Brooklyn Nets 2020 Restart Preview - NBA Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions

The Brooklyn Nets are one of nine Eastern Conference teams restarting on July 31 to finish the 2019-20 regular and postseason. When the season was halted on March 12th, Brooklyn was seventh in the Eastern Conference with an overall record of 30-34. At home this season, Brooklyn is 18-14, while on the road just 12-20. Leading up to the suspension of play due to covid-19, the Nets had won three consecutive games.

The Brooklyn Nets appear to be one season away from being true contenders as Kevin Durant remains sidelined until the start of the 2020-21 season. Through 64 games of the regular season. The leading active scorer for the Nets was Spencer Dinwiddie with an average of 20.6 points per game. The point guard for the Nets was also the leader in assists with an average of 6.8 per game. DeAndre Jordan is the leading rebounder for Brooklyn with an average of 10.0 per game. Caris LeVert was the second leading scorer with an average of 17.7 points per game.

Although the Nets have struggled on offense this season due to injuries, the defense has improved for a fourth consecutive season and ranks in the top 10 for the first time in the last 14 years. The defense is the reason the Nets have a solid opportunity to reach the postseason. Offensively, Spencer Dinwiddie has filled in very well at point guard for the injured Kyrie Irving, but the play of Caris LeVert has been noteworthy for Brooklyn. Over Brooklyn's final 16 games prior to the season being suspended, LeVert scored an average of 24.1 points per game and handed out an average of 5.1 assists per game.

The most disappointing part of Brooklyn's 2019-20 season has been the loss of point guard Kyrie Irving due to season-ending shoulder surgery after playing just 20 games. Kevin Durant was not expected to play the entire season for Brooklyn therefore his absence was not as detrimental to the Nets as was that of Irving, who at the time of his injury was averaging 27.4 points per game. The Nets also announced that they had mutually agreed to head coach Kenny Atkinson leaving the team on March 7. Atkinson's dismissal was a shock to both the team and it's fans as the team had improved in each of the coach’s first three seasons with Brooklyn. Jacque Vaughn took over for Atkinson as head coach of the Nets on an interim basis. 

Although Brooklyn started to play better following Kenny Atkinson's firing with three consecutive victories, the Nets remain four games under .500 and will find it hard to be a contender this season without both Irving and Durant in the lineup and having such little time to prepare under interim head coach Vaughn. Do not expect much out of the Nets at the restart and Brooklyn will quickly be eliminated from the postseason in the first round.