The Nets - What are they?

[azcatz11]

They're fun to watch and a low key good LP team. I watch them for RHJ and Ian Eagle

[jpengland]

Smart and play hard.

They take high quality shots and force opposition to take bad shots.

They obviously lack star power but continue to unearth rotation guys out of very little.

Problem is their route to a star player.

[Spintown]

tomorrow is gonna be the real litmus test

[Scalabrine]

Nets have no stars but were a super-deep team, especially before LeVert injury. 8 starter level players are a great achievement for team management considering they have no own draft picks lately. But they desperately need a star, and should finally to start to use since next summer the fact that Brooklyn is a much bigger market than New Jersey.

They're the same market but ok, lol.

Same market sure, but if you grew up going to Nets games at the Meadowlands, you'd know the difference between playing games there vs. in Brooklyn. The appeal to players is a pretty major difference, I'm sure.

I remember going to the Kidd/Kmart/VanHorn/RJ Nets games when they made the finals two years straight and even then it was hard to get butts in the seats.

[iamworthy]

Will the Nets re-sign DLO? Can they sign a star like Durant? They desperately need a star. The one season they have their own pick, they decided to play well. Say goodbye to Zion or Barrett. LeVert and Allen are good cornerstones for this team though. Nets have a good chance to make the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed this season.

Marks have forced teams into bad situations for RFA's so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little payback in regards to paying Russell. Although the teams he put in those positions have pretty solid back courts, but you never know. I don't think they can sign a mega star like Durant but I do think the can get somebody like Tobias Harris.

[HotelVitale]

Nets have no stars but were a super-deep team, especially before LeVert injury. 8 starter level players are a great achievement for team management considering they have no own draft picks lately. But they desperately need a star, and should finally to start to use since next summer the fact that Brooklyn is a much bigger market than New Jersey.

They weren't really in New Jersey though they were in Newark which is just across the river from Brooklyn. Their old stadium is like 30 minutes drive from the Barclays center.

Nah, it's much more complicated: Newark's industrial stuff is on the water and is across from another part of Jersey, which is across from Staten Island which is across the bay from Brooklyn. It usually takes an hour to get door to door, and no one thinks of them as the same basic area. People in the area are already always pissing about how long it takes to get everywhere, and no one gets excited to go to Newark.

[Johnny Bball]

A team that plays really hard and a team that is very high variance.

[HotelVitale]

Will the Nets re-sign DLO? Can they sign a star like Durant? They desperately need a star. The one season they have their own pick, they decided to play well. Say goodbye to Zion or Barrett. LeVert and Allen are good cornerstones for this team though. Nets have a good chance to make the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed this season.

Marks have forced teams into bad situations for RFA's so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little payback in regards to paying Russell.

Wait, you really think a team is going to risk millions of dollars of their own money to get back at BKN for wanting to offer Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe a lot of money? What's the win there? 'I know we don't really like or need DLo--but we really showed those a-holes in Brooklyn by signing him for more than his market price!'

[Trader_Joe]

Will the Nets re-sign DLO? Can they sign a star like Durant? They desperately need a star. The one season they have their own pick, they decided to play well. Say goodbye to Zion or Barrett. LeVert and Allen are good cornerstones for this team though. Nets have a good chance to make the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed this season.

Marks have forced teams into bad situations for RFA's so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little payback in regards to paying Russell.

Wait, you really think a team is going to risk millions of dollars of their own money to get back at BKN for wanting to offer Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe a lot of money? What's the win there? 'I know we don't really like or need DLo--but we really showed those a-holes in Brooklyn by signing him for more than his market price!'

Yup, and of the teams he's made pay.. Washington, Portland, Miami, none of them are in a position to make a large offer to Russell.

[r0drig0lac]

Sean Marks is the best gm in the league currently imo, your work (along with Atkins) so far is absolutely fantastic,
they are a star (with the continued development of RHJ, future all star Levert, Russell, Spencer and Allen) away from making some impact in the east.

