Season
Highlight
Despite a grim season there were some glimpses of hope this year for the Nets.
First, they hired a committed GM that was determined to bring this once proud
club back to their former glory. The minute Wiz touched down in Brooklyn, he
got to work, blowing up every GM's phone and email to see what was out there
for his depleted roster. With the likes of Anderson, Garnett and Wade moved in
quick succession, some life was breathed into Brooklyn.
Secondly, Winning the 2015 lottery. The Nets were the fourth most likely team
to win with a 11.9% chance and they got the best possible result. As the fans
in the big city were celebrating, behing the scenes Wizkid was wheeling and
dealing to bring in the new face of the franchise at 25 years of age in Demarcus
Cousins. Without the lottery win, it would have been close to impossible to get
this trade over the line
Season Lowlight
It's an easy target but the lowlight for the Brooklyn Nets this year was their
poor 24 - 58 record. As the season continued the Nets become more competative
but season 2014-15 in the NLL was always going to be a tough one for the
Brooklyn Nets. With a number of head scratching decision made by their previous
Gm in search of the quick fix, it left the Nets as a team that could only be
described as a decaying carcus, in a situation where they had a number of aging
veterans with large contracts, very little youth talent and there was only a
few draft picks to be seen.
Best Trade
In: Khris Middleton and Terrance Jones
Out: Ryan Anderson
This one really hurts. Like a Damian Lillard buzzer beating dagger in the
heart. Wizkid would have been licking his lips when this offer that crossed his
table. Receiving two starting caliber players for a player whose skills don't
translate well in the NLL seems ludicrous now in hindsight. Too keen to shake
things up in the new league, i paid massive overs for Anderson and this was the
best move Brooklyn made for the season.
Worst trade
In: Beno Udrih, James Jones, Andrea
Bargnani, MIA second rounder and 12 GM points
Out: Andre Miller, Gerald Wallace and Mike Dunleavy
To pick out a worst trade was extremely tough because I like the way the
Brooklyn Nets are heading but if i really had to pick one, this would be it.
This trade generated a bit of discussion around the league at the time whether
it was worth moving Mike Dunleavy who is a serviceable shooter in the league
just to get rid of Wallace's ridiculous contract. In my opinion, to move
Wallace's contract seemed like an impossible task so to do so there had to be
some compromise and with Brooklyn not heading to the post season, Dunleavy was sacrificible.
Also to bring in a couple of expiring contracts in the process will allow
Wizkid some flexibility this off season with the likes of Middleton and co.
demanding a pay rise. Not so much a bad trade, there are just elements some
people may not agree upon
Other Notable trades
In: Jannero Pargo, Francisco Garcia and Amir Johnson
Out: Kevin Garnett and 18 GM points
Moving the 38 year old Kevin Garnett for the younger, more contract friendly
Amir Johnson and fillers is a no brainer to me. Garnett had the slightly better
year this season but how many more seasons does the old dog have in him?
In: Avery Bradley, Timofey Mozgov, Kelly Olynyk and Glenn Robinson III, ATL
second rounder and 15 GM points.
Out: Dwayne Wade
I'm sure as much as Wiz wanted to keep Dwayne Wade, he had to use him to get
some much needed depth. A great trade for both clubs, as Brooklyn received some
quality young players and Atlanta received the star power they desired.
In: DeMarcus Cousins, WAS 2nd
rounder
Out: BRK and MIA first rounders
Whenever you can bring in young, established star talent into your team in any scenario,
its usually a good move. Yes, Wiz had to give up two first rounders to do so
but they are unproven at the next level. Anthony Bennett anyone?
In: Ersan Ilyasova, Ish Smith, Miami's first rounder 2015, Utah's first rounder
2016 pick and 9 GM points
Out: Timofey Mozgov, Mike Scott and two second round picks
To know that playoffs were out of the calculations, Wizkid's focus quickly
shifted to gathering young talent so to essentially move Mozgov to accumulate
two first round picks with this trade will set this club up for the future.
In: Mike Scott, Luc Mbah a Moute and IND first rounder
Out: PJ Tucker, CJ Watson
PJ Tucker was probably the best player moved in the three team trade but the
Nets were in desperate need of big man depth at the time. No one can blame
someone for trading for what they need and to get a first round pick in the
process is just the cherry on top.
In: Austin Rivers
Out: ATL 2nd rounder and 5 GM point
The trend for the Nets was to collect young talent and again they did just that
in aquiring Austin Rivers from the Milwaukee Bucks. The 9th pick in the 2012
draft has yet to make his mark on the NLL but hopefully he has found a place to
call home now in Brooklyn. To only give up a second and a handful of points
could potentially be a steal if Rivers can get on track.
