The old guys who occupy the majority of the Nets frontcourt roster spots have been spinning around a revolving door the past few games, and yet the Nets keep winning, which is a true testament to the team’s depth.
Kevin Garnett has missed time due to back spasms and being old. Long-armed Andrei Kirilenko missed Monday’s massive victory over the division-leading Toronto Raptors. And even the versatile Paul Pierce missed Sunday’s victory over the Kings.
Since star center Brook Lopez was lost for the season with a foot injury, the Nets shifted Kevin Garnett to the five-spot and Paul Pierce to the four-spot, much as was done last year in Boston. Garnett, being the defensive catalyst that he is, has been able to anchor the defense from slightly out of position.
That should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed Garnett’s career. However, what is surprising is that the Nets have been able to maintain that same level of defensive excellence with Garnett out of the lineup.
The rag-tag bench bunch of Andray Blatche, Mason Plumlee, Mirza Teletovic, Kirilenko, and now Jason Collins, has been able to more than make up for Garnett’s limited minutes.
Blatche has no doubt played his way into a much larger contract next season, whether it is with the Nets or another team.
Plumlee has been more effective than anyone imagined when he was drafted.
But in looking at the successes of the Nets frontcourt without its two biggest names, it is clear that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
So for now, let’s keep that door revolving.
Tom Lafe is a 6-foot-5 sports-world insider with a middling high school basketball career who believes the Nets will be driven by the success of the team’s big men.