[Prokorov]

Will the Nets re-sign DLO? Can they sign a star like Durant? They desperately need a star. The one season they have their own pick, they decided to play well. Say goodbye to Zion or Barrett. LeVert and Allen are good cornerstones for this team though. Nets have a good chance to make the playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed this season.

Marks have forced teams into bad situations for RFA's so I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little payback in regards to paying Russell. Although the teams he put in those positions have pretty solid back courts, but you never know. I don't think they can sign a mega star like Durant but I do think the can get somebody like Tobias Harris.

yeah im not gonna lose sleep over that. Washington would need to clear nearly 100 million in salary to offer russell anything approaching what porter makes.

Blazers would need to clear 60+ million to offer Russell anything close to the max... and to do that they would need to pay someone to take on turner and leonard and part ways with lillard and or mccullum with nearly no salary coming back. that seems like alot of bad moves to make your team worse just to "stick it" to a nets team that eventually took crabbe off your hands anyway

The heat would need to shed 60 million to offer Dlo a deal starting at around 25 million. if for some reason oth dragic/TJ opted out and the heat let them walk they would need to clear just 25 million... which they could do if someone would take the 1 year off whiteside off their hands. but even in that unlikely scenario, would riley choose to spite the nets and hope they dont call his bluff on russell over chasing someone like durant or kahwi?

Marks has nothing to worry about

[Basileus777]

Nets have no stars but were a super-deep team, especially before LeVert injury. 8 starter level players are a great achievement for team management considering they have no own draft picks lately. But they desperately need a star, and should finally to start to use since next summer the fact that Brooklyn is a much bigger market than New Jersey.

They weren't really in New Jersey though they were in Newark which is just across the river from Brooklyn. Their old stadium is like 30 minutes drive from the Barclays center.

Newark is in New Jersey and even then they were only in Newark for a short time, they spent most of their history in the meadowlands.

[Papi_swav]

Nets are the next upcoming dynasty , that's what they are.

[TheBonzaiEffect]

Joe Harris is super underrated. Dude is averaging 13/4/3 on 49/46/81 shooting.

[Prokorov]

Nets have no stars but were a super-deep team, especially before LeVert injury. 8 starter level players are a great achievement for team management considering they have no own draft picks lately. But they desperately need a star, and should finally to start to use since next summer the fact that Brooklyn is a much bigger market than New Jersey.

They weren't really in New Jersey though they were in Newark which is just across the river from Brooklyn. Their old stadium is like 30 minutes drive from the Barclays center.

Newark is in New Jersey and even then they were only in Newark for a short time, they spent most of their history in the meadowlands.

anyone who thinks Brooklyn is close to Newark hasnt spent much time in the area. there is a body of water between the two with no bridge, tunnell, or ferry between them and most of that water is restricted for commercial use or wildlife protected.

its a 45-50 minute driver from the prudential center to the barklays centers without traffic. with bridge traffice you are looking at 1.5 to 2 hours easy. you can maybe cut that to an hour with a combination of trains, busses, and walking.

they might as well be 100 miles apart

[Prokorov]

Joe Harris is super underrated. Dude is averaging 13/4/3 on 49/46/81 shooting.

and one of the bet finishers in the league. #1 last year in FG% at the rim, and i believe 7th this year.

[Plutonashfan]

Mediocre.

[Prokorov]

Mediocre.

the end result is probably just below that, but its a bad descriptor. the Nets have everything but high end talent... which is obviously super important, but having a sustainable infrastructure and cohesion between front office, coaching, staff, scounts, development, medical and a focus on players as people and not just assets goes a long way.

The Nets are primed to overachieve for the long haul. im not sure we will win a title, but its a safe bet we will be a good team for a long time

[Trader_Joe]

Nets are a deep collection of over-achieving, hardworking, high character guys who are pretty well coached.

That said, you have to question the future of 2/5 starters in Russell and RHJ.

