How Far Can the Depleted Nets Go in Orlando

The Nets are in seventh in the East standings, just a half-game over the Magic and 8.5 games behind the 76ers. If this team makes the playoffs, they will face either the Bucks, Raptors or Celtics in the first round.

There are no guarantees in sports but the Wizards are six games behind the Nets in the playoff race and they will not have their best player Bradley Beal. Can the Nets making it out of the first round of the playoffs. They just signed Jamal Crawford for the rest of the season and he will provide much-needed scoring off the bench.

Crawford is the first player ever to score 50 points for four different teams and he’s averaged 14.6 points in 29.4 minutes over 1,326 career games. The veteran hasn’t played since scoring 51 points in the 2018-19 regular season finale with the Suns.

The Brooklyn Nets also picked up Michael Beasley, though he will have to serve a five-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy last April. Beasley was an inexpensive signing and he is capable of scoring in bunches. Like Crawford, Beasley is fun to watch and he can thrive in these games.

This team will not contend this year but Caris LeVert can establish himself as the third option on offense behind Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving next season.

LeVert is averaging a career-high 17.7 points with 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the field and a career-best 38.1 percent from 3-point range.

Durant and Irving are still out, for obvious reasons and Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler, Taurean Prince and Nicolas Claxton will also miss the rest of the season.

Regarding Crawford and Beasley, they will have a chance to audition for a roster spot on the Nets or on another team next season.