After a turbulent start to the season, from Kevin Durant's trade request to Kyrie Irving's suspension, Ben Simmons' slow start in his return from injury, and firing head coach Steve Nash, the Brooklyn Nets looked far from a title team.
Fast forward to December and the Nets under Jacque Vaughn have been revitalized, surging up the Eastern Conference standings to the No. 2 seed, holding the second-best record in the league at 24-12, behind only the Boston Celtics, on the back of a league-best 11-game win streak — their longest since reeling off 14 straight in 2006.
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Central to their resurgence has been the dynamic play of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and while their star duo has been piling on the points, the Nets have been much-improved on both sides of the floor, with their on-court performances looking a lot more like the team we expected on paper.
Zooming out the Nets have now won 15 of their last 16 games, going 12-1 in December — their winningest month in franchise history, per Nets PR.
With the Nets officially the hottest team in the league, let's dive into the key stats fueling their rise.
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123.4: Nets offense firing on all cylinders
The Nets have been scoring the ball at an absurd rate across their 11-game win streak, with their offensive rating of 123.4, leading the league in that span, 4.0 points per 100 possessions clear of the New York Knicks in second.
During that span, Brooklyn has shot the ball with extreme efficiency, connecting on 55.2 percent from the field (1st in NBA), 43.6 percent from the 3-point line (1st in NBA), and dishing out 27.5 assists per game, good for third in the NBA, trailing only the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
Pushing the pace! pic.twitter.com/SYPhDodikP
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 1, 2023
16.3: Ben Simmons' net rating
While Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have grabbed the headlines, Aussie Ben Simmons has been one of the Nets' most impactful players on both sides of the ball, leading the team with a net rating of 16.3, per NBA.com Stats.
Simmons has been game-changing on defense, with his versatility allowing him to seamlessly switch between guarding perimeter players and big men alike, while being a disruptive help defender. His defensive rating of 107.6 leads the team, while he is second among all starters on the other side of the ball with a 123.9 offensive rating,
“As a teammate, just seeing him smile, have fun and be competitive, that’s him being himself,” Irving said of Simmons' improved play.
“So anytime he could just be himself and trust that we have his back, I feel like he’s the best version of himself.”
✅ @BenSimmons25 & the @BrooklynNets make it 🔟 wins in a row! #NetsWorld
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) December 29, 2022
📊 10 PTS | 2 AST | 5-10 FG pic.twitter.com/gM6EnXIoiU
58.8: Durant and Irving are on fire
For all the conversation this season about who the best duo in the league is, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have more than entered the conversation.
Across their 11-game streak, Irving (29.6) and Durant (29.2) are averaging a combined 58.8 points per game, both scoring the ball with ruthless efficiency.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant combine for 51 points on 20-for-34 shooting in BKN’s win over CHA. Nets have won 11 straight, 15 of 16 and own 2nd best record in NBA. They are 22-7 under Jacque Vaughn, who is a lock to win Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) January 1, 2023
While Durant has been the standout for the Nets this season, when it comes to crunch time, Irving has been on another level.
Irving leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring this season at 9.0 points, with that number jumping to 11.3 points during their 11-game streak, second only to LeBron James over the past 11 games.
"It means a great deal, knowing that we have trust to play our roles out there, quarter to quarter," Irving said following their win over the Hawks.
"..I think we all as teammates just want to be aggressive with our minute out there, but for me specifically, when that fourth quarter hits, it's winning time, that's all I really know.
"...I'm grateful to have the trust of my teammates and the coaching staff."
7: Nets delivering in the clutch
The Nets' late-game execution has been near-perfect during this run.
During their 11-game streak, six of their games have been decided by six points or less, with seven of their wins coming in the clutch (games within five points in the final five minutes).
With the 2022 calendar year coming to a close, their newfound offensive rhythm and execution have arrived right on time as they look to continue to build momentum, with their championship hopes back on track.
