The Brooklyn Nets are rounding into shape, having knocked off the team tied for the second-best record in the NBA — the Los Angeles Clippers — in their most recent outing at the Barclays Center.
#ScaryHours is upon us.
That win was their fifth in six games. The lone loss in that stretch was a wild overtime loss to the Washington Wizards that saw the Nets give up 149 points…in a war that lacked Kevin Durant.
Clearly, with all three men healthy, the only thing stopping Cleveland is a potential postseason clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who beat them by 12 in their debut as a trio.
I’m kidding. Collin Sexton is good, but he isn’t dragging this team to a playoff victory over the Nets in the NBA’s second season. Taking four games against this Brooklyn squad will be a tall order for even the Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics.
That said, no NBA general manager is ever done working on his roster. Sean Marks has scratched and clawed for the last five years to turn Jeremy Lin, Randy Foye, and Trevor Booker into Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant.
With the potential for rosters to expand, and COVID-19 making day-to-day availability difficult to forecast, here are five free agents Marks should consider for the Brooklyn Nets:
Brooklyn Nets Free Agent Target No. 1: J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith was recently the centerpiece of an article by the New York Daily News talking about potential free agent additions. While Smith was mentioned as an option, Kristian Winfield also acknowledged that there are other veterans on the table as well (more on them later).
Smith brings championship experience and big-play ability, creating offense out of thin air and making shots that most fans probably wouldn’t want him taking. Already possessing a championship bond formed on the 2016 title-winning Cleveland Cavaliers with Kyrie Irving, Smith is coming off a title with the Los Angeles Lakers in the bubble.
Bringing on someone who’s conditioned to win is a smart move for the Brooklyn Nets, especially if they can get the most out of Smith like Ty Lue’s Cavs did.
Brooklyn Nets Free Agent Target No. 2: Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver last played for a Milwaukee Bucks squad that dominated in the regular season before the NBA suspended play last March. By the time the team returned in the Lake Buena Vista bubble from Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports complex, they seemed to have aged even more…and it showed in the postseason.
While the Orlando Magic didn’t serve as much of a roadblock to Milwaukee’s ascent to the Eastern Conference title, the Miami Heat usurped the Bucks and stole the crown for themselves.
Large-scale changes were made in the offseason, with the Bucks roster skewing younger and more athletic. In the stead of veterans like Kyle Korver, Ersan Ilyasova, and Marvin Williams — who decided to call it a career this past November — Milwaukee now rosters Bryn Forbes, Bobby Portis, and Torrey Craig on the second unit.
With Korver still on the market, his 42% shooting on four attempts per game from last season would be a welcome addition to a Brooklyn Nets rotation that could use knock-down shooting around the gravitational pull of opposing defenders James Harden and Kyrie Irving create.
Brooklyn Nets free agent target #3: Ersan Ilyasova
The aforementioned Ersan Ilyasova is on the free agent market for the same reasons as Kyle Korver, but he would bring different attributes than Korver. While his 3-point conversion rate is closer to the league average than Korver’s, he also brings an underrated ability to crash the glass.
His per-36 minutes rebound total (nine) would be enough to warrant a start in the front court on most teams, but on the Nets he can stand in the corner on offense when the second unit is running with James Harden.
Brooklyn Nets Free Agent Target No. 4: Courtney Lee
In small doses, Courtney Lee could provide a lift to the Nets offense, but defensively he could be a liability, with the Daily News’ Winfield noting his inability to keep up with the smaller quicker guards in his recent piece.
If the Knicks end up with one of the final postseason spots, that would mean Lee would be unplayable against the likes of Immanuel Quickley and Dennis Smith Jr. if his G League stint goes well with Westchester. Cleveland holding onto a postseason slot means Lee couldn’t match up with Collin Sexton or Darius Garland. Charlotte would mean not being able to stick Terry Rozier or Devonte’ Graham.
And he list goes even longer (Miami with Kendrick Nunn, Orlando with Cole Anthony). If Lee can’t contribute in the first round of the postseason, it’s unlikely he would be given looks when the rosters shrink even further.
With experience playing in New York with the lesser team across the East River, and perhaps knowing his time is ticking in the NBA, Lee could be another player best suited to space the floor for James Harden during his patented isolation sets…but his shelf life seems likely to expire when the postseason begins.
Still, there are worse guys to have in your locker room in the most stressful season in league history.
Brooklyn Nets Free Agent Target No. 5: Troy Daniels
In what has become a recurring theme in this piece, Troy Daniels is yet another target for the second unit to run alongside James Harden. The career-journeyman has been on two teams since the start of the 2019-20 season but couldn’t land an offseason deal after having his 3-point conversion rate fall to 30% with the Denver Nuggets.
Perhaps career stop No. 8 could be the one he plays in and wins an NBA Championship series, since he technically won with the Lakers last year but was on their Western Conference Finals opponent’s roster (Denver) at the time.
Assuming last year was a down year and not the new normal, Daniels still has value to bring to Kings County in 2021 if his numbers can revert back to pre-2019-20 levels.