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Non-Thaditional Victory

The Nets have almost always played five guys at their natural positions. Most of this seems to come down to the front-office's interest in player collecting and building a team as opposed to how the wins total up on the floor.

Heading into the Pacers series, to say the Nets were concerned about Indiana was an understatement. There were a few indications - including a blowout loss in game 1 - leading to the conclusion that the super-talented Nets team may not make it out of the first round.

Thad Young - the quiet and versatile forward - was called into his biggest role since coming to Brooklyn - in the team's biggest moment of need thus far. The Pacers decided to start Luka at center - something that was giving the Nets' slow-footed frontcourt problems for days. The coaching staff responded in a rare adjustment - putting Thad in at center next to Sabonis. The move had an immediate impact with the team pulling off a narrow victory in game 2. Indiana kept Luka matched up against Thad in game 3 but suffered a back-breaking 59-point loss in which the Nets nearly put up 100 in the first half. Games 4 and 5 weren't blowouts, but the Nets confidence was high after the Game 3 show they put on and they never looked back.

Steph Curry and Luka Doncic put on a show - both averaging over 46ppg. Middleton, Fox, McCollum, and Hayward all also put up huge numbers. But to the people that love basketball - Thad Young may have very well been the thing that changed the series from a 4-0 Pacers sweep to a 4-1 Nets win. Many thought the Steven Adams for Thad Young trade was all about money - and that was certainly a motive, but having a big/quick/defense-first forward is something that the Nets have missed in previous playoff matchups and it has already paid dividends.

Nothing to celebrate yet - the Nets have been in round 2 before - actually this is the third year in a row. The second round in the Eastern Conference has historically been where good teams come to die. The top 4 in the conference has been dominantly good for many years - and this year is no exception. The Milwaukee Bucks boast a roster for the ages and will be the favorite against not just the Nets, but maybe any team. Whether Thad Young and the Nets can do any damage against the defending champions remains to be seen.

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