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Post by Miege22 on Mar 11, 2019 16:03:35 GMT -5
NETS HOLD OFF BULL SHARKS, ADVANCE TO FIFTH NBA FINALS
The Brooklyn Nets, the East's number two seed, defeated their arch rival, the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, 5-4, to win their fifth conference championship in franchise history. After jumping out to that 5-4 lead after the first week, Brooklyn had to sit back and watch as Tampa Bay slowly but surely chipped away. Going into the final weekend, it was anyone's ballgame. The Nets were clinging to a lead of just 5 threes, and visions of past playoff failures against these very Bull Sharks came rushing back. The missed free throws by Kevin Durant in 2012. The late steal by Al Farouq-Aminu in 2015. These two franchises had played 4 times previously in the postseason, with the Bull Sharks winning 3 of the 4 match-ups. The closer the series, the better the chances became for Tampa Bay, or so it felt. But then, something strange happened. Bobby Portis, a player not exactly known for his marksmanship from deep, came up with 3 huge three-pointers. Portis looked determined to get back to the Finals after losing with the Blazers last season. The Nets held an 8 three lead going into the final half of Saturday night, when CJ McCollum all but wrapped things up with 3 threes of his own. The 11 three lead was all the Nets needed going into the final day, and they were able to cruise to the finish line.
All told, the three deadline acquisitions proved to be the difference in this series. Bobby Portis averaged 16-10 and tossed in 11 threes on 46% from the floor and 83% from the line. Montrezl Harrell put up 17-7 on 58% shooting. And CJ McCollum turned in one of his best two weeks of the season, putting up 24 ppg on 50% from the floor, 86% from the line, and 27 threes. He set the tone from the jump by knocking down 7 threes. It was an impressive showing by the undermanned Nets, and it has put the team in position to win back-to-back titles for the second time in franchise history.
A month ago you said these playoffs would be a bloodbath. Are you surprised you all are still standing? We are and we aren't. I think if you ask anyone that question in the locker room, they'd all say they aren't surprised. This is where they wanted to be at the beginning of the season, and they expected to get here. Upstairs, the feeling was probably a little different. We thought at full strength, we could get there. Once Jaren and Mo went down, with James and LeBron dealing with various ailments, I think there was a sense of, "hey, we still got further than we anticipated when the season started." But they just kept fighting. It was really impressive.
Does it make it extra special that you beat Tampa Bay to get there? You didn't play them last year. Oh, no question. No question. That's a franchise we have a lot of respect for. You know, we think very highly of every team in our conference, in this league, but absolutely those old playoff battles factored into this. There's just so much history there, and for Tampa to do what they did. To go from 2 wins last year to going all in at this deadline, it takes a lot of chutzpah. You know, they're in a position where they could have held their assets and waited a year, but they saw a window and went for it. I'd argue that they're in a better position moving forward because of it. But yeah, it absolutely makes it sweeter to have to go through them because, as you said, we didn't play them last year. It always felt a little empty because of that.
Was there any concern that Tampa's depth would overwhelm your team? Yeah, we honestly thought that's what would happen. I think they played around 300 more minutes over that second week? We were just lucky enough to build up big enough margins in points, threes, and turnovers to withstand that late barrage. It is a little wild, though, how one move can be the difference between winning and losing. The Tampa GM had mentioned to us before our CJ trade that they were in pretty deep discussions to land CJ before turning their attention to Lowry. Flash forward and CJ hits 27 threes to Kyle's 19, and we win by 7 threes? That's the difference right there. We may or may not have gotten a couple of text messages during this series bemoaning that move (*laughs*).
Was there anything that stood out to you about this series? I was very happy with Shai after he had such a tough start to this one. We're lucky enough to be in a position where we don't need him to carry us, but we still need him to produce, and he had some huge moments. He hasn't shot it well from deep this year, but he knocked down 7 threes and we needed each and every one of them. And I was thrilled with Derrick's performance. He was awesome (16-9-2, 63% FG), and he shot 23/26 from the line? That's huge. And it gets lost, but Pascal Siakam continues to just be phenomenal. We'll see what happens after the season, but, to me, he's the most improved player. Hands down.
