2017-2018 Brooklyn Nets Preview: The Rebuild Continues With A New Centerpiece


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2016-17 Record: 20-62 (15th in East)

Players Added: Jarrett Allen (Draft), DeMarre Carroll (Trade with TOR), Allen Crabbe (Trade with POR), Timofey Mozgov (Trade with LAL), D’Angelo Russell (Trade with LAL)

Players Lost: Randy Foye (FA), Archie Goodwin (FA), Justin Hamilton (Trade to TOR), Brook Lopez (Trade to LAL), K.J. McDaniels (FA), Andrew Nicholson (Trade to POR)

Projected Team MVP: D’Angelo Russell

Russell is, by far, the biggest name on the Nets roster but the gap between his current level of play and what he could be in the future is quite large. In fact, it wouldn’t be difficult to argue fellow point guard Jeremy Lin as the best player on the team at this very moment. With that said, Russell has stuffed the stat sheet in an impressive fashion over a two-year career and he now partners with a “point guard whisperer” in head coach Kenny Atkinson.

Just how effective Russell will be in year one is uncertain but it seems like a safe bet to think that he will improve his controversially poor efficiency and effort on the defensive end. Is he a star worthy of the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft? Maybe not, but Russell’s tools remain impressive. Beyond that, he has the benefit of a fresh start in a place where the attention won’t be beaming down on him from the opening tip of the upcoming season and that could be helpful in his development.

Team X-Factor: Caris LeVert

Because of the legendary fleecing that was the trade involving Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Nets have been largely barren of draft assets in recent years. 2017 did bring the opportunity to invest in big man Jarrett Allen but, prior to that addition and the trade for D’Angelo Russell, LeVert was the most intriguing young piece on the roster. The former Michigan wing was projected as a lottery pick before foot injuries plagued him at the college level, but Brooklyn clearly values his talent and displayed that by snatching him in the deal that sent Thaddeus Young to Indiana.

LeVert’s rookie campaign wasn’t flawless in 2016-2017 but there were positive signs. He posted a 55.6 percent true shooting despite mild struggles from the three-point line and, given his reputation as a shooter, that part of his game shouldn’t be an issue. The 23-year-old also brings a strong skill set as a secondary ball-handler and LeVert has enough size and smarts to hold up defensively. Make no mistake, he projects as a role player (albeit a good one) at the NBA level. From a Nets perspective, though, having a young, cost-controlled wing to supplement the rebuild is a good thing.

Best Case Scenario:

The Nets could benefit greatly from a high draft pick in what appears to be a loaded 2018 class. However, Brooklyn’s first round selection is headed to Cleveland (via Boston) and that removes any real incentive to lose games in 2016-2017. As such, the best case scenario does not involve winning 20 games in the way that it might for teams like Chicago, Atlanta or Sacramento.

Given that caveat, Brooklyn isn’t likely to be a playoff team this season but the development of Russell, LeVert, Allen and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be paramount this season. The team will be well-coached and that certainly helps but most of the growth for the Nets has to be internal at this point and seeing “the leap” from at least one of their young prospects (preferably Russell) would go a long way toward assuaging fears of an endless rebuild.

Worst Case Scenario:

As noted above, there is no worst case scenario in “winning too many games” to damage Brooklyn’s draft pick. However, plenty of downside exists within the frame of an 82-game season.

D’Angelo Russell stalling in his third NBA season would be borderline disastrous for the Nets, as they paid the hefty price of taking on Timofey Mozgov (and sending Brook Lopez away) to acquire him. Brooklyn actually operated at a higher level than their record suggests last season when healthy but, if Russell stalls and there is only mild development elsewhere, this could easily be a (very) bad basketball team without a single blue-chip asset to speak of at this juncture.

It is, of course, unfair to pin the entire hopes of the Nets franchise on Russell and that isn’t necessarily the case. It would, though, take some wildly encouraging developments elsewhere to offset a substandard campaign from the young point guard. Welcome to New York.

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