Here are three bubble standouts the Nets should look to keep for next season.
The Brooklyn Nets have been one of the surprise teams in the NBA bubble, as they’ve clinched a playoff berth and the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference — which will see them avoid the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round — after positing a 6-2 record through eight games.
Entering the restart, most fans were hoping Brooklyn would be put out of its misery as soon as possible. Considering the sheer number of players who went down with injuries and positive coronavirus tests right before they left for Orlando — including Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Wilson Chandler and Taurean Prince (among others) — that wasn’t an irrational opinion.
Through his calm temperament and knack for making in-game adjustments, interim head coach Jacque Vaughn has shown that he could be the long-term successor to Kenny Atkinson, who was fired back in March.
The Nets Beat the Clippers without:
— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) August 10, 2020
- Kyrie Irving
- Kevin Durant
- Deandre Jordan
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Nic Claxton
- Taurean Prince
- Michael Beasley
However, while Vaughn has nabbed all of the headlines, his players deserve tremendous credit for performing out of their skins. Speaking of which, here are three standouts who absolutely deserve to be a part of the rotation next season.
3. Caris LeVert
The reason that Caris LeVert comes in at No. 3 and not the top spot on this list is because his talent and upside far exceeds that of the next two players.
With that being said, the Michigan product’s name has popped up in trade rumors in the past, and that narrative could make a return once the season concludes.
While the Nets could likely get a haul in return for LeVert, it would be a MASSIVE mistake to unload him. It was speculated earlier in the season that the 25-year-old forward could be Brooklyn’s third star behind the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and his performance in Orlando — where he’s been tasked with carrying the offense — has proved he can be that guy.
The former first-round pick has scored 20 or more points in three of his five games, and he’s even showcased his underrated playmaking ability by averaging 6.2 assists, which included a 13-assist effort in the Nets’ upset win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
LeVert should not only be in Brooklyn’s plans for 2020-21, but for the foreseeable future. In the simplest of terms, he should be untouchable in trade talks.