How Patty Mills will benefit from Goran Dragic joining Nets

The Brooklyn Nets got even better on Monday when Shams Charania announced that Goran Dragic would be signing with the Brooklyn Nets for the remainder of the season. The point guard will not only help bolster the Nets’ backcourt but will also allow for Patty Mills to take a step back.

Mills signed a two-year, $12 million deal with Brooklyn in free agency. It was thought that he’d be coming off the bench but between Kyrie Irving’s part-time status and Joe Harris’ injury, Mills has started in a career-high 41 of the 58 games that he’s played in.

The 33-year-old is averaging 13.4 points and is shooting 42.5% from the field and 41.9% from the 3-point line. His success this season hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he most recently competed at NBA All-Star weekend in the 3-point competition.

When the Australian native signed with the Nets, there was no way to know what the future would hold. The veteran’s been a vital part of Brooklyn’s roster and will continue to be even with Dragic’s arrival.

Brooklyn Nets guard Patty Mills will benefit from Goran Dragic’s signing.

Before the All-Star break, Mills was in a bit of a slump. He broke out of it with a 22-point performance (5-of-7 from three) against the Wizards on Feb. 17. However, in the five games before that, he shot a combined 9-of-32 from the 3-point line and failed to score in double-digits.

According to Ramona Shelburne, Ben Simmons is “weeks” away from returning and Kyrie Irving’s part-time status won’t change unless New York City lifts its vaccine mandate. With that in mind, Dragic will likely step in and replace Mills as the Nets’ starting point guard in games played at Barclays Center.

That’s a good thing for Mills, who will be allowed to fall back into the reduced role that he’d initially thought that he’d be playing in when he signed with Brooklyn.

Mills will now get to continue doing what he’s best at – being a sixth man.

The Nets went from heavily relying on Mills a couple of weeks ago as a ball-handler to now having Dragic, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Irving. Let’s not forget that Kevin Durant is expected to return after the break.

Before going to Brooklyn, Mills spent 10 years in San Antonio. The Spurs made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2019 but didn’t make it to the playoffs in his final two seasons with the team.

If the Nets can find a way to assimilate their new-look roster in the final 23 regular-season games, Brooklyn will be a force in the postseason. Although the Nets were chosen as the preseason title favorites, a recent 11-game losing skid dampened their hopes of making a deep playoff run.

After an unexpected blockbuster trade and the arrival of Dragic, Brooklyn now has depth. A lot will be said about the Nets in the coming weeks and Mills may get overlooked, but his production will greatly benefit from sliding back into his accustomed off the bench role.

Steve Nash’s recruiting efforts prevail as Goran Dragic signs with Nets

Goran Dragic, the top candidate on the buyout market, will reunite with former teammate Steve Nash as a player for the Brooklyn Nets.