Brooklyn Nets 2017-2018 Player Grades: DeMarre Carroll

DeMarre Carroll was considered a salary dump when he was acquired by the Brooklyn Nets last summer. Not only did he prove that theory wrong, he had the best season of his career. He surpassed all expectations and was a top player for the Nets. The veteran forward deserves an A- for his play this past season.

DeMarre Carroll was a major reason for Brooklyn’s success this season. Yes, the Nets did face another disappointing year but they improved and showed signs of a bright future.

Brooklyn’s first half of the 2017-2018 season did not go smoothly. The Nets lost point guard Jeremy Lin for the season after he went down late in the season opener with a knee injury. Just one month later, the Nets lose another point guard with a knee injury. This time it was D’Angelo Russell. His knee injury would lead to arthroscopic surgery, sidelining him for a couple months.

Despite Brooklyn’s injury woes, Carroll remained healthy and missed five of the first 41 games. He helped the Nets power through and keep playing strong.

During the second half of the season, Carroll helped the Nets keep their heads high and play hard. The veteran small forward’s play this past season was excellent and a career year. He doubled his career averages while playing lower amounts of minutes: 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and two assists per game. These statistics show Carroll’s role with the Nets as a better fit than his time compared to his time in Toronto .

On the offensive end of the floor, Carroll did a great job grabbing rebounds. The 6’8 forward would aggressively fight for offensive rebounds leading to put back attempts or a new shot clock.

Driving to the basket is one of Carroll’s go-to offensive moves. He loves to drive down the lane and force contact. Carroll excels at driving to the hole commonly forcing opposing defenders to foul or laying in an acrobatic lay-up or dunk.

The veteran forward has great confidence in shooting the three-ball. Carroll has shown shooting the three-ball is a dangerous tool in his arsenal. In clutch situations whether the Nets are up or trailing, the Nets can trust Carroll to shoot the three if he’s open. Carroll shot 37.1 percent from three this past season.

On January 19th, Carroll scored a career high 26 points against the Miami Heat. He shot three-for-five from behind the arc and nine-for-12 from the field.

On the defensive end, Carroll stands his ground and guards opposing forwards well. He has taken a veteran approach on the defense when choosing which players to guard. The veteran forward has guarded over-sized players and even played center in short spurts. The confidence in his defensive game and offering to guard miss-matches shows veteran leadership for his young Nets teammates.

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Veteran leadership is a part of Carroll’s game that often goes unnoticed. The Nets do not have many veterans on their roster. Carroll, 31, is the second oldest player on the Nets roster trailing Timofey Mozgov by only 11 days.

The Nets have a lot of young talent that needed a leader to show them the ropes and learn from. Carroll has done a tremendous job mentoring the young Nets players. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has learned a lot off of Carroll’s play and motivated him to play hard per Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily.

"“I like how DeMarre always played. His work ethic is good, he’s a leader. Sometimes with his accent, we don’t know what he’s saying, but his intent is in the right place,” said Rondae Hollis-Jefferson looking two lockers over and laughing towards Carroll.”"

The veteran’s leadership and experience does not just go towards the Nets front-court; Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell appreciates Carroll’s leadership.

"“That leadership role, that voice, that experience. He brings a lot to the team. We appreciate it, you know, we can just be a young team with no veteran guys. [We’re] fortunate enough to have a guy like him. [He’s] been through it, been around Kenny [Atkinson] for a long time, knows what Kenny wants, and kind of dumbs down the message whenever he gets the message from Kenny. He has that experience, credibility, so when I ask him something he’s been there, done that.”"

Carroll has a lot of NBA experience packed into his eight years in the league. He has been to multiple playoff series most notably the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Yes, the Nets are a long way from making a postseason run but Carroll has the work ethic and determination it takes to win.

His veteran leadership was most noticed towards the end of the season. The Nets were eliminated from playoff contention with close to 15 games left to play. It is difficult for a young team to maintain effort when no playoffs are in sight. Carroll motivated his teammates to finish out the season strong and play hard, which they did. The Nets finished their season winning three of their final five games, and ended with a 28-54 record.

Next: Brooklyn Nets 2017-2018 Player Grades: Caris LeVert

Despite another losing season for Brooklyn, Carroll helped showed the Nets fan’s that a long awaited bright future is soon to come.

2017-2018 Player Grade: A-