The Brooklyn Nets open their season Wednesday in Minnesota. Following a loud offseason that brought plenty of new faces, the team faces a different narrative than years past.
Coming off the biggest offseason in franchise history, the Brooklyn Nets enter the 2019-2020 season with something they have not had in recent years: high expectations.
The acquisitions of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have generated a buzz around the new-look Nets. Several new pieces will have to fit into place as Brooklyn starts a new era.
Offseason Review
Acquisitions:
- Kevin Durant
- Kyrie Irving
- DeAndre Jordan
- Taurean Prince
- Garrett Temple
- Wilson Chandler
- David Nwaba
- Nic Claxton
- Henry Ellenson
Departures:
- D’Angelo Russell
- DeMarre Carroll
- Ed Davis
- Allen Crabbe
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
- Jared Dudley
- Shabazz Napier
- Treveon Graham
- Alan Williams
The 2018-2019 season marked a turning point for the Nets organization. A surprise playoff appearance and fast-paced, unselfish style of play turned heads around the league.
This was the vision general manager Sean Marks had while eyeing the 2019 free-agent class. His wishes came to fruition when Irving and Durant agreed to max deals with Brooklyn in the opening hours of free agency.
While Irving and Durant are one of the best star pairings in the league, Marks did a great job surrounding the superstars with solid role players. Previous championship teams stressed two areas when filling out the back end of their rosters: shooting and defense. This was clearly a point of emphasis for Brooklyn this offseason.
The most important acquisition outside of Irving and Durant appears to be 25-year-old forward Taurean Prince. Brooklyn acquired Prince in a trade that sent Allen Crabbe to Atlanta and opened the cap space to sign their two stars.
Brooklyn displayed a clear confidence in Prince this season when they signed the forward to a two-year, $29 million extension Monday.
Prince possesses a similar skill set to DeMarre Carroll as a three-and-d wing. The Baylor product shot 39 percent from deep on 5.7 attempts per game last season and has shown flashes of an elite on-ball defender early in his career. To bring his game to the next level in Brooklyn, Prince will need to improve as a ball-handler to take the pressure off Brooklyn’s backcourt.
Garrett Temple and David Nwaba bring similar defensive talent to the table. Temple, a 35.3 percent career 3-point shooter and solid wing defender, was reportedly recommended to Brooklyn by Irving, who made a list of wings he wanted the Nets to sign.
Nwaba is among the best defensive players on Brooklyn’s roster but is more of a project offensively than Temple or Prince. The 26-year-old is limited as a ball-handler and shot 32 percent from deep last season in Cleveland. At 6’5″, Nwaba’s strength and ability to guard multiple positions could make him a valuable plug and play player.
Wilson Chandler will provide depth at power forward once he returns from a 25-game PED suspension. The 11-year NBA veteran shot 37.3% from three last season and could fill a similar role as Jared Dudley last season.
Chandler is far more athletic than Dudley, but it remains to be seen whether he will provide a similar defensive IQ that proved invaluable for Brooklyn last season.
DeAndre Jordan came to Brooklyn as the third-wheel in the Irving and Durant signings. The former all-star gives Brooklyn a big-body in the middle, something the Nets were missing last season.
Jordan spent the end of last season across the river with the Knicks after being traded from Dallas. The 31-year-old averaged 11.0 points per game and 13.1 rebounds per game but appeared to have lost a step. Playing for a competitive team alongside two of his best friends could spark a resurgence from the big man.
Brooklyn selected Nic Claxton out of Georgia with the 31st pick in the draft. The 6’11” rookie has already shown flashes of the versatility he displayed in college.
Nets Head Coach Kenny Atkinson compared the rookie to Chris Bosh in post-draft interviews. Claxton shot 30.6% from three in two seasons at Georgia and frequently handled the ball in transition.
The 20-year-old will need to improve his strength significantly but has already shown flashes of offensive versatility that Jarret Allen has yet to develop two seasons into his career.
Brooklyn added a top-10 talent in Irving and several role players who will need to step up until Durant returns.
The talent added to the roster should garner improvement from last season. The chemistry between Kyrie Irving and his teammates in the new system will determine the level of success the Nets can expect this season.