OKC Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets, 2019-20 team preview
Looking forward to the 2019-20 NBA season, T.I. examines the shifts to the Brooklyn Nets roster and how the OKC Thunder matchup with them this season.
Consider this past season for the Brooklyn Nets and it’s hard not to marvel at how quickly their circumstances and fate changed. After years of watching Danny Ainge reap their draft rewards, Brooklyn finally held their own draft pick.
Never mind the Nets watched as Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, (plus James Young) and Kyrie Irving became Celtics thanks to the picks Brooklyn had mortgaged in order to ‘win now’.
Yet, the most surprising move the Nets franchise made was to ignore critics who suggested they tank electing instead to continue building upon their identity and culture as a tough, gritty club who competed on a nightly basis. That commitment resulted in a playoff appearance and an attractive club for free agents to join given the team’s depth and compete level.
The Basics:
2018-19 Record: 42-40
Playoff Seed: Fourth in Atlantic Division, Sixth seed in East. Lost in first round to 76ers (1-4)
Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson begins his fourth season as the bench boss.
Points per game: Ranked 15th (112.2) | Opponent points per game: Ranked 18th (112.3)
Pace: Ranked 11th (100.8) | Offensive Rating: Ranked 19th (109.6) | Defensive Rating: Ranked 14th (109.7)
Vegas Odds:
Win-Loss: 44.0 games
Odds to NBA Title: +2500
Odds to Win Conference: +800
* win/loss as per Westgate and Conference/Title odds as per Odds Shark
Last season the Thunder swept the season series with the Nets. Let’s review the changes the Nets made this season with a view of what to expect when the team’s tipoff versus each other in the 2019-20 season.