What would a title mean for this group? It would mean a lot, obviously. Look, you only get so many cracks at this thing. We've been fortunate enough to get to this point five times, and each time is special. We've had years where we've felt we've had the best team and lost. Felt we've had the best team and won. I think last year is probably the first time we won it all and felt like we caught some breaks along the way. We're gonna be behind the 8-ball a bit with Jaren and Mo out. They're rookies, but they're averaging almost 3 blocks per game combined. That's pretty important. I don't know if we'll win. But I can tell you that we felt like underdogs going into last year's Finals, and LeBron put us on his back. We may need him to do that again.
What are your thoughts on Memphis? I think they're probably the best Finals opponent we've ever faced, and that's with Oladipo out and KAT banged up. That's how good they are; how good they've been. Paul George and Bradley Beal have had MVP-caliber seasons. You know, I think you could make the case that, of the top-10 players in this series, they have 8 of them. They really are that good. Our supporting cast is going to have to thoroughly outplay theirs if we want to win this thing.
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Post by Miege22 on Mar 25, 2019 21:16:06 GMT -5
CHAMPS AGAIN! NETS TAKE DOWN GRIZZLIES FOR SECOND STRAIGHT TITLE
The Brooklyn Nets may have entered the final round as the underdogs against the 15-1 Memphis Grizzlies, but they quickly flipped the script with two massive days to start the Finals. The Nets took a lead they would never relinquish en route to a wire to wire victory. The Grizzlies made a charge toward the end, but the Nets slammed the door shut with two days remaining, clinching their 4th title and 2nd back-to-back. It was arguably the unlikeliest of titles in franchise history, given that the Nets embarked on a "competitive rebuild" last off-season, following the team's 3rd championship. They elected to bring in, essentially, an entirely new roster, as only LeBron James, James Harden and Cedi Osman remained from last year's winner (Will Barton also returned, but was traded at the deadline). They attempted to do what so few teams have failed to do: win while becoming younger and more flexible. On that, it appears they have succeeded beyond their wildest expectations.
That's not to say the Nets didn't catch their share of breaks. The Bulls were hit with just enough injuries and playing time issues to allow the Nets to break through to the conference finals. The Bull Sharks pulled off a stunning comeback against top-seeded Boston to set the Nets up with a more favorable match-up. And schedule breaks and injuries rendered the Finals only mildly competitive (Memphis lost 30 games to injuries). Still, the Nets needed a number of new faces to step up and produce, and that's exactly what happened. Cedi Osman, the D-League signee the Nets had such high hopes for, came through with an average of 15-5-4 with 17 threes in the Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who the Nets elected to take in a trade down instead of Trae Young, averaged 14-6, picked up 11 steals and shot 50%. Pascal Siakam, sure to be the Most Improved Player, averaged 20-6-4, swiped 9 steals, blocked 6 shots, and shot 53%. Derrick Favors, who the Nets picked up in the Hassan Whiteside trade, made 11 huge blocks and shot 40/69. The Nets needed every last one of their guys to produce, down to current D-Leaguer De'Anthony Melton (5 steals and 2 blocks late in the series), in order to get this win. The production of the supporting cast allowed LeBron and James Harden to carry them over the finish line, and carry might just be an understatement.
When the Nets needed him the most, James Harden was there to get the job done. After four straight double-doubles to open the Finals, Harden exploded. He put up 57-7-8-2-2 with 9 threes, then followed it up with 61-7-1-3 and 9 threes. There may have been two days left, but for all intents and purposes, it was over. On the same night that Harden dropped 61, LeBron James pitched in 25-9-14-1-1. While it may have been over by the time he took the floor for the final game of the series, LeBron's 29-11-11-2-1 and 3 three performance was a fitting end to the team's 4th title. LeBron turned into superman last season, averaging an absurd 30-point triple-double in last year's Finals against Portland, but he struggled through a groin injury in this year's Finals. He was uncharacteristically inefficient and even missed a couple of games, but he still averaged 30-8-9 helping the Nets to clear cut wins in each of those categories. In the end, this team performed exactly as they had been built. LeBron and Harden did the heavy lifting, while the rest of the team filled in the gaps. It had to be a satisfying feeling for the entire front office, and the Nets GM provided his thoughts.
