NBA Fantasy Preview 2021-22: Brooklyn Nets

Kyrie Irving (Erik Drost, Wikimedia Commons)

In a 30-part series leading up to the start of the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season, we will take a look at each NBA franchise from a fantasy perspective. The third team we will review is the Brooklyn Nets.

Expectations are high for the Brooklyn Nets in 2020-21. That is what happens when your team has three megastars in Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant. However, heading into the NBA season there seems to be controversy with the Nets and coronavirus. According to James Herbert of CBS Sports on Tuesday, there are multiple Nets players who have not been vaccinated yet. As long as these players are not vaccinated, they are not allowed into the Nets practice facility. General manager Sean Marks would not disclose who those unvaccinated Nets players are, but was confident they would be vaccinated by the start of the season.

From a fantasy perspective, it seems to be all systems go for Brooklyn in 2021-22. However remember, all members of the big three in Brooklyn missed time last year. Irving missed 18 games, Durant missed 37 games, and Harden missed 28 games. When Irving, Durant, and Harden are in the lineup, they are a fantasy asset. However, the big word in the previous sentence is when. So please use caution when selecting them in fantasy.

Irving was ranked seventh among point guards, and shooting guards with 2130 points last year, while playing in only 75% of the Nets games. If he played a full season, he would have definitely been in the top five. In 2020-21, Irving had a field goal percentage of .506, free throw percentage of .922, 152 three-pointers, 1451 points, 257 rebounds, 324 assists, 76 steals, and 130 turnovers for 2130 fantasy points.*

When healthy, Durant and Harden are fantasy beasts. Harden led the NBA three times in his career in points per game, and once in assists per game. Durant meanwhile has led the NBA in points per game four times, and even free throw shooting once.

Two Nets players worth taking in the later rounds are small forward Joe Harris and center LaMarcus Aldridge. In an interesting story, Aldridge is returning to the Nets in 2021-22 after initially retiring due to heart issues. 

*Please note: To calculate NBA fantasy points for point guards, shooting guards and small forwards, I use the formula (3PTM+Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals-Turnovers). For power forwards and centers, I use the formula (Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals+Blocks-Turnovers).

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