Brooklyn Nets Team Review

 

2021-22 Finish: 18-64

 

Season Highlight:

The 2021/22 season was a tough one for the Nets to say the least so highlights are tempered as you would expect. That said, I think the highlight for this team despite what they had to endure watching the pick they sent to Portland to get Jamal Murray become pick 7, was the positivity they got from the last draft themselves. Make no mistake, the numbers don�t launch of the page by NSL terms but they got some genuine talent last draft. Herb Jones headlines that as he flourished into an NBA starter and while he didn�t get the same role here, he�s widely suggested he would be a high 1^st round pick if the draft was redone only a year later. Dalano Banton too showed plenty of signs as an offensive threat off the bench in the NBA, and somewhat here too, meaning they have some great wing depth going forward.

 

Season Lowlight:

No one trades away their 1^st and then hopes to finish seeded last in their conference, but that�s the unfortunate reality for the Nets last year. The pick was sent out and Murray never took the court to show what a Russell/Murray pairing could do as they slipped to 18 wins and their pick went to number 7, for someone else. Injury can be cruel and the NSL gods just as much.

 

Best Trade:

Nets send: Derrick Jones Jr.
Nets get: Maxi Kleber

The Nets held still for much of the year, but they opened the season with this little gem to get the ball rolling. They needed a big man with Nurkic on the sidelines and Kleber was a solid choice, for an absolute steal of only DJ Jr.

 

Worst Trade:

Nets send: Jeremy Lamb, Jae Crowder, 2022 Pick 34 and 2024 2^nd Rounder
Nets get: Marcus Morris Sr and Khem Birch

This one looked really confusing at the time and basically hasn�t gotten any better. It didn�t seem to improve them much at the time, and would be moot on that same page now, but hey, it�s not a team killer.

 

Other Notable Trades:

Nets send: Ivica Zubac
Nets get: Jae Crowder and 2024 2^nd

Fairly middling trade likely based on need. Zubac much younger and probably cemented himself in the NBA after this deal went down, unfortunately, and now signed an extension while Crowder was then dumped for even less in the above deal.

 

Free Agency:

The Nets free agency on the home front is looking like a small time affair. They have only two expiring guys still on the roster after having renounced Jarrett Culver, Petr Cornelie and James Ennis already, and having made some sweeping trades to bolster the court around the returning Murray. The objective will be simple. Bring back their two guys who should be easy resigns, then use the Full MLE and minimums to fill out the roster.

Jusuf Nurkic � UFA, resigned in the NBA and wants back in here. He�ll be back.

Tyus Jones � UFA, Jones might be extra on a roster with Murray, Melton and Maledon, but he�s a talent and the return should be easy so why not.

 

Star:

D�Angelo Russell

Russell was just traded this past week, but last year with Murray not in the squad the lone standing of their splash pair was nothing short of elite in a losing team. 26/4/4 on the season shooting 43% and suited up for 70 games. He would have made an elite pairing with Murray but it wasn�t to be, and now we will never see it. Russell was a great piece and star of the team but they have now gone in a new direction.

 

Flop:

Watching your pick become a high lottery pick

I know I�ve said this already, but honestly for a team that had as bad a year as the Nets had, I can�t actually point at a direct flop. I don�t think any one player deserved to be named a flop. Murray and his injury alone isn�t a flop, it�s an injury and Beau hit on all his picks IMO, so in the end, the flop has to be that feeling of just watching where your pick that is in someone else�s hands ends up falling in the lottery. Luckily, we�re not talking about Pick #1.

 

Draft Grades:

#50 � Yannick Nzosa

I can�t recall what grade I gave for this in my write up, but for a team that is so full of youth, and some strong veteran pieces also, going after a big man stash that once looked like a lottery pick isn�t a bad choice. There�s not many bad choices at 50 and below though as it�s so hit and miss that you�re more expecting nothing anyway. Nzosa might just come to the NBA down the track and be a rotational big though.

 

The Future:

The Nets future is both now and�well�the future! They�re still sporting all their nice looking kids from last year. Murray is NOT old. Nurkic is in his prime. Melton is a great young PG and Markkanen too is only mid 20s. They can compete this year, possibly be one of the most improved teams in the land, and still look really nice for the future despite also not holding any 2023 picks currently. Development will be key for this team til such time as the picks come back but they have the pieces to develop.

C: Jusuf Nurkic/Khem Birch
PF: Lauri Markkanen/Chimezie Metu
SF: Herb Jones/Dalano Banton
SG: Khris Middleton/Theo Maledon
PG: Jamal Murray/DeAnthony Melton/Tyus Jones