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Nets still title favorites even with James Harden injured

Trading for James Harden was icing on the cake for Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets and transformed title contenders into the favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were at the heart of Brooklyn's original championship blueprint, so the duo will likely do everything in their power to keep the Nets a atop the playoff pecking order. Now that Harden reaggravated his right hamstring injury in the opening minute of Game 1 against the Bucks, Brooklyn may need to prepare to play without him in Game 2 and potentially the rest of the series. The Nets bench responded in a big way, as Irving dumped in 25 and Durant 29, while Blake Griffin's double-double of 18 and 14 pushed the Nets to a 115-107 opening game victory. Game 2 is set for Monday and on short rest, it's extremely unlikely that Harden will be ready to play as he missed 30-plus games in the regular season after tweaking the same hamstring.

Nets-Bucks full series dates announced by NBA

The NBA's officially announced the dates that the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks will do battle in the second round. Game 1 is set for Saturday June 5th with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 is set for Monday June 7th with tip-off TBD. Game 3 Is set for Thursday, June 10th with tip-off TBD.
Game 4 is set for Sunday, June 13th with tip-off TBD. Game 5 Is set for Tuesday, June 15th with tip-off TBD. Game 6 is set for Thursday, June 17th with tip-off TBD. Game 7 is set for Saturday, June 19th with tip-off TBD. Games 5,6 and 7 are if necessary, but as many anticipate the bucks will give the Nets their stiffest challenge yet so far in the playoffs.

Jason Kidd as Next Celtics HC would be a recipe for disaster for Brad Stevens

Let's be clear, rumors are rumors. The Celtics just promoted Brad Stevens to President of Basketball Operations and Danny Ainge retired as GM, leaving a canyon sized hole left at head coach.
The job is pretty desirable with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as building blocks, but hiring one of the top names on the free agent coaching market, Jason Kidd, would be an unmitigated disaster for Boston. Coming from someone who easily considers Kidd in the pantheon of the franchise's legendary players, his off the court track record and power struggles he had with the front offices that he had during his last two stops in Brooklyn and Milwaukee doesn't exactly invoke a sense of optimism that the third time is a charm. Kidd wanted to take personnel control from former Nets GM, Billy King, but was denied his request and permitted to seek another organization to serve, ultimately landing with the Bucks. Kidd was an all world performer as a player and a guy that players would rally around in the locker room, but not all players are cut out to be coache. Not to say that the current Lakers assistant won't get another opportunity in the league, but it likely won't come in a town that has never wrapped its arms around him during his playing or coaching career. Stevens understands that the NBA is a player's league and wants his fingerprints all over this team, but Kidd has never been the type of person to sit idly by and let a GM do his job. If Stevens is hiring wise, he'll go in another direction as it is a recipe for both sides.

Steve Nash has higher playoff winning percentage as HC than Brad Stevens

Even if the Brooklyn Nets get swept out of the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Steve Nash will still have a higher playoff winning percentage than former Celtics head coach and current head of basketball operations, Brad Stevens.
At 38-40 for a career playoff record, Stevens' teams were always knocking on the door of a finals berth, but were never able to knock it down and fulfill The lofty expectation set by the fan base. Clearly, Nash has been bestowed with a trio of superstars that have helped him win four out of his first five playoff contests, but it's clear that the NBA is a player's league and perhaps Brad Stevens decision to move into the front office and away from coaching has to do with the fact that he couldn't win with the current roster that Danny Ainge built for him. Nash is still a neophyte head coach and will face a steep challenge in Milwaukee in the semi-final round, but for the time being, it looks like the Nets will get the last laugh over the Celtics.

Nets ousting Celtics makes Danny Ainge's legacy come full circle

Danny Ainge's highway robbery of the Brooklyn Nets back in 2013 is why Billy King is no longer employed as the team's general manager. The infamous trade brought an embarrassment of riches to Beantown in the form of draft picks to build Ainge's team of the future into a championship contender. Despite making the Eastern Conference Finals three of the past four years, excluding this season, the Celtics have fallen belly up on playoff runs time and time again without an NBA finals appearance or trophy to show for it. During the better part of the last eight years, the Nets were deemed to be a team destined for the lottery for the foreseeable future, and with no hope of potentially becoming a championship contending team. Flash forward seven years and the Nets have emerged as a free agent destination and Sean Marks has built an incredible roster by creative maneuvering to purchase draft picks, redefine the team's culture, and attract viable free agents in the form of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. After Brooklyn's gentlemen's sweep of Boston,Ainge has announced his retirement with Brad Stevens inexplicably getting promoted to President of basketball operations and leaving his head coaching position with the team. The immediate aftermath of the infamous Boston - Brooklyn trade saw the Celtics as the winners, but it appears with the Nets closing in on a deep playoff run that they could get the last laugh.

For Nets, Milwaukee poses first real test of playoff run

Brooklyn's gentlemen's sweep of Boston went exactly as many anticipated with a shorthanded Celtics squad being overwhelmed by a star-studded Nets lineup. James Harden, like the rest of the team, has already turned his attention to the Bucks, who took two out of three regular season meetings against the Nets without their Big Three healthy. Brooklyn is undefeated in three games at Barclays Center during this year's playoffs and will hold home court advantage over Milwaukee. The Nets will have their hands full with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's in the running yet again for another league MVP award. Brooklyn's trio of superstars isn't chasing any personal accolades, but rather the first title in franchise history. Milwaukee and Brooklyn on me Saturday night for Game 1.

Nets win first playoff series since 2014

For the first time since Brooklyn's original Big 3 era, with a trio of former Celtics in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry, the Nets are advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs. The three aforementioned former stars will always be linked to the infamous trade between Boston and Brooklyn that sent a truckload of first-round draft choices to Beantown in exchange for the aging stars. Flash forward seven years and it's the Nets making a deep playoff run and the Celtics with another exit and no NBA Finals berths to show for all the draft picks and maneuverings of Danny Ainge. Brooklyn has a long way to go if it hopes to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference mountain, but the 4-1 series win over Boston has to have fans of the Nets smiling and getting the last laugh in this Atlantic division rivalry.
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