Nets 2020-21 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions

More than one year after hitting the free-agent jackpot, the long-awaited debut of Kevin Durant as a member of the Brooklyn Nets will occur on December 22. 

That's the day the Nets will play their first game of the 2020-21 regular season against the Golden State Warriors. 

Durant told reporters in September that he would be ready to go when the season begins: "Yeah, I'm feeling fine. I can't wait to get out there and play with my teammates. Playing in Brooklyn, I'm excited. I can't wait for the new NBA season."

The last time Durant appeared in an NBA game was Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors on June 10, 2019. He ruptured his Achilles in the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors after missing the previous nine games with a strained calf. 

Durant and Kyrie Irving joined forces by signing four-year deals with the Nets in July 2019. Irving was limited to 20 games last season because of injuries. The core of last season's 35-37 team that was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Raptors will be completely different to open this year. 

Steve Nash was a surprise hire as head coach after Kenny Atkinson parted ways with the team last March. The two-time NBA MVP has never been a head coach in the NBA but previously worked as a consultant with the Warriors when Durant was with the organization. 

2020-21 Nets Schedule Details

Season Opener: Date vs. OPPONENT

Championship Odds: 6-1 (via FanDuel)

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

Top Matchups

Miami Heat

If the Nets are going to be regarded as a Finals contender in the Eastern Conference, what better way to evaluate them than against the reigning conference champions?

The Miami Heat have all the makings of a sustained run of success. Jimmy Butler is the engine that powers the team, but Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro emerged as their long-term foundation pieces during the postseason. 

A Nets roster with Durant and Irving leading the way has the potential to be the best in the East, if not the entire NBA. There's still the lingering question of what Durant coming off a serious injury and nearly two full years off the court is going to look like. 

Assuming Durant can play at a level close to what he was at prior to the Achilles injury, the Nets are going to be a major factor in the championship race. 

The Heat spent most of last season figuring out their roster before landing on the formula during the restart that works. Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder were late additions who played significant roles for head coach Erik Spoelstra. 

Crowder left Miami during the offseason to sign with the Phoenix Suns, but the Eastern Conference champions are still well-equipped to get back to the NBA Finals. 

Nash is taking on a monumental task with this Nets group because of the built-in pressure of having two stars like Durant and Irving in place. He needs to be ready for it because teams like the Heat, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks aren't going to roll over against Brooklyn. 

Golden State Warriors

If playing against the Heat serves as a measuring stick game for Brooklyn in the East, its first matchup against the Warriors is all about the Durant storyline. 

The 2019 NBA Finals dramatically altered the course of history for Golden State. Durant left after the series. 

Klay Thompson missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Game 6 against the Raptors. He's expected to miss the 2020-21 season after tearing his Achilles during a Nov. 18 workout. 

Stephen Curry only played five games in 2019-20 because of injuries. Draymond Green missed 22 games and had his lowest field-goal percentage (38.9) since his rookie year. 

All of it added up to the Warriors finishing with the NBA's worst record (15-50) and getting the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. They selected James Wiseman to play alongside Curry and Green. 

In a September 2019 interview with J.R. Moehringer of the Wall Street Journal, Durant opened up about why he decided to leave Golden State:

"As time went on, I started to realize I'm just different from the rest of the guys. It's not a bad thing. Just my circumstances and how I came up in the league. And on top of that, the media always looked at it like KD and the Warriors. So it's like nobody could [give] a full acceptance of me there."

While it seems unlikely the Warriors are going to say anything negative about Durant—they won two titles and were arguably the greatest collection of talent assembled in NBA history—don't underestimate the desire Curry and Green will have to send a message to their former teammate. 

Season Forecast

The Nets are a difficult team to forecast because of all the different pieces involved in the organization. Will Durant be healthy? Will Irving be fully engaged? How will those two stars mesh playing alongside each other? How long will Nash take to adapt as a head coach?

If there's one thing we know based on the entire history of the NBA, it's that superstars can mask a lot of potential issues. 

Durant and Irving clearly have a rapport off the court that led to them deciding to team up in the first place. ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on ESPN Radio in March 2019 that the two stars "were like a middle school couple" because of how much they were around each other during the 2019 All-Star weekend. 

It also helps the Nets that they have a talented roster around Durant and Irving. Caris LeVert is a quality scoring guard when healthy. Spencer Dinwiddie set career-highs with 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game last season. Joe Harris is a three-point ace who has made over 40 percent of his attempts behind the arc in each of the past three seasons. 

The Atlantic Division has the potential to be the best division in the NBA. It was one of only two divisions that produced four playoff teams in 2019-20. The Raptors, Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers figure to be good again this season. 

Brooklyn's ceiling is among the highest in the NBA, but there will be stiff competition in its way all year. 

Record Prediction: 42-30 

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