Nets News: BKN could benefit from Julius Randle update

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Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks.

Things just got a little easier for the Brooklyn Nets in their quest for a guaranteed playoff spot.

“The excitement is over [the New York Knicks’] about the win [Miami] The Heat was also softened by All-Star forward Julius Randle’s ankle injury,” Peter Botte explained for the New York Post on March 30, adding Randle is “expected to be out for the remainder of the regular season and possibly early in the season.” Playoffs on April 15 after team announced he will be re-evaluated in two weeks.”

New York has won its last two games but is only there 5-5 in the last 10 games as star point guard Jalen Brunson has been in the lineup on and off.

In his absence, Randle had to carry the load amid a bounce-back campaign.

He has yet to miss a game this season, having already had the most appearances in a single season since 2017-18 when he saw in all 82 games.

“The Knicks were thought to have reduced their magic number to earn a playoff berth to one with Wednesday night’s dismal win over the Heat,” notes Botte, “but there remains a small mathematical chance that.” they could end up in the play-in tournament. … Even with another win over the Cavaliers on Friday night, the Knicks could still potentially land 5-7 in the Eastern Conference in a three-way tie with the Nets and the Heat and drop to seventh on the back of difficulties Tiebreaker system.”

Brooklyn is just two games behind New York in the losing column for the fifth seed. They won’t face their state rival again in the regular season, but have a significantly easier remaining schedule per tankathon.

A full slide into the play-in tournament remains unlikely as long as Brunson can remain available, which is not a given given that he has sustained a foot injury. But two games is hardly an insurmountable obstacle even for this hodgepodge of Nets.

However, they must seize the opportunity.

Networks are still finding things out

“There’s no excuse for how we really played the first 40 minutes of the game,” forward Cameron Johnson told reporters via the Nets’ YouTube channel after Brooklyn had to rally to defeat the now 18-59 Houston Rockets on March 29 March to beat. “But it’s up to us to get better and I think we were able to clean it up and come out of this game with a win.

Johnson set a new Nets career high with 31 points and connected with five threes for the second time in the last three games.

He’s also been vocal about the team’s cap and their efforts to reach it.

The Nets have won two of their last three games, adding to optimism they can make one final push out of the play-in tournament. But they had previously lost five games in a row, erasing their remaining cushion built before the close.

Former networks revel in fond memories of old times

Brooklyn can thank their former stars — Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving — for giving them enough head start to keep up with the Knicks to this point. And for bringing back enough talent in their respective professions to allow for a boost. Both players may have had different accounts of their time in Brooklyn with Durant they wish “the best”.

He also noted that they “care about their players.”

Irving reiterated his stance just before requesting a trade that he wanted to remain a net at least through the season.

Brooklyn is certainly happy to emerge from that cloud of uncertainty, even if their ceiling is significantly lower now and their future remains just as uncertain, albeit with a lot more optimism than even 30-year-olds Durant and Irving.