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Brookyln Nets 2018-19 Primer: Treveon Graham brings deep ball threat

By Phil Watson

CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 26: Treveon Graham #21 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 26, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 26: Treveon Graham #21 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 26, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Brooklyn Nets, Treveon Graham
CHARLOTTE, NC – JANUARY 26: Treveon Graham #21 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 26, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Brooklyn Nets signed wing Treveon Graham to a 2-year deal in July after he got caught by a numbers game in Charlotte. His 3-point touch is his ticket.

Treveon Graham beat the odds, sticking in the NBA after being undrafted out of VCU in 2015, and he comes to the Brooklyn Nets with a new two-year deal, a guaranteed salary for this season and what could be a battle to make the final 15-man roster.

Graham played the last two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets after signing with them in July 2016 and he displayed a decent stroke from 3-point range while his role increased dramatically last season after spending his rookie year as a spare part in the rotation.

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In 63 games with the Hornets in 2017-18, Graham knocked down 41.2 percent of his long-range attempts while hitting 43.4 percent overall. But the Hornets didn’t ask for much shooting from Graham. His role was to provide energy and defense off the bench.

Graham averaged only 3.5 shots in 16.7 minutes per game last season, putting up season averages of 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in the process.

That was a big increase in playing time over his rookie year, when he appeared in only 27 games and averaged 7.0 minutes and 2.1 points per game on .475/9-for-15/10-for-15 shooting.

Graham is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, listed as a shooting guard while playing significantly more time at the 3 while with the Hornets. He even played a limited amount of minutes as a small-ball 4, but that is a role capably filled by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and DeMarre Carroll in Brooklyn.

So what you’re left with is a shooting guard who doesn’t shoot much, isn’t a terrific facilitator (just 2.0 assists per 36 minutes last season, 0.9 per game) and played just slightly above replacement level last season (VORP of 0.3, with a box plus-minus of minus-0.9 and a Player Efficiency Rating of just 9.0).

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    • He can cause problems for 2s with his size defensively, but it’s possible he could find himself in a battle of who can be more versatile at the back of the rotation with undrafted rookie Theo Pinson.

    Pinson is a bit smaller, but can handle the ball (he was North Carolina’s de facto point guard last season) and showed a surprising deep touch in Summer League play.

    Graham gives you more size and the ability to give some minutes as a small 4 and he is a 43.8 percent career shooter from 3-point range, so he ostensibly fits into a pace-and-space system with his ability to space the floor.

    Charlotte wasn’t able to keep him, as the Hornets had other priorities with their limited cap space, and Brooklyn swooped in with a two-year, $3.15 million deal that included a guaranteed $1.51 million for this season.

    The Nets have 15 guaranteed contracts with training camp roughly two weeks away, so that aspect favors Graham sticking when the regular season opens on Oct. 17.

    But if Pinson or one of Brooklyn’s two other non-guaranteed undrafted rookies (point guard Jordan McLaughlin and Australian wing Mitch Creek) has an impressive camp and preseason, Graham would appear to be the Net most likely to wind up on the bubble.

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    For a guy who made it into a regular rotation spot after not being drafted, it’s a position Graham already has fought his way from a number of times.