Main Takeaways From Brooklyn Nets’ End-of-Season Press Conference
By Charles Daye
Other Takeaways
They called Brook Lopez elite.
Both Marks and Atkinson praised Brook Lopez to start the press conference. However, they did not recite stats like his 20.5 points per game, and Marks called Lopez “elite.”
"“Well Brook, in I think both of our minds is one of the elite centers in the league. There’s no question there and you look at the way his game has translated. Not only under Kenny’s system but what he’s done in the offseason,” Marks said. “I knew he was a heck of a player. I never though Brook wasn’t. He’s shown throughout his career he’s been able to adapt.”"
Lopez adapted to Atkinson’s system by shooting a career-best 34.6 percent from deep and becoming the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. He also joined an exclusive NBA club of players with 100 three-pointers and 100 blocks in one season.
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LeVert epitomizes a Brooklyn Net.
Caris LeVert was Sean Marks’ first draft pick as Nets GM and the first step in a long rebuild for the team. When asked about his first selection, Marks had nothing but high praise for the guard out of Michigan.
"“When Kenny and I sat and interviewed Caris, and you know we left the interview and said ‘that’s a Brooklyn Net right there.’ It was honestly that simple. We watched him in college a lot. I had a little more to do with it than Kenny had, but again, when you’re evaluating a player with our first draft pick, he epitomizes everything we wanted: hardworking, great work ethic, a heck of a player and probably a little undervalued.”"
LeVert averaged 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.7 minutes through 57 games, with 26 starts. Among rookies, he finished 10th in points per game, 10th in rebounds per game, sixth in steals per game and ninth in minutes. Not bad for the 20th overall pick.
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Spread love; it’s the Brooklyn Way.
Isaiah Whitehead was expected to start his rookie season in the D-League. However, injuries made the Nets’ guard positions extremely thin. This gave the Brooklyn native the opportunity of his lifetime. Whitehead played in 73 games and averaged 7.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest. Atkinson praised the rookie for his quick progress in the league, as well as his versatility.
"“I was really happy with his progress. I think in the beginning there were some struggles, but he adapted pretty quickly. We love his toughness, we like his grit. I really think he showed us he can play pretty much three positions in this league. Point guard, I think he can play two (guard), and I think he can play some three (small forward). We put him on Jimmy Butler at the end of the season because of his size. I think that was huge progress defensively.”"
Atkinson continued, “offensively he improved his passing, his catch-and-shoot game got better, but I think he’s got strides to make, especially finishing at the rim because he’s an attack player.”
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The Nets head coach also said the “Brooklyn Cyclone” needs to improve his shooting, but insisted that he has made “tremendous strides” to become one of the “top six or seven guys” on the team. Atkinson commented, “at the end of the day, that’s quite an accomplishment.”