NBA Rumors: Nets Performance Against Lakers Raises Questions On Reaching Finals

On paper, the Brooklyn Nets appear to be on course to make the NBA finals.

However, there were some concerns raised when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Purple and Gold squad already undermanned, Brooklyn struggled to contain Andre Drummond who got away with 20 points and 11 rebounds in that matchup.

Although there are plenty of factors that came into play such as Kevin Durant coming back from injury, the absence of James Harden, and the ejection of Kyrie Irving, most noticed how the Nets struggled and allowed the 6-foot-10 center to have his way inside the paint.

Of course, things will change once the NBA playoffs start. But for the sake of argument, most are wondering how head coach Steve Nash and company can get over Eastern Conference teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers if their frontline fails to hold up.

Two names come to mind in this scenario. One is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and the other is Joel Embiid of the Sixers. Both are dominant and will be tasked to lead their respective teams.

Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge are there to hold up the frontcourt, but the acquisition of the two may not be enough once the Nets face the Bucks and the Sixers.

DeAndre Jordan is still there but has been notably eased out of the rotation. This is subject to change with the Nets possibly experimenting with players before the big dance comes around.

Even if the Nets get over the Sixers and the Bucks, the next question is will they have enough against the Lakers in the event they do reach the NBA Finals?

Notably missing from the Lakers in that game was LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As mentioned in a previous report, the two may be returning in the coming weeks.

Davis will be the first one who may return to the Los Angeles lineup, followed by James some weeks after that.

If the Nets struggled against the undermanned Lakers, how well could they fare if they faced a complete roster down the road?

With the NBA still in the regular season, the Nets' loss to the Lakers may not be that relevant. However, it does expose some flaws if Nash plans to stay the course with his new buyout acquisitions.