The Brooklyn Nets are the betting favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in this year's NBA Finals. After all, no other team matches them in terms of sheer superstar talent. They're the epitome of a juggernaut.
But if the Nets fall short of their ultimate goal -- or worse, exit the playoffs way too early -- it'll likely be due to injuries. And the team needs to solve this recurring issue soon, according to former NBA player and SiriusXM NBA Radio host Eddie Johnson.
"I think they're in a rush to get those guys all back," Johnson told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Thursday. "Talent-wise and on paper, they're devastating. When you add Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge to play a role for you along with James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, that's a really imposing team. But we've seen it before. We saw it with the Miami Heat with Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh -- they lost the first year... I mean, talent doesn't win titles. Unity does...
"Philly's looking really good, and they're a team. Milwaukee is under the radar, and I think they're enjoying it. It's not going to be a cakewalk for Brooklyn. And if they don't get more time together with those guys on the court, I could see in a playoff situation where those guys don't execute as well as other teams, and that's what it's all about. So, they are in a rush to really get these guys back on the floor as a unit, because right now, it's like an AAU team. That's how I look at it."
Despite the Nets' first place record of 36-16 and league-leading 119 points per game, their big-three of Durant, Irving, and Harden has only played seven games together since Harden was acquired in a trade back in January.
On Wednesday night against New Orleans, Durant returned to action after missing 23 games -- nearly two months -- with a left hamstring strain, and scored 17 points off the bench with seven rebounds, five assists, and a block in 19 minutes. While Durant's presence was a sight for sore eyes, Brooklyn was without Harden, who's been nursing a right hamstring strain.
Since joining the Nets, Harden has performed like an MVP candidate, averaging 25.4 points, 11.0 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game (34 total games).
The last time the Nets made it past the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs was back in 2014, and they haven't reached the NBA Finals since the 2002-03 season.
The entire NBA conversation between Johnson and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.
