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NLL Insider - Team by Team: Brooklyn Nets

by blackmajestic, updated on Tuesday, September 29 2015, 01:28 pm EST


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.

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· Merencio's Draft Grades, Pt. 2

 

 

 

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