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Hall of Famer and analyst Charles Barkley thinks the Brooklyn Nets could struggle to win a series in the postseason despite the arrival of Ben Simmons.
The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Miami Heat 113-107 despite Kevin Durant returning from an MCL sprain. The Nets have lost three straight and seven of their last ten games. That has possibly led Barkley to believe Brooklyn have no shot at winning a seven-game series if they make the NBA playoffs.
In the most recent episode of Inside the NBA on TNT, the crew was discussing the Nets-Heat game. Barkley noted that the Nets could have a difficult time winning a playoff series, as Durant is the only star in home games. That's because Kyrie Irving is ineligible to play in Brooklyn, while Ben Simmons shooting woes are well-documented.
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"I don't think they can win a series with Kyrie not playing at home games. I really don't. I think that they don't have enough scoring because Ben's still going to have the same deficiencies. Won't shoot the ball. KD's going to be KD, going to be there by himself most of the time," Barkley said.
The Brooklyn Nets are currently sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are three games behind the seventh-seeded Toronto Raptors, whom they could face in the play-in tournament. The two teams are tied in their season series, with the Raptors winning when Durant was out.
However, as Barkley pointed out, the Nets could face a tough opponent in the first round of the playoffs. They could be matched up with the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers or Milwaukee Bucks.
However, the Nets could benefit from not having homecourt advantage, as Irving could play four out of the possible seven games. Meanwhile, for Simmons, he has still got no timetable for a return. He has not played a game this season, and currently has back soreness.
Kevin Durant looked like his old self on his Brooklyn Nets return
Kevin Durant missed 21 games due to a sprained MCL in his left knee. He made an impressive return at home against the Miami Heat on Thursday night. Durant looked like his old self, scoring 31 points with four rebounds and as many assists.
However, the Nets still managed to lose the game to a Heat side missing Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and PJ Tucker. The Nets squandered a 16-point lead, before eventually losing the game 113-107.
Meanwhile, Irving is ineligible to play for the Nets at home due to his COVID-19 vaccine stance. So he could only appear in eight more games this regular season for the Nets. Meanwhile, Simmons has no concrete timetable for a return, and is considered week-to-week due to a back injury.
It's going to be a tough final stretch for the Nets, but as long as Durant is healthy, they have a chance. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors are both on a slump at the moment. So Brooklyn will have to rack up as many wins as possible.