We've asked this a lot lately, it seems, but what's the feeling? Elation, jubilation... it doesn't get old. Each title we've won has it's own unique story, and this... might be the best of the four. I still can't quite put into words what this one means, but it has felt like the toughest.
What makes you say that? Just the level of competition we had to go through to get this done. I mean, Chicago was probably the toughest first round opponent we've ever faced. Tampa Bay, one could argue, had the deepest team in franchise history, which is saying a lot given the history of that franchise. And Memphis. Look, we caught some breaks. Teague and Rose missed the whole series and they came in without Oladipo and Fultz. I don't want to project what Dipo and Fultz would have added, but I think it's fair to say that Teague and Rose playing had the potential to flip things. But with the schedule advantage, and losing guys of our own... we felt like we had our own obstacles to overcome. I'm just so excited for so many of the guys that got it done.
You mentioned before the playoffs that to win you'd need Cedi and Zizic, was their play in the Finals validation for you all? Validation? No. We knew those guys were good, and so did others. I was thrilled with their performances, but it was thrilling because THEY were performing. Not that they were doing it for us, but because they're great kids that work their tails off. Cedi waited and waited for his moment last year, then he got hurt before the playoffs. It's just such a great story that he was able to use this off-season to get to this point.
But what about a guy like Siakam who was just given away? I'll say this, every team, at one point or another, moves a guy for reasons that don't necessarily have to do with basketball. At the time, Siakam was a bit player that didn't fill a role the Raptors needed. We thought he did. We've let go of players when we didn't think we needed them. You think we wouldn't want Derrick Jones Jr. under the contract we had him right about now? It happens. We're obviously excited that Pascal is a part of this franchise, and it was a hell of a lot of fun watching him in this run, but I'm not going to victory lap here. Not after the missteps we made in the off-season.
Fair enough. Going back to something else you mentioned about the supporting cast needing to outplay theirs...? Yeah, and that's pretty much what happened. Now, there are a lot of reasons for that. Our guys playing well, their underperforming, simply having more games, but we needed all of those guys to outplay their Grizzlies counterparts, and that's what happened. And how about Trez? To basically play KAT to a draw was something I'm not sure we could have predicted. I just wish he was signed through next year.
Speaking of, what is the plan for next year? Well, the good news is we only have a handful of spots to fill and a top-10 pick. We'll have to re-sign James, and his salary probably went through the roof with this season. We'd love, LOVE, to bring back Trez, CJ, Favs, and Portis... I'm not sure that will be feasible. The upside of expiring guys playing well is you win, the downside is they get paid. But I'd argue the ends justify the means.
Is there any concern about injuries with the young players? No.
You've been in this position once before, looking for a third straight title. What do you tell the fans? Don't worry about the next one, just enjoy this one. I like what we've been able to do, and I think we can stay competitive for a long time. But the reality is that one of our two best players is 34. By the end of his contract, he'll be 36. Now, he's LeBron, so he could certainly play at a high level for two more years, but nothing is guaranteed in this game. Enjoy these days while you can, because they won't last.
That's a... very different tone than we're used to hearing. Is that a question?
No, merely an observation. Is there a reason behind the shift in tone? May just have something to do with being in the game this long. The fact that we just wrapped up year 10 is incredible to me, and winning 4 titles seems impossible. We've got to enjoy what we can while we can.
