Rebuilding in a Post Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving Era, Who Is the New Face of Brooklyn Nets? Cam Thomas, Ben Simmons or Mikal Bridges?

Brooklyn’s superstar experiment is now buried deep into the graves of unsuccessful gambles. The trio of three offensive titans, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden were touted as the next elusive dynasty. Fast forward a few seasons and the entire operation crumbled away. All three megastars went their way and gave their legacies a new course. That left the Nets with traded pieces from various organizations.

What many couldn’t predict is how the franchise would become giant killers. Their young core helped Mikal Bridges break out, Ben Simmons would summon his confidence and a sophomore Cam Thomas would shake the NBA core. The Brooklyn Nets began marching on ahead once Bridges took the helm. He averaged 26.1 points in his first stint as the central talent. Now, even though the prospect of competing seems distant, they have a stellar young core who are courageous enough to challenge the pipe dream.

This season their blessings seem to be heard. All the pieces are molded into their ceilings. At the head are three – Thomas, Simmons, and Bridges. But who is the true chief?

Who deserves the crown of Brooklyn?

Let’s start with Ben Simmons. In Philly, he was the number pick that was touted as the ‘Next LeBron’. His rookie season gave that impression. He was relentless – a two-way slasher who worked in symphony with Joel Embiid. After his tragic playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks set horrors in his brain. The unforgiving Philadelphia fans gave him nightmares, eventually leading to his refusal to play for them again. Then came along the bid for Harden that got Simmons to Brooklyn.

Early injuries made pundits question his future. But he soon turned back the clock and now operates the offense. He has assumed a role similar to Draymond Green for the Warriors. Defend the best offensive opponent and run the entire motion. He is averaging 6.7 points, 10 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game this season. His impact goes far deeper than the numbers.

Next, we have Mikel Bridges, who started as a defensive menace whose shot was always sharp. With Kevin Durant’s blockbuster trade, he went into a under renovation Nets team that didn’t have an anchor. Within the first few games, Bridges filled those shoes. He set the stage ablaze averaging a career best in all major stats. As the pivotal modern-day forward, he was the face of the team last season. This season, he is the second-best scorer on the Nets putting up 21 a night. You wonder, who is first.

22-year-old Cam Thomas wasn’t meant to be a starter. Some injuries carved a path for him to try out. Last season, he had multiple bursts where it felt like he could be the star of the show. But he wasn’t consistent enough. Now this year, the story has changed. Thomas has his scoring engine on blast averaging a career-best 26 points per game. He has come back a lot more responsible and an improved passer. Experts see his potential as a lethal scoring weapon that will take off. And he has gone high. With each game, his maturity shines but he can retain his innate hunger for scoring ferociously.

All these three stars hold the key to be the faces of the Brooklyn Nets. The relatively young franchise on sustaining this core could blossom into a dangerous trio. They are only just beginning to know each other, and so far there has only been a positive increase.
So now with all these three explained, who deserves the throne?

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Mikal Bridges is the face of the Nets

As much as Ben Simmons has improved, his role limits him to being a complimentary star. Simmons will never be the leading force for a team. However, he could be the most significant supporting hero if he manages to peak soon.

The battle was between Bridges and Thomas. On one side is a scoring addict who will ensure he gets his own offense. But that isn’t enough. Bridges’ impact is infectious. He sets the tone on both ends of the floor. The former Suns forward was a DPOY nominee and is known as a colorful scorer. His youth and collection of skills make him worthy of the prestigious title of the ‘face’. Bridges is the one who will carry the baton as long as he wears the Nets colors. No matter who the face is, this trio is quintessential to the Nets if they ever hope to compete in the future.

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With vets like Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, don’t count out the Nets to make a surprise run for the postseason.