Travel back in time to a month ago. Coming off their fourth straight loss, Caris LeVert‘s injury had the Brooklyn Nets, their coaching staff and their fans in a downward tailspin, with the plane about to hit the ground and crash and burn.
The Nets, in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, were in dire need of a leader. The team kept coming so close to beating playoff-caliber teams before fading in the end.
The Nets and their fans were ready to embrace the tank, ready for another season into the NBA’s depths of hell being a lottery team.