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Former NBA Champions Reveal Which Team They Would Play For: Lakers or Nets?

Published 04/11/2021, 4:30 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Lakers or Nets? This is the question that has been dominating all conversations around the NBA this season. The Lakers are defending champions and have improved on their core from last year. However, they have been missing LeBron James and Anthony Davis to injury. But they are expected to be back before the Playoffs.

The Brooklyn Nets have the best offensive trident in the NBA with James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, they also have a strong rotation with the likes of Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Joe Harris. Lakers picked up Andre Drummond in the buy-out market, while Griffin and Aldridge went to the Nets. But which team would Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson choose?

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Jackson was on team Brooklyn. “Nets. Easy. I’m good friends with Kyrie, and I’m more of a fan of KD than anybody. I love LeBron, I’d love to play with him. It’s hard to say not to play with him. But I have a relationship with those guys in Brooklyn, so I’m more of a loyal guy than a fan.”

However, Barnes chose to stay close to home and represent LA. “I would say Lakers. I’m a California guy, I got to run with Kobe and we didn’t get it done. I would love to run it back with LeBron and them and get a ring as a Laker.”

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Lakers or Nets: Which team is the better free-agent destination?

USA Today via Reuters

It is hard to choose between LA and Brooklyn. After all, they are the best team’s in the two largest markets in the NBA. However, that doesn’t matter when it comes to who wins if they have a playoff matchup. It completely depends on what a player is expecting from them. Griffin and Aldridge know they will have a limited role and chose to accept it.

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Similarly, Drummond knew that he wouldn’t have a major role on the offensive end of the ball. From roster construction, both teams can’t have minutes to other ball-handlers. A defensive player is the best fit for either team. A wing defender may work better on LA with their roster, and a defensive big-man would be on Brooklyn. Either way, players can’t go wrong choosing between the two favorites to win.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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