The consensus pick to represent the Eastern Conference was the Brooklyn Nets. Overloaded with talent, and not short on personality, the Nets merely needed to stay on the court to reach their first NBA Finals since the 2002-2003 season.
Alas, injuries struck down two of the team's three megastars during the playoffs with Kyrie Irving suffering and ankle sprain in Game 4 before missing the remainder of the series and James Harden suffering a grade two right hamstring strain in the opening minutes of Game 1 only to return as a shell of his former self in Games 5-7.
When posted the question of what most experts projected to be a Lakers and Nets finals matchup, it wasn't a member of the big three, but instead Spencer Dinwiddie, who was lost in the third game of the regular season with a turn MCL, who picked Brooklyn in a landslide.
We'll never know exactly how far the Nets would have made it if healthy and whether the Lakers would have been their opponent had injuries not derailed their title defense hopes. Dinwiddie had been linked to the Lakers in several sign and trade scenarios involving the two clubs, so it will be fascinating to see what coast the talented guard winds up on.
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