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Post by Miege22 on Jul 19, 2019 15:43:26 GMT -5
NETS SHOCK THE LEAGUE, TRADE JAMES HARDEN TO SEATTLE
In a move that absolutely no one could have seen coming, the Brooklyn Nets traded reigning Finals and league MVP James Harden to the Seattle Supersonics late last night. Making it all the more unexpected, Harden and the organization had just finished negotiating an extension that made him the highest paid player in the league. It appeared as if the Nets were content to move forward with Harden as the face of the franchise for as long as he wanted the role. In fact, the trade negotiations were kept so far under wraps that even those within the organization were stunned. In return for Harden (and Dejounte Murray and Tomas Satoransky, both of whom the Nets aquired earlier in the summer), the Nets received star guard Damian Lillard, 2nd year big man Wendell Carter Jr., and Rodney Hood. It was a considerable haul for, arguably, the best player in the league, but it's still a move that would have been impossible to predict 48 hours ago.
Harden departs Brooklyn one of the winningest players in franchise history. Arriving in June 2012 as part of a 4-team trade with Golden State, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay, Harden exploded on to the scene in the 12-13 season, averaging 25-6-5 as the Nets claimed their first title. Harden would only get better from there, and so would the Nets, as they went undefeated in the 13-14 season to claim a second straight title. Three years later, the Nets, thanks in large part to Harden's play down the stretch, were able to claim their third title. Then, last year, Harden turned in a herculean performance throughout the postseason, willing Brooklyn to a 4th title in 7 years. The Times will have a retrospective of Harden's time in Brooklyn next week, but first, the Nets GM.
I think we're all still reeling to some extent. Can you help shed some light on what exactly happened here? Well, first off, I want to thank James for everything he's done for this organization. I said it 6-7 years ago, but we never expected James to be as good as he was, and he only got significantly better. It's rare in today's league to have a guy that you can count on day in and day out for close to a decade, but that's what James did for us. We knew he would go out and give us everything he had every game, and he, maybe more than any player we've ever had, is the reason we are where we are today. It truly is a bittersweet day.
So why make the move? Well as I've said many times in the past, we never go into an off-season with the expectation that everyone will be back. Every player is available in the right deal, and it just so happened this was the right deal. Damian won't be James Harden, but we also don't expect him to be. Rodney Hood gives us wing depth that we needed after moving Kevin Knox. But getting Wendell Carter is what made the deal work for us. Being able to land another young big like him to put alongside Jaren and Pascal was something we just couldn't pass up.
How did this come about and how was it able to stay so discreet? As you can imagine, making a move like this, trading the best player in the league, is not something you want out there in the public. We always try our best to keep trade negotiations behind closed doors, and there was more urgency not to let anything slip out here. It is something that was brought up prior to the extension, so we made James aware that we had an offer on the table. We think he understood. He seemed intrigued by the possibility of playing in Seattle with Gobert and all of the young talent they had there. All told, it probably took about a week to figure it out and get it done.
What does this mean for the organization? Is there going to be a pivot to a younger roster? I mean, we're still pretty darn good. I'd put our top-7 up against anyone in the league right now.
Will LeBron be traded? Nothing is off the table, but at this point, no, I can't see that happening. I think, at this point, we've got a two year window with him, and we need to maximize that window. Now, we don't want to sacrifice the future by any means, but we need to do what we can to position this team to win in the last two years of his contract.
Is that why Zizic and Knox were moved for Gasol? Yes. We think there is still a role for each of those guys in this league, but they just didn't seem likely to get to where we needed them to while LeBron was here. You know, we know what we're going to get from Marc. We can count on him. Mo [Bamba] is probably still a year away from significantly contributing, so Marc can be a nice veteran stopgap.
Is this the team you expect to enter free agency with? I honestly can't answer that question right now. There are a lot of moving parts at this point.
