11 January 2024 , 16:29
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The Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers are two franchises in rebuild, but it’s ever so slightly harder for the New York-based outfit after moving on from superstar duo Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season.
There will be plenty of stars on show in Paris when the Nets and Cavaliers take to the Accor Arena floor on Thursday night, but Durant and Irving are two lost sparkles from a constellation of old. When the Nets had the two perennial All-Stars, Brooklyn was considered a bona fide contender only to falter in the postseason and eventually decide to move on from the duo at last year’s trade deadline.
The likes of Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are two solid pieces to start a rebuild with, but it’s a long road back to the top for the Nets. ‘NBA on TNT’ analyst Greg Anthony believes the Nets have several key decisions ahead as they look for a new star to lead the franchise through the East to the NBA Finals.
READ MORE: NBA Paris: Brooklyn Nets prepare to face 'high-profile' Cleveland Cavaliers
“It’s a challenging transition; to go from being a team with championship aspirations to now trying to redefine what direction you want to go in, it’s going to be interesting,” Anthony added. “Nic Claxton is a young talent they’re going to have to make a contract decision on.
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“It’s far more difficult to build a winner when you have good pieces but not necessarily a franchise-calibre piece, and I think as good a player as Mikal Bridges and some of the others is, there’s probably some uncertainty over their future. Unless one of their young players takes a tremendous step or they traded pieces, if you look at that Eastern Conference, the Nets are not looked at as one of the elite-level teams, so the front office should look to make some moves.
“They’re also going to have to figure out the whole situation with the big guy: Ben [Simmons]. How is that going to play out? They owe him a lot of money, he hasnt been healthy. Can he still be a viable impact player when he is healthy?
Spencer Dinwiddie and the Brooklyn Nets are hoping a win in Paris will revitalise their season (AP)“They definitely have more questions than answers as a franchise right now.”
The Nets have struggled, sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 16-21 record - five wins back from the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic. Before they boarded the flight to Paris, Brooklyn endured a devastating defeat at the hands of the woeful Portland Trail Blazers to slip to 3-11 over the last 15 games.
Upon seizing a much-needed hoops break ahead of their NBA Paris clash with the Cavs, the Nets are locked in. Spencer Dinwiddie is focused on defeating Cleveland to get the Nets’ season back on track.
“The energy of the fans and playing a game that is a little bit unusual adds extra motivation for sure,” Dinwiddie told reporters, including Mirror Sport, after practice on Wednesday. “We need the win regardless, with where we are in the season.”
Perhaps the answer to Brooklyn's problems is a trip to Paris, where the franchise could claim a rejuvenating win. Time will tell.
Watch Cleveland Cavaliers v Brooklyn Nets live from Paris on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 6.30pm on Thursday. Sign up to TNT Sports and discovery+