Russell is quietly having his best year of his young career. He’s running the offense fluidly and his defense by the eye-test at least is much better. Given he is only 22, a PG, spent 2 years on a dysfunctional Lakers team and his 1st year mostly injured on the Nets, it is encouraging. However, I wouldn’t be tricked into offering him big money. I would see if we take less than $14m per to start negotiations and if not let the market set his value. If a Max FA wants to come here, renounce him.

RHJ is rounding back into form nicely after an off-season lost to injury and maybe more importantly he’s been paired recently with the appropriate type of player in Kurucs (long stretch SF/PF). However, he still lacks a 3 point shot and has a $7.4m cap hold, so his future is up in the air.

You also have to be wary of LeVert going forward. Yes, the injury wasn’t as bad as feared and he’s supposedly walking without limp (or boot) and shooting, but this is a guy who’s had 3 major foot injuries.

They are also at a cross-roads in that they should probably tank, but pride prevents them (for now). They finally own their pick, the draft is top heavy, but I can’t see them falling below the bottom 5 of Suns, Bulls, Knicks, Hawks and Cavs. So, is it better to fight for the playoffs, build confidence and appeal to free agents?

As for the rest of the season, look for Faried (disgruntled with role) to be bought out and Napier (#’s crunch) traded. Carroll could be wanted be some teams, but if this team is still in the PO mix, his veteran presence, 3s+Ds are needed in Brooklyn. There is also the chance RHJ or Russell are traded, but I don’t think the return would be worth it on Russell. He’s basically no-risk and a great back-up plan for the Nets. The late 1st or whatever he might garner, just doesn’t seem to be worth having him in tow until the summer and then see how things play out. Also, depending on trades and buy-outs, look out for their 2-way guys getting call-up or contracts in Theo Pinson and Alan Williams.

Next season, expect the team to look something like this:

Dinwiddie
LeVert / Musa
Crabbe / J.Harris
Kurucs / T.Graham
J. Allen
+
2019 Brooklyn 1st
2019 Denver 1st
2019 NYK 2nd
Russell (RFA)
RHJ (RFA)
Room Exception (hopefully Ed Davis again)
Oodles of cap

If they need enough cap for two max FAs they renounce Russell and RHJ and move Crabbe using the Denver 1st, 2nds or whatever they can space. I think they will target all the top FAs:

Durant
Kawhi
Klay
Irving
Butler
T. Harris
Middleton
Walker

But likely strike out on most, though I could see Harris signing here.

The main thing they need to focus on between now and then is defense. Their offense has been glowing. Good movement, good shots, lots of 3s, lots of drives. Their defense has been putrid. As good as Allen is blocking shots, he still needs to add muscle, stop fouling and gain experience… he is only 20. Kurucs might be answer at PF going forward but he’s a beanpole and also super young. RHJ doesn’t have the size to play PF or C like he had been used. The perimeter D has been much better it seems than the interior so I’m not overly concerned there. The Nets actually allow the fewest percentage of 3 pointers.

I don’t think this team is ready to make the POs, but I don’t see them giving up on that just yet. Look for more moves between now and the deadline, but don’t look for anything major and don’t look for any shortcuts. Marks has called this a long-road ahead.

[Papi_swav]

They weren't really in New Jersey though they were in Newark which is just across the river from Brooklyn. Their old stadium is like 30 minutes drive from the Barclays center.

Newark is in New Jersey and even then they were only in Newark for a short time, they spent most of their history in the meadowlands.

anyone who thinks Brooklyn is close to Newark hasnt spent much time in the area. there is a body of water between the two with no bridge, tunnell, or ferry between them and most of that water is restricted for commercial use or wildlife protected.

its a 45-50 minute driver from the prudential center to the barklays centers without traffic. with bridge traffice you are looking at 1.5 to 2 hours easy. you can maybe cut that to an hour with a combination of trains, busses, and walking.

they might as well be 100 miles apart

Yea people don't understand the metro area traffic, especially when the games starts at 7. That's why alot of people don't understand why the arena's are empty at the beginning of games. A 30 minute drive can be an hour and half drive with traffic just like that.