Can The Brooklyn Nets Contend for a Playoff Spot?
This offseason has been an eventful one for the Brooklyn Nets.
They’ve gotten under the luxury tax, brought back their announced center piece (Brook Lopez), re-signed stretch-forward Thaddeus Young, dropped the average age of the team by two years, and got rid of the max contract that hung over them like an ominous shadow.
Despite the frenzy of offseason moves that Billy King has strung together, it still may not be enough for the team to make the playoffs, which is still the ultimate goal. Since the Nets do not own their pick this season, falling into the lottery would do them no benefit. So although they must rebuild, tearing down the structure in it’s entirety is out of the question. The Eastern Conference is getting better by the second, and will take no prisoners when the 2016 NBA Playoffs rolls around. That being said, with tanking out of the question, here are a few moves that I think the Nets could make, in order to have a fighting chance in the East.
What readers said at the time
3 replies came in under this piece in 2015, and they are kept here as they were written — the readers’ words, not ours, spelling and all. The thread is closed; the desk does not take new comments.
jerry251 August 2015
What people who talk about trying to make changes in the Nets roster forget, is that currently the team IS over the Luxury Tax, and that is NOT an option at this point, to finish over the Tax. Nets will have to waive Earl Clark and Miller, and only then, they will be 1.93 million under the 84.74 Tax. That isn’t enough leeway to make the team better, should of trading Jack without any possibility of getting better at PG. Nets need to hope that Boatright (has $125K coming due on Nov. 15) is the Nets 3rd PG, or else they would have to move closer to that critical Tax line, if he doesn’t work out. I can’t see Markel Brown becoming a ball handling NBA PG. Boatright can dribble rings around Brown.
Second, it isn’t true that the Nets top priority is making the playoffs, at all cost. They have a plan, and getting better next summer (a couple very good FAs, like Mike Conley) and they aren’t going to mess up the roster just to make the playoffs this season. Truth is that making the playoffs is mostly dependent on the Health of other teams and the Health of the Nets. It always works out that way. There WILL be key injuries again (who could have thought that MIA and IND would miss the playoffs, one year ago?).
With the above in mind, and not yet knowing how Willie Reed and Boatright are going to perform, or how healthy Bargnani will be, Billy King has to wait until into the season, before even contemplating any move, which will also keep the Nets under the Tax (a mandate).
A key is for Lopez to be healthy. Bargs and Reed may be adequate backups, as long as they are paired with the appropriate PF. TRob may also work at Center at times. And I’m predicting (I’m in a minority along with Hollins) that Jack will do well at carrying the Nets offense (defense is a liability for many starting NBA PGs).
And I have little doubt that if healthy, this Nets team will be better than the Nets team from early last season. That’s not even mentioning how much Hollins was experimenting last season, who how much DWill’s bad attitude hurt the Nets, or how much KG hurt the Nets offense or that Lopez was still not back to his best form, as a result of his restructure foot.
I know its boring not to be able to do any roster moves, but current team may have 50% chance to make playoffs if reasonable health, and be well positioned for 2016.
Lloyd Williams2 August 2015
These are all excellent points. I’m no cap-ologist, so in my response I’ll be assuming that what you’ve said is true. If the Nets need to waive Clark and Miller in order to get under the cap threshold, that does not strike me as a particularly sensitive issue. Clark has been less than impressive in his short tenure as a Net, whereas Miller was acquired in a salary dump deal. Neither of the two were ever expected to have a major beneficial effect when it comes to the team’s success in the upcoming season.
I think you’re absolutely correct about Boatright’s ball handling ability in comparison to Markel Brown’s. He would be a much better fit at the point guard position, in large part due to Brown’s obvious deficiencies in jump shooting and ball handling. I never said it would be completely necessary to go out and pay for another point guard. I just said it was necessary to find a solid one that would be given playing time consistently.
I would have to respectfully disagree with the statement that making the playoffs is not atop the Nets list of priorities. Of course, they’d be foolish to sabotage their chances at landing marquee free agents, but they’ll do anything short of that to make it into the post season. They have a fan base to please, and a set of disappointing seasons to put in the rear view mirror. This is a time of competitive rebuilding for the Nets, not one of sitting back and waiting for next year when they may or may not land the stars of the free agent pool.
Injuries are a part of the game, and understandably so, but I have difficulty understanding why you’re so adamant on the Nets suffering a plethora of injuries. Lopez and Bargnani do sport sketchy histories regarding the injury bug, but the rest of the team has proven to be relatively healthy over the stretch of their careers.
Nobody who is familiar with the Nets can deny that Jack can be an immediate offensive spark plug off the bench. He’s able to single handedly spearhead the offensive load over short stretches. But just as he can spark an offense, he can certainly defuse and destroy it. His game is outdated. The midrange shot is one of his best (if it’s not the best) assets. It also is one of the least efficient shots a player can take. He has a knack for taking contested midrange shots, and when he’s not making them the offense can truly sputter.
With the completely retooled roster, I expect more experimentation from Hollins. I just hope it isn’t as much as last year. I think it was ridiculous how he didn’t have a solid lineup until less than a month before the playoffs. But with this new lineup at least some tinkering has to be expected.
If they keep this roster as it is and make the best of it this season, I don’t see them making the playoffs in all honesty. They’d be in great shape for next season, but that’s not what the Brooklyn fans are thinking about right now. They’re tired of waiting. They’re hungry for wins.
jerry253 August 2015
Most fans seem to be thinking 30-40 wins, even with the belief that Jack is one of the worst PGs in the NBA (based on statistics). We’ll miss Mason’s dunks and athleticism, but won’t miss his lack of offense. We’ll miss the few games of the year when DWill takes over, and his occasional good defense, but not much else. And short of trading Jack and being even worse at PG, the only moves I could see are for Vet Min players, should Boatright or Willie Reed not look like future NBA players, by the start of season. Maybe a Jorge Gutierrez (Bucks already have 15 players under contract) could return, or at least get an invite with some small guarantee.
I’m not expecting the Nets to suffer lots of injuries, which is why other teams may not turn out to be better than the Nets.
And I expect Hollins to have Jack under control, because he has nothing to prove in the starter position. And Jack’s mid range shots are usually good ones, in the paint, that he can create against most teams. When he’s on, they are like free throws. And if he misses, the Nets offensive rebounding will be better than it was early last season.
And I don’t see Hollins doing much experimentation, although I wouldn’t mind if JJ’s minutes were reduced, by not starting. Already 7 of the 14 roster players are returning, and he’s already had Ellington and Reed on his teams before. That leaves Jefferson (already part of the rotation), TRob and Bargs (should have defined roles), Larkin should be the PG off the bench and Boatright should be restricted to the bench except garbage time. Brown, Reed and Karasev should also be out of the rotation, early in the season. I expect Bogs to be starting, with Ellington off the bench, at SG. So if Nets are almost as healthy as ATL was last season, I could see 40-45 wins.