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The Brooklyn Nets shouldn’t stash their first round draft picks

By Andrew Hughes

Mar 24, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Sean Marks general manager of the Brooklyn Nets talks at a press conference announcing the Long Island Nets D League team before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Sean Marks general manager of the Brooklyn Nets talks at a press conference announcing the Long Island Nets D League team before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Brooklyn Nets have multiple draft picks during this year’s NBA Draft. Whoever they select should be suited up in a Nets uniform next season.

Sean Marks has a pivotal draft ahead of him. He does not have the number one overall pick in the draft because of the mistakes of his predecessor. He instead has the #27 pick, via a swap with the Boston Celtics, and the #22 pick via a trade deadline deal with the Washington Wizards.

There may not be franchise-changing talent in the last ten picks of the lottery. Marks could, however, grab rotational pieces that can grow within Kenny Atkinson’s system for years to come.

The Nets have been linked to several intriguing big-men prospects. The team has looked at Anzejs Pasecniks and Isaiah Hartenstein, among other international bigs. They were looking at Jonathan Jeanne before a heart condition put his draft status in doubt.

All three players project as projects. They all possess raw skills but lack polish. None of them have played extended minutes overseas and are considered first round talent based off of their athleticism and the eye test.

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The Nets need size. Their big man rotation last season included several undersized forwards playing upfront, such as Trevor Booker and Quincy Acy. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a 6-foot-7 wing, was the team’s starting power forward to end the season.

In this era of small-ball, having two 7-footers in the starting lineup is no longer a necessity. The position-less nature of today’s game lends to wings playing at the 4-spot. The Nets don’t have an able big body besides Brook Lopez, though. That may change on June 22nd.

The Nets very well may add a big-man from overseas. Their prospect may be raw and quite frankly unready for the physicality of the NBA.

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That doesn’t matter. The team should not stash their draft pick overseas.

There’s a good possibility the Nets use one, if not both of their selections on a prospect who played in the NCAA. If they do, the player would likely join either the pro team or the G-League affiliate Long Island Nets.

If they opt for an overseas big-man, the possibility has been raised of stashing their pick. That would be a waste of the Nets time and resources.

An incoming rookie has no greater asset than being able to train with NBA coaches. That is the best way for a player to improve. Spending a year overseas, if anything, keeps a player from bettering themselves against NBA competition.

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In the case of the Nets, they have time. They are in no rush to be great or even good. The team can bring along their prospects slowly. We saw them, do that last season with Caris LeVert.

We also saw them throw rookie Isaiah Whitehead into the fire when Jeremy Lin got injured. That is why a team acquires young talent. They have upside and potential and are a better option to give extended minutes to than a veteran with a limited ceiling.

The Nets are in no position to stash any draft picks. they need all the help they can get. If they draft an international big, they should bring him over immediately. At the very least they can learn the motion offense with the Long Island Nets, who run the same system as the pro team.