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Why Mike Muscala is Ideal Fit on Brooklyn Nets

By Christian Milcos

Nov 30, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the Super Mario Brothers tattoo on the shoulder of Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Muscala against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Hawks 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the Super Mario Brothers tattoo on the shoulder of Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Muscala against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Hawks 109-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Muscala (31) boxes out Detroit Pistons forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Mike Muscala (31) boxes out Detroit Pistons forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Versatility

Even at 25, Muscala’s versatility on both sides of the court will allow him to break out at any time. Despite being seven feet, he does not shy away from letting the ball fly from behind the arc. He attempted 1.6 threes a game this season, which equates to attempting a similar number of threes a contest as Karl Anthony-Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Harrison Barnes did per 36 minutes. Most importantly, he shot an efficient 41 percent from behind the arc this season, in addition to boasting a 38 percent career mark from three-point land.

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This demonstrates Muscala possesses the single most important trait for modern day NBA centers to have. He is a perfect fit for any offensive system that involves a lot of spacing, which both the Nets and Hawks utilize. This is no coincidence, as Atkinson uses several aspects of his former boss’ system in Brooklyn. As a result, there is a possibility both Atkinson and Budenholzer will be vying for the Minnesota native’s services in July.

Muscala can be plugged in at a couple of different positions. His seven-foot frame would lead one to believe he is a center. However, he played some four during Paul Millsap’s absence in December.

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In analyzing his fit with Brooklyn, a lineup of including him and Brook Lopez may be too slow and would potentially be inept in the rebounding department. Lineups pairing Muscala with a high energy big such as Acy or Trevor Booker would be intriguing. In this scenario, Muscala would be able to handle scoring in a variety of ways.

Defensively, Muscala is fairly average, compared to players who see the same amount of action as he does.  He defended 7.8 field goals a game this past season, and opponents connected on 45 percent of those attempts. While this is certainly a step back from his Patriot League Player of the Year status in college, it is not particularly awful. Muscala shows flashes of athleticism, which is a key trait for staying in front of mobile big men. As he develops his body, Muscala should be able to improve or at the very minimum and maintain the status-quo defensively.