Nets: What to Watch For in Brooklyn’s Preseason Scrimmages

The Nets are ready to scrimmage in Orlando. Here’s what to watch for.

Before the season starts on July 31, the Nets have three scrimmages: Wednesday, July 22 vs. Pelicans (7:00 pm), Saturday, July 25 vs. Spurs (4:30 pm), and Monday, July 27 vs. Jazz (5:30 pm). These scrimmages will give the Nets an opportunity to figure out their roster and the rotation.

Here’s what we need to look for when watching the Nets scrimmages.

Who are the Nets point guards? 

To start the season, Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie were the point guards in the rotation. The two are both top-15 at their position in the league and excel at isolation scoring.

Now, the only traditional point guard on the roster is Chris Chiozza. Over the last four games before the pandemic-induced shutdown, Chiozza averaged 10.5 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. The former two-way player also shot 50% from three and had a plus-minus of -6.5. These numbers are promising, but Chiozza hasn’t shown enough to start for a playoff-caliber NBA team.

In recent weeks, the Nets have also added Jamal Crawford to the roster. The 40-year-old has played shooting guard for most of his career, but has the basketball IQ and the experience to play the point guard position. Even though Crawford hasn’t played on the roster all year, his last game was a 51-point explosion against the Mavericks during the last regular-season game of 2018-19. Additionally, having a veteran like Crawford at the point could help give this aching Nets roster some direction during their stint in the bubble.

The wild card here is Caris LeVert. LeVert could be the perfect point guard for the Nets for the rest of the season and for the potential postseason. The Nets also have Jeremiah Martin on the roster, but he has spent very little time in both the NBA and with the Nets. Jacque Vaughn will have to experiment with a lot of different lineups before their first game on the 31st, and these scrimmages give him the perfect platform on which to test out every point guard.

Who are the Nets starters?

Pinpointing the most effective point guards is only one piece of the puzzle.

The Nets began the season with the starting lineup of Irving, LeVert, Harris, Prince, and Allen. Their March 10th game against the Lakers boasted a team of hard-playing starters, from Dinwiddie, LeVert, and Prince, to Wilson Chandler and Jordan. In the NBA Bubble, they are left with LeVert, Harris, and Allen, the only healthy players from their proposed starting lineups.

So far, the Nets practices have featured a few different starting lineups, one of which featured Chiozza and Rodions Kurucs filling out the final two spots in the starting lineup. Could that be the starting lineup for the regular season? Could the Nets change the lineup for each game depending on who they’re playing? Could there be a lineup without a traditional power forward like Kurucs? Vaughn has a lot to maneuver over the next few weeks.

Can Nets star Caris LeVert propel himself to the next level? 

Since Kenny Atkinson’s firing, all Nets fans have been hearing is trade rumors.

Everything from “Kevin Love is a perfect fit,” to “Brad Beal would make us unstoppable,” and, my personal favorite, “We can totally get Joel Embiid without blowing up the roster.” There is a lot of talk of imaginary trades these days that would sooner happen in 2K.

That being said, the Nets might make some trades to make a run at the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2021. Hear my cry, Sean Marks. Please do not make Caris LeVert a casualty of those potential deals.

Caris LeVert could be the key to this Disney World Nets team. He’s a fringe star, and these games could elevate him to that next level. I’m happy knowing he plays basketball better than he plays golf, but let us hope he proves himself in Orlando.

Who’s going to step up for the Nets?

These aren’t the same Nets that we started off the year enjoying.

January was joyous, as I had faith that Kyrie would up the team’s game. Injuries and COVID now leave this dire, almost unrecognizable roster in front of us. I’ve never watched Jeremiah Martin play basketball, but Vaughn and LeVert seem to have high praise for the 24-year-old point guard. Players like Martin, Kurucs, Chiozza, and Dzanan Musa must step up in Orlando and help the Nets keep the seventh seed.

Additionally, by showing their power on the court now, these players can secure a rotation or roster spot next year. Come December, the Nets will look a lot different than they look now, but a good performance at Disney World will secure certain players a coveted spot on the 2021 NBA Champion Brooklyn Nets.

Disney World is where dreams come true. It’s the land in which anything can happen. And this Nets roster has the chance to make every Brooklyn fan’s dream of a championship a reality. We just need everyone to step up, do their part, and turn dreams into on-court production.