging injuries in recent years, and constantly being on the sidelines is beginning to eat away at him, as reported by the New York Daily News.
"“It’s frustrating,” Williams said after suffering the sprained ankle on November 15th. “That’s the only way to describe it. I’m sick of being injured, sick of being hurt. I just want to be healthy so I can help my team.”
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Lopez, who was averaging over 20 points and six rebounds a game before going down, is the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s offense. But the Nets will not be without a reliable post presence thanks to Garnett, who totaled a season-high 17 points in the team’s first game without Lopez.
Williams suited up again on November 20th but tweaked his ankle again on a freakish play and left the game.
With his two of his biggest stars sidelined, Kidd has leaned on the reborn Livingston (13.5 points and 4.5 assists a game in the absence of Williams) to run the offense.
Brooklyn will have a tough time weathering the storm with Lopez and Williams out, but veterans like Livingston, Garnett and Pierce will keep the ship afloat.
Reliable Ol’ Joe
The biggest thing Joe Johnson has done for Brooklyn this season? Stayed on the floor.
The 6’8” forward is putting up about 13 points on 40 percent shooting, but most importantly, he has been injury-free.
He also sunk a pair of cold-blooded floaters against the Phoenix Suns on November 15th, the first sending the game into overtime and the second lifting the Nets to a victory as time expired.
Johnson missed only 10 games last season, and has been the only starter to play every single night in 2013-14. As the season progresses, Kidd will need reliable production from Johnson, whose role in the offense has been slightly decreased due to the team’s offseason acquisitions.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s durability will go a long way in keeping the Nets in Eastern conference playoff picture.
New Roles for Old Dogs Pierce & KG
The only reason that Pierce and Garnett allowed themselves to be traded to Brooklyn was for a championship. And eccentric owner Mikhail Prokhorov has put together a team more than capable of achieving that goal.
However, after an alarmingly slow start to 2013-14, it’s become clear that the Nets will have a tough road ahead of them.
With Lopez and Williams hobbled, Pierce and Garnett— who were originally brought in to serve as role players—are at the forefront of the Brooklyn’s offense for the time being. And they’re both putting up the worst offensive numbers of their storied careers.
The days of superstardom are over for KG and the Truth. But that doesn’t change the fact that, as a duo, they’re invaluable to the Nets.
Pierce and Garnett know how to win, and they know how to take down juggernauts like the Miami Heat. But their transition from stars to complementary players will not truly come to light until Williams and Lopez get healthy.
But with a full squad, Pierce and Garnett could be the final pieces to push Brooklyn into legitimate contention.
The Verdict
The Nets are by no means done, but they have to get healthy in order to establish some sort of chemistry between all five starters and the guys coming off the bench.
That’s where Kidd comes in. B/R’s Howard Beck reported that a number of NBA scouts and analysts have thought very little of Kidd’s ability on the sideline. However, as his team gets healthier, he’ll figure it out—after all, he is one of the smartest players in NBA history.
With Lopez and Williams hurt, Pierce and KG have taken the reins. And at some point this season, those roles will be reversed.
But once playoff time rolls around, with a collectively healthy roster, the Nets will be a tough team to beat.
