Brooklyn faces one of the league's hottest teams. Here's how to watch.
Are the Brooklyn Nets needing lottery luck?
Officially, that won't arrive until May 10 when the league makes its lottery selections. Yet the more the franchise loses, the increased chances Brooklyn can secure the top pick.
It very much looks like Brooklyn will see an increase in top pick chances. Because they're facing the red-hot Atlanta Hawks.
This Hawks team now finds themselves pursuing the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Atlanta has gone 17-2 as of late, creating high-powered momentum heading into the final month for regular season play.
Obviously, the Nets are in a far different predicament...including having the word "tanking" attached to them.
"No, the Nets are far from the only team tanking, with so many that NBA commissioner Adam Silver has vowed rule changes to stamp out the practice. But none of the 10 or so teams playing the percentages need a young star more than talent-starved Brooklyn, including the Pacers and Wizards, who they’re chasing," wrote Nets insider Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Now Brooklyn is projected to land a March Madness star. But it's not Darryn Peterson of Kansas, nor is it AJ Dybantsa of BYU. Yahoo! Sports NBA columnist Kevin O'Connor believes Darius Acuff of Arkansas will be the guy.
"Acuff entered college with a scoring reputation, but has emerged as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker; he looks like a future All-Star who can toggle between a score-first or pass-first approach," O'Connor wrote in his Thursday draft projection.
O'Connor sees a leader entering this locker room too.
"As for Brooklyn, even after drafting a handful of guards last year, the Nets are still badly in need of a lead dog," O'Connor said. "Acuff could be that guy."
Except Brooklyn takes Acuff at No. 3 through this mock. Fans hope to see the franchise land at No. 1.
Brooklyn, again, faces chances of ascending upward in the probability to land at the top come June. The Hawks are a huge 16.5-point favorite to roll past the Nets per FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Nets are also massively depleted heading into the Barclays Center. Although Nic Claxton and Noah Clowney are probable to play, while Danny Wolf and Michael Porter Jr. continue to sit out.
The YES Network and FanDuel Sports Southeast are airing the action for this 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected.