Brooklyn Nets: Evaluating Mitch Creek’s chances at a roster spot

According to a report, the Brooklyn Nets are going to invite Australian wing Mitch Creek to training camp. Can the 26-year-old make the opening-nght roster?

According to a report, the Brooklyn Nets will sign Australian shooting guard Mitch Creek to a non-guaranteed contract and invite him to training camp this fall.

The Sporting News-Australia reported Friday that Creek’s deal will include an Exhibit 10 clause, whch would allow the Nets to convert the deal to a two-way contract.

Creek played earlier this month with the Dallas Mavericks’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League.

The report tracks with an earlier report from Fox Sports Australia’s Olgun Ulic, who reported Creek had exercised his opt-out clause in his deal with German club S. Oliver Wurzburg.

Creek had signed with Wurzberg after finishing last season with BG Goettingen in the German Bundesliga.

That came after seven seasons with the Adelaide 36ers, who Creek helped to the Grand Final in Australia’s National Basketball League in the fall.

The Advertiser Sport in Adelaide reported the 36ers will seek compenation from the Nets for losing Creek, who was a second-team All-NBL selection last season.

Creek is not a traditional NBA wing in that he is not a 3-point shooter, averaging just 1.1 attempts per game in seven seasons with the 36ers and taking seven in seven games with Goettringen last season.

Creek is, however, extremely efficient with his shooting, getting to the rim and finishing, while also providing tough defense at the other end. At 6-foot-5 and 198 pounds, Creek turned some heads in Vegas.

Creek had been actively seeking a chance to play in the NBA after going undrafted when he was eligible in 2014. He was a much more comfortable, confident player in Summer League this year than he was with the Utah Jazz in 2017, something he admitted to Kane Pitman of Australia’s Pick and Roll.

"Last year I was really nervous and I didn’t know what to expert. This year, I felt completely different. You just have to stay mentally ready every single time. You can sit for a quarter or two and then you have to go in and play hard."

Creek started three games for the Mavericks in Las Vegas and played in five in total, averaging 6.0 points and 5.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game on .433/0-for-6/8-for-10 shooting.

He also earned some praise from Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle for his hard-nosed style.

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Creek has no illusions about his style of play.

"I’m going to attack the rim. If I’m open, I’m going to shoot it. I’m going to play defense first and dive on a loose ball. I want to challenge guys physically and if I can do that, then that’s me helping the team."

While Creek isn’t a prolific 3-point shooter, inside the arc he generally makes what he takes. In 38 games in Australia and Germany last season, Creek shot 60.3 percent overall and was a sizzling 64.1 percent shooter inside the arc. His overall slash line was .603/.325/.754.

He averaged 14.3 points per game in total to go with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 27.4 minutes a game.

For his seven-year pro career, Creek is a .543/.355/.696 shooter, although last season he improved at the free-throw line to a career-best 75.4 percent while also taking a career-high 175 attempts.

Creek would bring more toughness to the Nets, particularly in the backcourt, something that was lacking last season. The question of whether or not he can make the roster will depend on how his style fits in Brooklyn’s pace-and-space offense.

But if he shows potential in camp and the preseason, the Exhibit 10 attachment would allow Brooklyn to get him on a two-way, where Creek could adapt to the U.S. style of play with the Long Island Nets while also getting 45 days to taste NBA life.