Brooklyn Nets: offseason upgrades by position
By Rohan Dang
The Brooklyn Nets were the worst team in the NBA in the 2016-2017 season. As the off-season approaches, the Nets must look to improve in any and every way possible.
As the NBA playoffs continue to chug along, the Brooklyn Nets must watch with envy on the sidelines, as they continue to plot their way into next years post-season. While they are in desperate need of talent in any form, certain positions definitely require more attention than others, whether it be due to depth, talent or something else.
The Backcourt
Point Guard
Starter: Jeremy Lin
Backup: Isaiah Whitehead
This past season’s point guard woes are well documented; Jeremy Lin missed nearly half the season and between rookie Isaiah Whitehead and the various point guards Kenny Atkinson cycled through, the position of floor general lacked consistency and quality.
However Lin won’t be injured every season and with two years (next season is a player option) to go on a sizable contract, the position of starting point guard for the Brooklyn Nets seems locked up.
That being said, should Steph Curry decide Brooklyn is his true calling, by all means offer that man a contract and let’s win a championship. However realistically speaking, the Nets neither need a point guard, nor is there an extremely exciting match for them in free agency.
They could look to the draft to add a young point guard with high upside, however given other, more pressing holes to fill, that might not be the best move.
Shooting Guard
Starter: Randy Foye
Backup: Sean Kilpatrick
Flashback to 2012, and Brooklyn’s Backcourt was the pride of the team. Fresh off a location change and a re-branding courtesy of global icon Jay-Z, the Brooklyn Nets added Joe Johnson and extended Deron Williams’s contract to form an elite and formidable duo. A title was coming to Brooklyn.
Unfortunately the Nets came up extremely short of these lofty expectations, and both members of the back court were eventually bought out of their contracts, a tragic end to a very hopeful beginning.
In the first full season without Joe Johnson, Atkinson tried a number of different options at the 2 before eventually settling with Randy Foye. At 33 he’s not the ideal starting shooting guard for a team focused on youth and rebuilding.
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Sean Kilpatrick was a solid option for the Nets off the bench, however he is getting his first real NBA experience at 27 years old and will not develop into the star guard that can bring Brooklyn back into the playoffs (fingers crossed that he proves otherwise). His role as the spark-plug scorer suits him greatly however, and if the Nets can add a starter like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Tim Hardaway Jr to the roster will benefit the team greatly.
Unfortunately, both players listed above are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams have the option to match any contract offered (and reports have said they plan on), so whether Brooklyn can land them this offseason remains to be seen.
Regardless, the position of shooting guard should be a key focus for Marks and co. in the upcoming months, whether via draft, trade, or free agency.