By Kristian Cuaresma

NetsGC has not been the same since they last played Heat Check Gaming in the bracket round of THE TIPOFF. That matchup was the first and only time Brooklyn has played on stage live in Indianapolis at the NBA 2K League Studio. The team had been riding a wave of momentum with a 4-1 record and the first seed in Group D. Unfortunately, none of that mattered as Heat Check Gaming eliminated NetsGC in a tightly-contested matchup by a score of 56-52.

Fast forward to today and NetsGC has not been able to correct their errors. The offense has sputtered and convinced the team to make a trade for King Haad in an attempt to jumpstart the backcourt. To further complicate matters, NetsGC’s defense has been average in spurts. While the defense is great overall, it can not afford the same lapses that other balanced teams can. 

Heat Check Gaming has gotten stronger with each passing week and capitalized on their surprise run through THE TIPOFF. The team is currently undefeated in THE TURN and look as dangerous as ever. Throughout Season Five, Heat Check Gaming has only lost to 76ers GC, Gen.G Tigers, Wizards DG, and Knicks Gaming, all top contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Heat Check Gaming Expected Lineup 

PG: SAV

SG: Bsmoove

Lock: FutureClutch

PF: DTrick

C: sawc

Players to Watch

SAV – 13.7 points, 8.1 assists, 3.6 turnovers, 37% field goal, 35% 3P

All it took was for his team to win with a league bench substitute playing his position for SAV to remind everyone why he is considered a franchise-changing guard. In his first game back, SAV dropped 28 points and 11 assists while sinking six three-pointers. Before that matchup against Knicks Gaming, Sav had struggled to score, make plays for his teammates, and with his ball security. The 28-points was his season-high and 11 assists was the most he’s had in the last seven games. When SAV is playing like this, Heat Check Gaming is a legitimate contender.

DTrick – 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.9 steals, 1.6 blocks

Taken as the first power forward in the NBA 2K League 2022 draft at 11th overall, there have always been high expectations for DTrick. He was one of the most successful players in the amateur scene over the last year, so it is not a surprise that he has been able to translate that to the pros. In the aforementioned first-round matchup against NetsGC, DTrick tormented the backcourt of Tate and Doc, swiping a career-high six steals. He also pitched in ten rebounds and 4 blocks and was a significant reason why Miami was able to get the four-point victory. 

Storylines

While the loss to Heat Check Gaming earlier in the season did not result in immediate changes for NetsGC, it did trigger a sequence of events that made it clear their current roster was not going to win a championship. Despite NetsGC being 0-3 in THE TURN, if they can defeat Heat Check Gaming, it will signal to the front office that the team is still headed in the right direction. Beating Miami can also finally provide the franchise some sort of closure on their early exit from THE TIPOFF. 

All eyes will be on King Haad and if he can be productive over the course of an entire game. In each of his three games as a member of NetsGC, the rookie has either had a solid first half or second half. More recently, King Haad has struggled on offense in the third and fourth quarters and has made it difficult for NetsGC to counter an opposing team’s run. In the last game against Wizards DG’s, King Haad was held to zero points in the second half. If King Haad can put together at least three quarters of consistent play, NetsGC will be able to get back on track.