I've been reading far too much negative talk about only landing the #3 pick and all of X, Y, and Z being suddenly unavailable in trade. Cheer up. We get two more tanktastic Nets' seasons to enjoy (before we move on to Grizzwatch, of course). Let's talk about it!
First, some housekeeping. Sean Marks' first big decision was to hire Atlanta assistant Kenny Atkinson as the new head coach. If you read the above remarks from his press conference, he and Marks appear to be filled to the brim with cautious cautionism. Prokhorov is ever-lurking, and the Nets' assets are ever-invisible. Patience is the keyword. Reading between the lines--they expect to suck unless they get lucky. In one breath you can read that Thad and Brook have been told they won't be traded, while at the same time the GM preaches flexibility and openness. My read is that he would trade either in a heartbeat if it meant bringing in some prospects with talent. Stay tuned for June 23--at the Barclays no less.
Speaking of the draft, let's recap where the Nets stand right now. Here is the list of every pick they have in this year's draft: #55. That's it. 55. Will they buy some more? Almost certainly. Can they trade for more? Sure, if they're willing to give up their only two decent players and start entirely from scratch.
Anyway, it's early, but here is what they're looking at for a depth chart entering this offseason:
PG: Kilpatrick
SG: Hollis-Jefferson
SF: Bogdanovich
PF: Young, McCullough
C: Lopez
Jarrett Jack (coming off major injury) and Markel Brown (bad) have team options. Larkin (bad), Ellington (bad), and Robinson (bad) have player options. Also, not that it matters, but they'll still be paying Deron Williams $5mil and change to play somewhere else.
The fans will hang their hats on cap space but let's be honest, nobody near the top tier is signing on for this train wreck, and any trade possibilities are going to be super-limited because they have no picks to offer and the roster is so thin as is. So what can they do? Scour the globe for overlooked Euros, buy as many picks as possible and hope for some miracles, and pick up the free agent scraps in the hopes of at least playing competitive ball in a decent environment while they try to develop what few developable players exist on the roster.
Here's the catch: Brook and Thad played about as well as they ever have last season. Both were iron men and meant almost nothing for team success. This is a team that needs a major influx of outside shooting, capable distribution at the pg position, significant defensive upgrades at the 1 and 3 and generally speaking, more multifaceted players. RHJ is a nice-enough wing prospect but he's a zero on offense. Bogdanovich can blow up every now and then but he's a sieve, and so on. Lopez now and forever doesn't rebound well for his size and often disappears in the 4th quarter. Young is good, but still pretty limited in what he can do well. This is a team that needs a massive makeover, but all they can afford is a manicure on one nail. I think the best they can hope for is something on par with signing Jeremy Lin.
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the bottom of the table, Philadelphia figures to improve. Los Angeles is desperate to improve. Phoenix had a worst case scenario season and still outplayed Brooklyn. Same for New Orleans. Who can the Nets overtake in the East? I don't see any clear opportunities there. Maybe the Nuggets are a possibility out West if they sell off their vet pieces.
Without a serious stroke of good fortune this summer, I just don't see any way Brooklyn doesn't have us right back in the same spot next season, for what is supposed to be a much better draft.
First, some housekeeping. Sean Marks' first big decision was to hire Atlanta assistant Kenny Atkinson as the new head coach. If you read the above remarks from his press conference, he and Marks appear to be filled to the brim with cautious cautionism. Prokhorov is ever-lurking, and the Nets' assets are ever-invisible. Patience is the keyword. Reading between the lines--they expect to suck unless they get lucky. In one breath you can read that Thad and Brook have been told they won't be traded, while at the same time the GM preaches flexibility and openness. My read is that he would trade either in a heartbeat if it meant bringing in some prospects with talent. Stay tuned for June 23--at the Barclays no less.
Speaking of the draft, let's recap where the Nets stand right now. Here is the list of every pick they have in this year's draft: #55. That's it. 55. Will they buy some more? Almost certainly. Can they trade for more? Sure, if they're willing to give up their only two decent players and start entirely from scratch.
Anyway, it's early, but here is what they're looking at for a depth chart entering this offseason:
PG: Kilpatrick
SG: Hollis-Jefferson
SF: Bogdanovich
PF: Young, McCullough
C: Lopez
Jarrett Jack (coming off major injury) and Markel Brown (bad) have team options. Larkin (bad), Ellington (bad), and Robinson (bad) have player options. Also, not that it matters, but they'll still be paying Deron Williams $5mil and change to play somewhere else.
The fans will hang their hats on cap space but let's be honest, nobody near the top tier is signing on for this train wreck, and any trade possibilities are going to be super-limited because they have no picks to offer and the roster is so thin as is. So what can they do? Scour the globe for overlooked Euros, buy as many picks as possible and hope for some miracles, and pick up the free agent scraps in the hopes of at least playing competitive ball in a decent environment while they try to develop what few developable players exist on the roster.
Here's the catch: Brook and Thad played about as well as they ever have last season. Both were iron men and meant almost nothing for team success. This is a team that needs a major influx of outside shooting, capable distribution at the pg position, significant defensive upgrades at the 1 and 3 and generally speaking, more multifaceted players. RHJ is a nice-enough wing prospect but he's a zero on offense. Bogdanovich can blow up every now and then but he's a sieve, and so on. Lopez now and forever doesn't rebound well for his size and often disappears in the 4th quarter. Young is good, but still pretty limited in what he can do well. This is a team that needs a massive makeover, but all they can afford is a manicure on one nail. I think the best they can hope for is something on par with signing Jeremy Lin.
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the bottom of the table, Philadelphia figures to improve. Los Angeles is desperate to improve. Phoenix had a worst case scenario season and still outplayed Brooklyn. Same for New Orleans. Who can the Nets overtake in the East? I don't see any clear opportunities there. Maybe the Nuggets are a possibility out West if they sell off their vet pieces.
Without a serious stroke of good fortune this summer, I just don't see any way Brooklyn doesn't have us right back in the same spot next season, for what is supposed to be a much better draft.