Nets meanwhile are slipping. They need Durant back ASAP but even when he returns, can Simmons/Kyrie be trusted to even be available most games lol. Nets defense is also hot garbage. I know we have to be wary of superstar talent, but idk the Nets still seem off to me. Even during their win streak it just felt something would happen and I never bought into them.
On the Nets, it's interesting taking a deeper look. 18-2 since Nov 27th before Durant got hurt. That's impressive. But then you look at who they beat:
Blazers - missing Lillard
Magic - 2nd night of back to back, 3rd game in 4 nights
Wizards - 3rd game in 4 nights
Raptors
Hornets - missing Ball, Hayward
Hawks - missing Murray, Hunter, Collins
Indiana - 2nd night of back to back, 3rd game in 4 nights
Wizards - missing Beal, 3rd game in 4 nights
Raptors - missing Anunoby, Trent
Pistons - missing Cunningham
Warriors - missing Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, 2nd night of back to back, 3rd game in 4 nights
Bucks
Cavs
Hawks - missing Young, Hunter, 2nd night of back to back
Hornets
Spurs
Pelicans - missing Zion, Ingram
Miami
With losses to Boston, Chicago.
The schedule is the schedule, and every team benefits from catching tired and/or injured teams (the C's also beat a Zion-less Pelicans 2x, a Durant-less Nets, etc.), and also play their own share of back-to-backs, 3-in-4-nights. (Nets had 2 sets of their own back-to-backs/3-in-4 during their hot stretch).
Not saying their 18-2 stretch isn't impressive. It's impressive no matter what. It's just not as impressive as it first appears. I can certainly buy into the idea the Nets weren't as good as they appeared. They caught a lot of injured/tired teams.