The Brooklyn Nets were not among the teams expected to make the NBA playoffs last season, but it appears head coach Kenny Atkinson's system has been working. And while he was previously on the top with the Golden State Warriors, it appears that the spirited drive of the Nets was what convince Kevin Durant to move to Brooklyn.

According to general manager Sean Marks in an interview on WFAN, Durant was impressed at the run of the Nets last season and even said that the Warriors would have been foolish to take them lightly.

“I love the system. I love how you guys play. I see how hard you guys play … you were never out of games. We [the Warriors] could never take you guys lightly,” Durant allegedly said per Marks.

Durant signed a four-year contract with the Nets worth $164 million although he is not expected to suit up immediately. The former NBA MVP is still recovering from an Achilles injury and will most likely see action only by the 2020 NBA season unless he recovers faster than scheduled. For the meantime, the Nets campaign will rest on the shoulders of close friend Kyrie Irving who also signed a four-year $136 million deal, the New York Post said. Marks also said that they do not have plans to rush KD back in action.

“We’re certainly not going to rush him back,’ he said. “There’s going to be absolutely none of that. We have far too much invested in him, and we owe it to Kevin to get him back to 100-percent," Marks said.

Hence, for now, Durant will have to settle watching from the sidelines as the Nets approach the season as perhaps now one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The least to expect is another playoff appearance with the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks still a cut above the rest.

Aside from Durant and Irving, another key addition is DeAndre Jordan, who addresses the team's hole in the middle. Holdovers include Joe Harris and Caris LeVert, two players who have been going great for coach Atkinson. With Durant still out, possibly filling the void is Taurean Prince who was acquired in a trade involving Allen Crabbe. Looking at the Nets as a whole, Brooklyn does have a reformed look for the 2019-20 NBA season. So the next question is how successful and how far can the new-look Nets go this time around.