No one could have envisioned the Nets entering the NBA All-Star break as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Yet here they are, a championship contender fighting for its playoff livelihood in a suddenly stacked conference with at least four other teams (Bucks, Bulls, Heat, Sixers and maybe the Cavaliers) eyeing a trip to the NBA Finals.
What the Nets have had to fight through would have sent most other teams spiraling down the standings, too: They lost three-quarters of their roster at one point to the COVID-19 health and safety protocols; their second-best player can only play in road games; their best player has been out with an MCL sprain; their best shooter might be out all season with a gimpy ankle — not to mention they were forced to downgrade from their Big 3 after James Harden forced his way from Brooklyn to Philadelphia at the trade deadline.
But there remains optimism at Barclays Center, from management down to the players, for salvaging what’s been shaping out to be a lost season. No team has ever won an NBA championship after an 11-game losing streak. The Nets, however, are banking on a stroke of good health, because if they can stay healthy, they believe in pulling off the impossible.
