Nothin' But Nets
Fansided

Wanted: a floor spacing big man

By William Berthold

BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 8: Trevor Booker #35 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the game on April 8, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 8: Trevor Booker #35 of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the game on April 8, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Wanted for immediate hire: basketball player of 6-9 or above height, competent three point shooter, NBA experience preferred but not required. Must be comfortable working and living in New York City, especially Brooklyn. Serious inquiries only. 

The confines of traditional player positions are rapidly becoming blurred in today’s NBA.

Gone is the seven-foot center who commands the ball on the low post. The power forward who rebounds and acts as an enforcer through sheer intimidation is going the way of the dinosaur.

Positions are now labeled by heights and skills rather than numbers.

In a recent interview with SB Nations’ Kristian Winefield, Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson provided a glimpse into his thought process on positions.

"“I think Brad Stevens (head coach Boston Celtics) said this the other day. We don’t even look at the roster like 1-2-3-4-5,” revealed Atkinson. “We have our smalls, our perimeters that can handle the ball. Then we have our wings. Then you have your shooting bigs and your rolling bigs.”"

As currently constructed, Brooklyn’s roster is problematic. They lack those shooting bigs, Atkinson references. Take a look at some glaring statistics by Nets bigs from a season ago.

Player                                        3PTM-3PTA     3PT%

Quincy Acy                                37-90                .411

Trevor Booker                          25-78                .321

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson       15-67                .224

Andrew Nicholson                  5-27                  .185

Timofey Mozgov                     0-1                     .000

Bigs on the Nets roster shot a combined 31.2% from three point territory last season. The inclusion of Acy as a big is debatable. Remove the 6-7 swingman’s statistics and the shooting percentage falls to just 26%. This does not translate to success.

Although a big, first round pick Jarrett Allen is not expected to contribute from long range. The rookie failed on all seven three point attempts on the collegiate level last year as a member of the Texas Longhorns.

If Nets bigs are unable to stretch the floor, then the team’s strength, its wings and ball handlers, will be in for a difficult time.

The problem is Brooklyn’s wings and ball handlers are not great three point shooters either. During the Nets five Las Vegas Summer League games, the foursome of Caris LeVert, Isaiah Whitehead, Spencer Dinwiddie and Archie Goodwin shot a combined 25% (18-72) from three.

Last season Joe Harris led all Nets shooting 38.5% from deep, followed by Jeremy Lin at 37.2%.

This complicates matters. Defenses can sag off perimeter players if the outside shot is not falling. This clogs the lane, making dribble penetration and offensive rebounding a difficult task.

Hollis-Jefferson got some run at center during Brooklyn’s summer league game against Lonzo Ball’s Lakers. Atkinson could be forced to go small often this season with newly acquired DeMarre Carroll playing the role of a floor spacing bigs. Having Carroll, a 6-8 career forward, play the five would not be ideal defensively and will hurt the Nets on the glass.

Brooklyn did get contributions in Las Vegas from 6-8 Nathan Boothe, who shot 7-22 (31.2%) from three. Boothe however projects as more of a G-League project than a full time contributor.

Next: Free Agency is still going, who could be on the Nets' radar?

It is still the off-season, so all NBA rosters are a work in progress. Brooklyn’s roster is no different.

Still, it be nice to enter the season with a big who could stretch the floor. As of now the Nets lack that skill set.