Brooklyn Nets: 3 takeaways from Summer League-opening loss to Dallas

Young vets show some new bulk

The offseason mandate for some of the younger players with the Brooklyn Nets was to add some size and strength, and the Nets’ Summer League roster reflected that.

Center Jarrett Allen is listed at 246 pounds, up from 237 last season. Rodions Kurucs has gone from 211 pounds to 222 and Dzanan Musa has swollen up from 193 pounds on draft night last season to 213 as Summer League play opened.

It was perhaps most noticeable that Musa has added some strength, as his shoulders are markedly bigger and broader. That can’t do anything but help him and his aggressive driving style of play to gain more strength in the upper body.

Allen played 29 minutes Friday and finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting to go with eight rebounds and three blocks.

https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1147298246152167424

But his quest to stretch his shooting range is still a work in progress. He misfired on both of his 3-point attempts, a long jumper from above the break and a right-corner 3, both in the first half.

Kurucs was very aggressive — surprise! — and finished with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and hit 1-of-2 from deep, but his free-throw shooting yips from late last season haven’t abated, as he was just 1-for-4 from the stripe. Kurucs had seven boards as well.

Kurucs finished last season with a 78.3 percent mark at the foul line, going 72-for-92 on the season. But after going 50-for-56 through Jan. 31 (89.3 percent), Kurucs was just 22-for-36 (61.1 percent) the rest of the way before going 7-for-9 (77.8 percent) in the playoffs.

But the other two young veterans had some trouble getting shots to go down. Musa had 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting, hitting 2-of-7 from deep, while Theo Pinson was just 3-for-9 — 3-for-7 from long range — and finished with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists … and six turnovers.