Yeah, we\u2019re a little late but there\u2019s a lot to ponder.<\/p>\n
The end of the Brooklyn Nets two summer leagues, coinciding with the start of free agency, seems like a good time to assess things. The Nets could make a move yet and LeBron James hasn\u2019t made his decision.<\/p>\n
Just Saturday, the New York Knicks tendered an offer sheet to the Dallas Mavericks for Moussa Cisse, a 6\u201911\u201d 23-year-old center, only to see it matched hours later. On Sunday, the Mavs, Thunder and Hawks did a three-way swap that sent All-Defensive Wing Lu Dort from OKC to Atlanta, former overall No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta to the Dallas, Ryan Nemhard from Dallas to Atlanta and multiple draft picks, what else?, to OKC.<\/p>\n
Also, the Nets won\u2019t play now for nearly three months, sometime the first week of October when training camp and preseason open. So where are we?<\/p>\n
The Nets two lottery picks from 2025 and 2026, acquired as the centerpieces of a two-year long rebuild, have looked as Summer League head coach Dutch Gaitley said of Mikel Brown Jr., \u201celectric\u201d both as individuals, one coming off a development spree, the other a prized newcomer, AND as a fit, aka the \u201cAura Bros\u201d as fan described them \u2026 a sobriquet Egor Demin seems to like. The organization is already taking advantage of the connection in a stream of recent social media. Why not? And the Nets do still hold the trademark to \u201cBrooklyn\u2019s Backcourt\u201d if not Aura Bros\u2026<\/p>\n
Michael Porter Jr., in comments we noted Saturday, seems quite happy with the Nets, offering to recruit Peyton Watson and praising what the organization is building. The recent back-and-forth mostly on the timing of negotiations on an extension seem the normal NBA foreplay than evidence of some split.<\/p>\n
Julius Randle who did average 21, 7 and 5 in 79 games, all starts, last season is all-in on his newest home, thirsting for a leadership role and, per Brown Jr., encouraging him already, telling him he expects the team to \u201cshock the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Nets have rewarded the hard work of Day\u2019Ron Sharpe, giving him a new (and reasonable) contract as well as apparently the starting 5 spot come October now that Nic Claxton is gone. They also added Moe Wagner as a backup, too, although he hasn\u2019t signed yet.<\/p>\n
Chaney Johnson had a breakout in the Summer League, leading all Vegas in steals at 3.3 per game while finishing only behind the Aura Bros in scoring and leading the Nets in rebounding.<\/p>\n
Well, there\u2019s where it gets dicey. Yes, Josh Minott is a good gamble at 23 years old and Keon Ellis fills a need and brings quintessential 3-and-D numbers, but after that big list, things begin to slip from the positive into the negative or at least mediocre,<\/p>\n
Two of the Flatbush 5 seem to have regressed based on their summer league performances. Drake Powell had a 1-of-28 shooting slump followed by a 4-of-6 3-point effort followed by a 1-of-6 outing, including 0-of-4 from deep. Where\u2019s that SMH emoji?<\/p>\n
Danny Wolf had some bright spots, averaging a little less that 10 points, a little more than six rebounds, across four appearances for Brooklyn. He did struggle, as he did last year, from deep, going 0-for-6 in his last two games before Friday, then didn\u2019t take a three at all in that one. His passing potential has been hurt by his turnovers. In Friday\u2019s game, he had two assists and a whopping five turnovers in 18:35, a few of them of early when the Rockets took charge.<\/p>\n
Ben Saraf\u2019s game has seemed to stabilize at the level we saw year with some kudos on his defense coming from Jordi Fernandez. There was no breakout. We didn\u2019t get to see Nolan Traore at all. He\u2019s rehabbing from a \u2018scope on his left knee. Not exactly encouraging across the board. Yes, you can argue, \u201cwhat do you expect from players taken in the back half and deep in the first round?\u201d More. Development and scouting are crucial for a team whose strategy is based on garnering draft picks for an organic regrowth.<\/p>\n
That Johnson has advanced so while Powell and Wolf hit road blocks says both positive and negative things about the Nets.<\/p>\n
The lack of rim protection and rim running. Sharpe deserves his shot and his forte\u2019 \u2014 indeed historical value \u2014 are about rebounding and offensive rebounding in particular. He is not about blocking shots and looking down the depth chart at the 5, he is not alone. Nic Claxton\u2019s shot blocking may have declined from 2.5 per game to 1.1 over the last four years but he had that skill. You can also argue, if you wish, that the Nets will be more physical, more defensive-oriented, and that will compensate. Maybe.<\/p>\n
