Three Nets Make Sports Illustrated Top 100
In Sports Illustrated’s list of the Top 100 NBA Players of 2016, three members of the Brooklyn Nets have made the cut so far. However, no one else from the Nets’ roster is going to be making the cut as the top 30 players in the NBA are released.
Brook Lopez was the highest ranked Nets player at No. 38 — two spots down from last season’s rankings. After averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG and being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice in the ’14-’15 season, Lopez is clearly Brooklyn’s best player on the Nets roster. His inconsistency and inability to stay healthy for the full season the past few years has resulted in a justified slide in the rankings. Here is what Sports Illustrated had to say about him:
“Posting up is an important part of Lopez’s game but hardly the sum of it. With time, he’s diversified. More of his offensive usage now comes from rolling to the rim rather than working with his back to the basket—a quiet change that dramatically alters what kind of role Lopez could occupy. Efficient, high-volume post play demands a tailored structure.”
The next Brooklyn Net to make SI’s top 100 NBA players list was Thaddeus Young at No.75 – who saw his stock drop six spots despite a solid debut with the Nets this season. Here is what Sports Illustrated had to saw about Young:
“One doesn’t script ways for Young to be an active participant in the offense. He just finds a way to help. By seizing on openings in the defense, the 27-year-old forward darted his way into enough runners and put-backs to supply some 15.8 points per 36 minutes last season.”
Rounding out the list of Nets players was Joe Johnson, who made the list at No. 82. Joe Johnson had his worst season since signing a 6-year, $120 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Johnson is no longer the number one scorer for the team, but should prove to be better than he ranks this season with the departure of Deron Williams.
“As the sun sets on Johnson’s career, we’ve begun to see the division between solid all-around players and mere adequacy. No longer is Johnson a volume scorer or an especially stout defender. His All-Star game has faded with time, leaving some skills sturdy and others merely passable.”