2019-2020 Finish:

34-48, 11^th in Eastern Conference

Season Highlight:

A playoff miss by 3 games was, definitely, a disappointment for Breece and the Nets. The likes of up and coming bigs, coupled with young guns like Jarrett Culver had Brooklyn looking to sneak in and give a top seed a run for their money. Unfortunately, their bench could not help get them over the hump and into the postseason. Jamal Murray and crew will be back in 2020 after Murray’s impressive bubble run with their eyes on another shot at the playoffs.

Season Lowlight:           

It has to be… missing the playoffs. Not to be redundant, but Breece has a squad that should be in contention for the post-season, and I think he’s confident they can make it in 2020. Expect a move to bolster their bench a little if Breece really wants to make a run. Going 3-7 in their last 10 was a punch to the gut, especially in restrospect when Brooklyn found themselves on the outside looking in by just 3 games.

Best Trade:

The Brooklyn Nets send Reggie Bullock to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Portland Trail Blazers send Jamal Murray to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets send a 1st-Rounder (Bkn) and 2nd-Rounder (Bkn) to the Golden State Warriors. The Brooklyn Nets send a 1st-Rounder (Bkn), 1st-Rounder (Bkn) and 2nd-Rounder (Bkn) to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Golden State Warriors send a 1st-Rounder (Sac) to the Brooklyn Nets. The Golden State Warriors send a 1st-Rounder (GS) and 1st-Rounder (GS) to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Portland Trail Blazers send a 2nd-Rounder (Cle) to the Golden State Warriors.

I don’t care if Brooklyn gave up 75 first round picks. They identified their guy, and went to go get him. Jamal’s explosion in the bubble had to have Breece sippin’ on a great drink with his feet kicked back. Jamal Murray should be the cornerstone player in Brooklyn for years to come, given nothing crazy happens. Atta boy, Breece.

Worst Trade:       

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that there are no trades that deserve to be in this section. Breece was methodical all year, and even got decent value for Jared Dudley who we all know is worth nothing. Getting anyone who can walk for Dudley is a good get, in my opinion at this stage in his career.

Other notable trades:

The Brooklyn Nets send Willie Cauley-Stein and Johnathan Williams to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Portland Trail Blazers send Jakob Poeltl to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets send a 2nd-Rounder (Pho) and 2nd-Rounder (Bkn) to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Some may disagree here due to Willie’s athleticism, but I *really* like the get of Poeltl here for the Nets. I assume Poeltl will be a big priority for Breece in free agency, and assuming he is able to retain him, having a 7’ 1” guy on your roster is never a bad idea, especially for 2K. Poeltl’s contact in the NBA is only a cap hit of about $8M anyway, which is a value for a 7 footer who is still only 25, even though it feels like he’s been in the league for a century, at least for me.

Free Agency:

(Notable) UFA:

·         Justin Holiday – I honestly think Breece may let Holiday walk. His contract isn’t *too* bad, now that he resigned with Indiana for 3 years, $18.8M, but I think he can get similar production from elsewhere for a bit better of a price, and maybe a little more versatility. Breece only played Holiday for 20 MPG anywaylast year, and he has the poor guy wearing number 80 for Pete’s Sake.

(Notable) RFA:

·         Jakob Poeltl – I feel like I already ruined the Poeltl highlight here, but he’s a must retain for Breece, in my opinion. Without Poeltl, a front court consisting of Drummond, Kelly Olynyk and … Thad Young doesn’t seem like it can get it done for Breece, but I’ve been wrong before.

·         DeAndre Bembry – DeAndre signed an exceptional value contract with the Raptors in the NBA, 2 years for $3.7M. this seems like a no brainer for me too to fill out the roster. I expect Breece to make a run at retaining Bembry if he has the assets to make it happen.

Star:

Only because Murray was acquired after the season does ‘Dre get the nod here. The double-double machine that is Drummond started 70 games, shot 61% from the FT line, and put up 13 points and 15 boards a game. Pretty easily the MVP of this Nets team, for me. Not to mention his defensive presence, tallying 1.6 blocks and almost 2 steals a game.

Goat:

Hate to put a rookie on blast here… but it’s Jarrett Culver for me. Mainly for his lack of efficiency, though, so we can’t be too hard on him. He did start to play better in the NBA the second half of the year before the shutdown, but percentage splits of 37, 31 and 51 are simply not going to get it done for the type of player Culver is projected to be. He’d be extremely more impactful simply if he increases his efficiency from the line, which of course is a big if. Expect Culver to impress out of the gates in year two, or Breece could look to find someone who likes Culver a bit more than what he’s showed so far.

Draft Grade:

B-, Theo Maledon @ 25 overall

So, I personally am not a huge fan of Theo Maledon, especially @ 25 when he went 9 picks later in the NBA draft. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad pick. Theo is just 19, has professional experience, and has good size for a point. He’s on the same team now as Aleksej Pokusevski, so OKC is definitely invested in developing these guys. Even if Theo doesn’t become an all-star, I believe he’ll be a solid player for years to come due to his experience at a young age, and his size.

The Future:

With a budding superstar in Murray, and some nice players to fill out the roster alongside him, The Nets seems to be headed in the right direction. Brooklyn is lacking appetizing future assets that could help them build their core, as their next first round pick isn’t until 2022, and it’s the Blazers pick. Again, though, Murray makes that move worth it. He’s young enough to sit on for quite a while. Shot making from Russell, Murray and Culver will determine the Nets success this year, but I think they are in a better position than when they started in the NSL.