The Nets are going all in for what would be their first NBA title this season, adding Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge to a team that already acquired James Harden earlier in the season, and right now, it looks like the 76ers would be Brooklyn’s only obstacle in its quest to reach the Finals.
Philadelphia legend Julius Erving, who won titles with the Sixers and the New York Nets, the of the ABA, talked with 76ers guard Danny Green on his podcast and not only picked Philadelphia to take down Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but said the Nets were just using their check book in their hunt to win it all.
“It’s reminiscent of how the Yankees used to do all the time,” Erving said. “They load up and they call it buying a championship. The Lakers are known for doing it too. They’re just buying a championship, man. They’re getting all these pieces.”
Brooklyn made the biggest summer splash in 2019 when it signed Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan during the offseason, and with in-season acquisitions like Harden, Griffin and Aldridge, the Nets look like the team to beat in the NBA, especially if the Lakers fail to stay above water while LeBron James and Anthony Davis nurse injuries.
“They don’t know at the end of the season what it’s going to look like or what it’s going to feel like, but they’re going to be formidable,” Erving said of the Nets. “You got a team with six former All-Stars…who have been there and succeeded in the playoffs, then that’s quite a challenge.”
Still, as Brooklyn has continued to bolster its stacked roster, the Sixers remain tied with the Nets atop the conference, and will battle on Wednesday in a possible playoff preview, and a chance for Philly to remind the Nets that they are still Brooklyn’s toughest test.
“I think we have an advantage coaching wise in terms of experience with Doc [Rivers]….and these guys are hungry now,” Erving said. “They’ve been projected and been a part of what they call the process for several years. It’s time for the process to bear some fruit.”
If the two teams do meet in the playoffs, Erving is going with the Sixers, who will almost certainly be the underdogs if the Nets are able to get healthy by the time that series begins.
“I’m betting my money on Philly,” Erving said. “I think the confidence the team has from playing the type of season you have had…you guys have been incredible.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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