EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 20: Earvin "Magic" Johnson discusses the upcoming Los Angeles Lakers' season at UCLA Health Training Center on September 20, 2018 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)Are the Brooklyn Nets now the favorite to win the NBA Finals?
Brooklyn completed a blockbuster, four-team trade for James Harden on Wednesday afternoon. Harden teams up with Kevin Durant and, presumably, Kyrie Irving on the Nets (Irving has been away from the team for several days and it’s unclear when he’ll return).
Nets head coach Steve Nash was asked about the pending trade before Brooklyn’s game on Wednesday night.
“I think basketball is about playing together and being the best you can be. So, no matter who you are, it’s about finding connectivity and balance within a team and trying to be greater than the sum of your parts,” Nash said. “So, that doesn’t change no matter what your team looks like, and that’s definitely a goal and a thread of our team from Day One.”
While the Nets might be the new favorite in the East, former Lakers star Magic Johnson isn’t changing his NBA Finals pick.
Johnson updated his prediction on Wednesday night, saying he’s sticking with the Lakers.
“James Harden getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join KD and Kyrie will be special to watch… but I’m still picking the Lakers to win the Championship,” he tweeted on Wednesday night.
James Harden getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join KD and Kyrie will be special to watch… but I’m still picking the @Lakers to win the Championship 😁
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 14, 2021
The Lakers deserve to be the frontrunner at this point.
However, if everything clicks with Durant, Harden and Kyrie, good luck out-scoring that team in the playoffs.