Star
Avery Bradley –
Bradley who is known for his defensive capabilities, was called upon to carry
the load on the offensive end of the floor as well due to the lack of options
and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, shooting a respectable 42% from
the floor and 35% from three. Bradley lead the team in points (20.1), assists
(3.5) and steals (1.6) for the season and started in all 72 games since being
traded to Brooklyn. Only being 24 and having 3 years left to run on his
contract, Nets fans should get excited about what Bradley can do next season
Surprise
Not a surprise to some but obviously a surprise to me was Khris Middleton's
2014-15 campaign. Middleton had a breakout year and is starting to become a
very handy contributor in the NLL. With delicious averages of 14.7 points, 3.4
rebounds and 1.5 assists, Middleton looks to be the real deal at 24 years of
age with great physical attributes and the right attitude to match.
Please come back
Struggle
In a team that struggled to win games all season, there is a number of players
that weren't pulling their weight but I'm going to call this guy out.... Amir
Johnson. To play an average of 26 minutes and only produce 6.9 points and 7.2
rebounds just isn't acceptable on a team that needs everyone to contribute.
With Johnson's offensive limitations and averaging 0.7 blocks and steals per
game, it will be interesting to see if Wiz makes it a priority to re sign
Johnson.
Free
Agency Signings
Unfortunately, due to their poor record and the unsureness of where the club
was heading, free agency proved to be a baron mistress with no players opting
to put pen to paper.
Draft Card
The Nets traded away the winning lottery pick along with their pick 23 they acquired
from Miami for an established franchise Center in DeMarcus Cousins as mentioned
previously but they still had a selection later in the first round courtesy of
the Celtics. With their lack of depth at the point, they elected to pick up
Tyrus Jones out of Duke. A traditional point guard and a proven winner that
compares to Mike Conley will compete for the starting spot in camp. Brooklyn
also has a second round pick in their possession that they used to bring in the
Turkish Small Forward, Cedi Osman. Osman has great physical attributes and a
lot of unlocked potential on both ends of the court.
The Future
From the ramble that the Nets were last off season to what the roster looks
like now, there is no comparisons. Wizkid's savvy trading has left him with a
young core of players that are constantly improving and a franchise center to
anchor down low. After an expected poor season last year, i expect Brooklyn's
record to drastically improve next year barring injuries of course. I dont
think they will quite make playoffs next season but they will be knocking on
the door. The Nets are coming ladies and gentlemen.
Upcoming Free Agents
Khris Middleton - Priority one will be re signing restricted free agent Khris
Middleton. After having a breakout season once getting traded to Brooklyn last
year, Middleton is set to get paid. With both parties happy with this
relationship, the Nets starting to Small Forward looks set to stay in the big
city.
Amir Johnson - It will be interesting to see how Wizkid plays this situation.
As mentioned earlier, Johnson had a season that wasnt ideal in his contract year
with pretty poor averages in an average of 26 minutes per game. With a cluster
of bigs all looking for minutes, Johnson may be the odd man out and he might
see what he can get on the open market
Cory Joseph - Like Johnson, Cory Joseph struggled to produce giving the
opportunities to do so. Playing in all 82 games and starting in 46 of them, Joseph
could only muster 4.7 points and 5.2 assists per game, with not alot on the
defensive stats either, but with Brooklyn being extremely thin at the one spot
and the fact that Joseph is a handy back up, the restricted free agent will
most likely be in the black and white next year.
Glenn Robinsons III - The 29th selection in the 2014 draft is yet to make a contribution
in the NLL at this stage. At only 21 years of age the focus at the moment is to
bring him through slowly and allow him to develop and harness his game. The
Michigan project has a bunch of untapped potential and I’m sure Brooklyn will
not want to see all their hard work developing Robinson hurting them in another
jersey down the track
Luc Mbah a Moute - A consistent defender and a great locker room presence, Luc
Mbah a Moute is a leader and teacher of the young prospects. Since moving to
Brooklyn mid season, the veteran struggled to get in the groove and had up and
down performances. Depending on the contract he is demanding dictates where he
will be playing next season.
Ish Smith - Coming over from Miami at the deadline as part of the Mozgov trade,
Smith played nine games for the Nets last season and was a handy contributor
off the bench. Similar to Joseph, Smith will most likely stay around due to the
lack of depth at the point.
James Jones - At 35, Jones is coming towards the end of his career and will
most likely sign with whoever wants him as he is nothing more than a filler at
this stage. Whether that’s Brooklyn or not, we will have to wait and see
Andrea Bargnani - Brooklyn has a jam at the big men spots and Bargnani is at
the bottom of the list. He is injury prone, defense deficient and has never
lived up to his number four pick in the 2006 draft. Signing the veteran minimum
might get him back to Brooklyn but even that might not do it. Any team without
Bargnani is a better team in my opinion.