With their lack of frontcourt depth, the Nets have been killed on the second half of back-to-backs, posting a -12.2 net rating and 3-10 record in 13 games before the Young trade. Garnett played in just four of those games and averaged 17 gassed minutes.
With Young on board, the Nets won their first such game after the All-Star Break. Young played a high-energy 30 minutes, scoring 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and adding eight rebounds and some big plays in crunch time.
As useful as he was, Garnett was a nonentity on the second half of back-to-backs. In his place, the Nets have added a skilled, athletic 26-year-old forward. Having Young in the fold may swing a few of the Nets’ five remaining back-to-backs their way, which could make the difference between making the playoffs and an early vacation.
