After a turbulent start to the season, from Kevin Durant’s trade request to Kyrie Irving’s suspension, Ben Simmons’ slow start in his return from injury, and firing head coach Steve Nash, the Brooklyn Nets looked far from a title team.
Fast forward to December and the Nets under Jacque Vaughn have been revitalized, surging up the Eastern Conference standings to the No. 2 seed, holding the second-best record in the league at 23-12, behind only the Boston Celtics, on the back of a league-best 10-game win streak — their longest since reeling off 14 straight in 2006.
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Central to their resurgence has been the dynamic play of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and while their star duo has been piling on the points, the Nets have been much-improved on both sides of the floor, with their on-court performances looking a lot more like the team we expected on paper.
Zooming out, the Nets are 17-3 in their last 20 games, matching the best 20-game stretch at any point in a season in franchise history, per Nets PR.
With the Nets officially the hottest team in the league, let’s dive into the key stats fueling their rise.
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123.4: Nets offense firing on all cylinders
The Nets have been scoring the ball at an absurd rate across their 10-game win streak, with their offensive rating of 123.4, leading the league in that span, 3.7 points per 100 possessions clear of the New York Knicks in second.
Brooklyn is shooting the ball with extreme efficiency, connecting on 51 percent from the field (1st in NBA), 39.1 percent from the 3-point line (1st in NBA) and dishing out 27.1 assists per game, good for third in the NBA, trailing only the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
10-straight for the Nets 👀…
Kyrie (28 PTS) and KD (26 PTS) combine for 54 PTS to lift the @BrooklynNets to the win and keep their win-streak alive! pic.twitter.com/qZZZjSMKq8
— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2022
17.5: Ben Simmons’ net rating
While Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have grabbed the headlines, Aussie Ben Simmons has been one of the Nets’ most impactful players on both sides of the ball, leading the team with a net rating of 17.5, per NBA.com Stats.
Simmons has been game-changing on defense, with his versatility allowing him to seamlessly switch between guarding perimeter players and big men alike, as well as being a disruptive help defender. His defensive rating of 106.7 leads the team, while he leads all starters on the other side of the ball with a 124.2 offensive rating,
“As a teammate, just seeing him smile, have fun and be competitive, that’s him being himself,” Irving said of Simmons’ improved play.
“So anytime he could just be himself and trust that we have his back, I feel like he’s the best version of himself.”
✅ @BenSimmons25 & the @BrooklynNets make it 🔟 wins in a row! #NetsWorld
📊 10 PTS | 2 AST | 5-10 FG pic.twitter.com/gM6EnXIoiU
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) December 29, 2022
59.7: Durant and Irving are on fire
For all the conversation this season about who the best duo in the league is, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have more than entered the conversation.
Across their 10-game streak, Irving (29.8) and Durant (29.9) are averaging a combined 59.7 points per game, both scoring the ball with ruthless efficiency.
Nets duo in December:
Durant — Kyrie —
28.8 PPG 28.3 PPG
7.7 RPG 6.2 RPG
5.4 APG 5.4 APG
58/40/94% 51/42/91%Unstoppable. pic.twitter.com/CAEbBh6uIW
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 29, 2022
While Durant has been the standout for the Nets this season, when it comes to crunch time, Irving has been on another level.
Irving leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring this season at 9.1 points, with that number jumping to 12.0 points during their 10-game streak.
“It means a great deal, knowing that we have trust to play our roles out there, quarter to quarter,” Irving said following their win over the Hawks.
“..I think we all as teammates just want to be aggressive with our minute out there, but for me specifically, when that fourth quarter hits, it’s winning time, that’s all I really know.
“…I’m grateful to have the trust of my teammates and the coaching staff.”
7: Nets delivering in the clutch
Wednesday night’s win over the Atlanta Hawks came down to the final possession as the Nets held on for a 108-107 win, continuing their impressive execution late in games.
During their 10-game streak, six of their games have been decided by six points or less, with seven of their wins coming in the clutch (games within five points in the final five minutes).
With just one game remaining for the Nets in the 2022 calendar year, their newfound offensive rhythm and execution have arrived right on time as they look to continue to build momentum, with their championship hopes back on track.