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Post by Miege22 on Jul 31, 2019 15:56:45 GMT -5
"I THINK WE'LL WIN.": A LOOK BACK AT JAMES HARDEN'S TIME AS A BROOKLYN NET
The fortunes of the Brooklyn Nets franchise forever changed on June 27th, 2012. To that point, the Nets were a solid organization with a lot of regular season success but no significant trophies. Sure, they had advanced to the NBA Finals in 2011 before losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But, most recently, they were a top-seed coming off a shocking first round upset at the hands of the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. Still reeling from yet another postseason disappointment, the Nets knew they had to shake up their roster. More importantly, they needed to take a big swing. Kevin Durant was coming off his third consecutive MVP, and Joakim Noah was coming into his own as one of the league's best all-around big men. And yet, they needed another piece. After building up a remarkably deep frontcourt, the front office threw all of that work out the window to take a swing on a guard. That guard changed everything.
Prior to the trade, James Harden was a solid contributor, though hardly someone to bust down the doors for. In fact, he wasn't even the prize in that 4-team trade. The real power player in that deal was a still-in-his-prime Carmelo Anthony, who the Golden State Warriors received (along with Amare Stoudemire, Jordan Hill and Omri Casspi) in exchange for giving up Harden, Pau Gasol and Ray Allen. After the trade, Harden exploded. An increased role allowed Harden to flourish, and it got the Nets over the hump. This is a look back at Harden's career with the Nets, a time that resulted in 4 championships, 6 conference finals, 1 finals MVP and 1 league MVP.
2012-2013 SEASON, WEEK 1: 35 ppg, 6 apg, 6 rpg (27-33 FT) James Harden's career with the Brooklyn Nets started with a bang as he ran all over the Memphis Grizzlies. It was in this first week that both Harden and the league discovered something of a superpower: Harden's ability to put defenders off balance and draw free throws. He averaged 11 free throw attempts per game during that first week, and he shot them at nearly a 90% clip. All of a sudden, the Nets became practically unbeatable in free throw percentage. Harden and Durant combined to shoot nearly 20 free throws per game and made them at an 87% clip. It was a very welcome development after free throws tanked their season in the 2012 playoffs. The Nets cruised to a season-opening win, en route to an 11-0 start.
2013 ECSF, FINAL DAY: 38 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 7 threes In what would become quite common, James Harden helped slam the door on a playoff opponent. This one was made all the sweeter given that it was the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks that the Nets took down. The Bull Sharks knocked the Nets out the previous year, they then ended Brooklyn's undefeated season in January. It was setting up to be a classic showdown, and the series did not disappoint. It was still anyone's game going into the final day. That's when Harden went off, going 11-17 from the floor, 7-10 from three and 9-12 from the line. It was a classic Harden game, and it propelled them into the Eastern Conference Finals against the top seed, the Houston Rockets.
2013 ECF, FINAL DAY: 29 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 15-17 FT Once again, Harden put a series to bed on the final day, and it was his prolific free throw shooting that did it. Thanks to the three-headed monster of Harden, Durant and Paul, the Nets were able to reach the Finals for the second time in three years. The Houston Rockets had nabbed the #1 seed thanks to their regular season win over the Nets, but Brooklyn was able to win when it mattered the most. The trio of Harden, Durant and Paul proved to be just too much for the emerging Steph Curry.
2013 FINALS, FINAL WEEKEND: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block In his first Finals appearance, Harden was limited with a foot injury. However, he was able to gut it out and play four games, the last of which put the Nets ahead for good. The Jazz were in the midst of three straight Finals appearances, but Brooklyn would make them 0-2 thanks in large part to the heroic effort of Harden.
2014 ECSF, FINAL DAY: 41 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block, 6 steals, 7 threes In what ended up being a dream season, everything came together perfectly for Brooklyn. The final day of the Eastern Conference Semis was just the beginning of a dominant postseason run that saw them roll through everything in their path. They pulled away late against Toronto, and Harden was a big reason why putting up an absolutely monstrous stat line. Frankly, it was only because Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Joakim Noah were at the peak of their powers that Harden gets overshadowed some. On many occassions, he was the 4th best player on the team (making him, arguably, the greatest fourth banana in league history).
