Brooklyn Nets: Two keys to coming out on top over Philly
After a Game One win against Philly, the Brooklyn Nets are feeling pretty confident about the series. What are the keys to Brooklyn coming out on top?
The Brooklyn Nets topped the Philadelphia 76ers 111-102 on Saturday, but the top story wasn’t even on the court. The top story came when Amir Johnson and Joel Embiid were checking a cellular phone on the bench.
This is a direct violation of the NBA’s Operation’s Manual and will likely result in a fine or suspension for both Embiid and Johnson. That being said, the Nets might have a substantial advantage on Monday when the two face off for game two.
Use of a cell phone on the bench is a violation of the NBA Operations Manual. Violation will result in a substantial fine and/or suspension.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) April 13, 2019
But aside from what the Nets can’t control, there are a couple of things, which if they do correctly, they should not lose the series.
Key One
Aside from the obvious, which is play hard defense on Jimmy Butler, seeing he torched the Nets for 36 points while shooting 50% from the field, the Nets need to maximize their game in the defensive zone.
The Nets typically play in either a 2-1-2 or a 2-3 zone and against a 76ers team with players such as Embiid and Ben Simmons who are monsters inside the three-point line. Plus Jimmy Butler who is good from just about anywhere and then J.J. Redick who is a three-point beast, that is probably the best defensive strategy for Brooklyn.
In the opener, their zone did a great job of shutting down Simmons as he only had a total of nine points in 32 minutes, but Embiid made up for it with 22 points of his own. Not only did the Nets do a great job of shutting down Simmons, but they also did a great job of shutting down the Sixers 3-point shot.
The Sixers shot a total of 25 threes on Saturday making only three of them. For a team that made an average of 10.8 threes per game during the regular season, The Nets holding them to only three treys is a fantastic accomplishment.
If the Nets can manage to keep up that defensive strategy and play a successful zone, it should be a great starting point to winning the series.
Key Two
The next key is a pretty obvious one, put the ball in D’Angelo Russell’s hands. Russell is clearly the Brooklyn Nets best player. The more he has the ball in his hands, the more likely the Nets are to succeed. Russell went for 26 points, three rebounds, four assists, and a steal on Saturday afternoon. If the Nets continue to keep feeding him the ball, good things will be on the horizon.
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Should the Nets maximize these two crucial keys to beating the Sixers, they can move on to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.