At this moment, the lack of offense in general off the bench should be worrisome. The first players off the bench this season likely will be some version of Noah Clowney, Josh Minott, Terance Mann, Keon Ellis, Moe Wagner. Maybe one of the other rookies will get minutes: Joshua Jefferson or Tyler Bilodeau who\u2019s on a two-way deal. Clowney, 22, and Minott, 23, are the only ones who have any real potential to throw up some points in a hurry and both are young and inexperienced while the role seems daunting, based on past history. The Nets bench to any offensive credibility, there will have to be a breakout and a breakout is always a surprise.<\/p>\n
Good things can happen. Late trades get done. Players surprise \u2026 in good ways. Moves get made at the deadline. Pray for good health! But as we\u2019ve noted, while the tank is over, the rebuild is not, as the off-season showed. The Nets have made some improvements, particularly in the starting lineup as long as the Aura Bros. play as well as we expect. MPJ and Randle are both capable 20-point scorers if both are always a bit controversial.<\/p>\n
Could the Nets have been more aggressive? Done either of those weekend deals? Probably, but how much more since we don\u2019t know any details of any proposal, it\u2019s hard to debate. Frustrating but only in fan discussions. How much it really matters won\u2019t come known until the fall. They did keep their flexibility, mostly manifest in that cache of draft assets.<\/p>\n
It is getting easier to debate where we think the team will stand starting in October. As Bobby Marks has said, we are entering the time when all GMs love their roster and how it fits their strategy, a phase that usually lasts till the end of the first third of the season which simultaneously falls around the unofficial beginning of trade season on December 15. Sean Marks (no relation) said something this week that matches what Bobby said, \u201cI like the roster we have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course fans\u2019 opinions are different with most wanting more wins now but others willing to show some patience over a longer run. None want a replay of last season. The Nets didn\u2019t overpromise like the Mets nor simply promise, like the Jets who won their last title the month before Julius Erving turned 13. You can have you own opinion and we\u2019ll all set our crystal balls up for late September.<\/p>\n
Jordi wants a career in Brooklyn<\/p>\n
Jordi Fernandez has won only 46 games in his two years as NBA coach, but has won plaudits from his and other teams\u2019 players and coaches for developing young players \u2014 and holding things together during a tank. Now, his priority is winning.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, Fernandez, a native of Spain and Catalonia\u2019s basketball-mad city of Badalona, was honored by his hometown as its \u201cnative son,\u201d an award the Nets coach cherished. He is the first Spanish-born head coach in the NBA, of course. He also a native of Catalonia, the autonomous republic in Spain\u2019s north east whose capital is Barcelona one of the world\u2019s great cities.<\/p>\n
In receiving the award, he spoke to the media and told local reporters this, thanking among others the Nets and added this\u2026<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cI hope to retire with the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA.\u201d<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s NBA, of course, that would be a very big deal. Fernandez is in his early 40s with a career that could with good fortune stretch into the 2040s. It doesn\u2019t happen anymore unless you win multiple championships like Gregg Popovich or Steve Kerr. We assume Fernandez is well aware of the record!<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a Fernandez acolyte from Catalonia, tweeted out his thanks to the Nets for giving him an opportunity as one of the team\u2019s \u201cguest coaches.\u201d For several years, unpublicized, the Nets have invited young international coaches to join the Summer League staff\u2026<\/p>\n
Boris Balibrea is currently the head coach of GTK Gliwice, one of Poland\u2019s top teams. He is seen as one of Europe\u2019s top young basketball minds, having been coach of the year twice in Sweden and once in the Alpe Adria league in central Europe\u2019s alpine region. He\u2019s currently the head coach of Sweden\u2019s national team and has also coached elsewhere in Euope, Africa and China.<\/p>\n
Last year, the guest coaches included another Catalonian, Spanish league legend Anna Cruz.<\/p>\n
Nets fans of a certain age and era understand that geopolitics can interfere in the world of basketball. Mikhail Prokhorov, the team\u2019s Russian owner for nine years, sold the team in part because of pressures from Moscow and Vladimir Putin after the U.S. heavily sanctioned Russia following its 2014 invasion of Crimea. So it\u2019s always wise to monitor what\u2019s going on between the U.S. and China. Although neither Joe Tsai nor his Kansas-born wife, Clara Wu Tsai, are citizens of China, Alibaba, the company Tsai helped found is one of China\u2019s biggest and best known companies.<\/p>\n