2014 ECF, PENULTIMATE DAY: 37 points, 10 assists, 4 steals, 5 threes, 14-14 FT The Eastern Conference Finals against Orlando may not have been in doubt going into the last two days, but it was yet another example of Harden smelling blood and putting an end to a series. One of the things that would get lost with his game, from time to time, is that he was an absolute thief. His tendency to rest on defense belied the fact that he racked up steals at an incredible rate, and that was never more apparent than in his last game of the series here. This may have been the quintessential Harden game. Lots of points, assists, threes, perfect from the line on a high number of attempts, and several steals to boot. It's part of what made that Nets team so tough.
2014 FINALS: 30 ppg, 7 apg, 6 rpg, 1.85 spg, 75-86 FT After a personally frustrating Finals the previous year when he was limited by a foot injury, Harden was sublime in the 2014 version. The Jazz, making their third straight appearance, were, unfortuntately, incredibly banged up themselves. The Finals ended up being more of a coronation than a contest, but it's in large part because of Harden that it turned out that way. Harden put up the above eye-popping numbers, and yet, he was probably the third best player in the series behind Chris Paul and Finals MVP Kevin Durant. Of course, it would end up being the highest point Harden would have for a few years...
2015 ECF: 25 ppg, 5.5 apg, 5.5 rpg, 9 threes, 35% FG The 2015 season was a trying one for the Nets. Lead dog Kevin Durant missed basically the entire season, and all of the playoffs, with a broken foot. This left the Nets scrambling for ways to replace him, which would prove impossible. Stil, the Nets, led by Harden and Paul, would land the #1 seed and reach the Eastern Confernce Finals again rival Tampa Bay. That's where it all fell apart. Brooklyn held a miniscule lead on the final day, but Tampa Bay was able to flip the series and advance to the Finals (where they would end up winning the title). It was a series in which Harden was never really able to get off the ground, for whatever reason, as he struggled to just 35% shooting. It was the first of three painful seasons for a Nets team that was quickly reaching a crossroads.
2016 ECSF: 37 ppg, 7 apg, 6 rpg, 2 spg The 2016 Brooklyn Nets were in real danger of missing the playoffs halfway through the season. They were top-heavy, and if one of their three stars (Paul, Harden, Durant) didn't come to play, then they likely weren't going to win. In the middle of that year, after trying to ride the fence as long as they could, the Nets finally had to choose a path. They elected to move Chris Paul for depth that could help win now, rather than youth that could help later. They then followed that up by moving Jonas Valanciunas for Marcin Gortat. They were officially giving the Harde and Durant duo one more shot to get it done, and they almost pulled it off. Harden was magnificent in the first round against the Raptors, helping Brooklyn win a series against a rising juggernaut. It would set up a second straight conference finals against Tampa Bay.
2016 ECF: 25 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 14 threes, 40% FG Unfortunately, much like the year before, Harden was unable to get it going in the conference finals against Tampa Bay. Unlike last time, the series was never in doubt. Tampa Bay led from start to finish as the Nets limped to the finish line. It turned out to be the result the team needed to firmly jump into the rebuilding deep end.
2017 SEASON: IT ALL FALLS APART The Nets knew the 16-17 season was going to be tough as their core had gotten too old and expensive to maintain. They invested heavily in the draft, both current and future drafts, and looked to rebuild around the duo of Harden and Durant. It was essentially a lost season as the Nets struggled to a 2-14 record. However, there was some good to come out of it. With all of the changes, the Nets moved James Harden to point guard full time, and his game took off. He averaged 29 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds per game for the season, and it drastically changed how the Nets built the team. Suddenly, instead of needing to look for a full-time point guard, the Nets could focus on other areas of need both on the wing and down low. It help set the stage for a wildly important 17-18 season.
2018 SEASON: JAMES HARDEN TAKES THE REINS It's hard to narrow down the 17-18 season to one or two moments, as so much happened and almost all of it was connected. In June and July before the season started, the Nets completely reshaped their team, trading away 5-time MVP Kevin Durant for LeBron James and Dennis Smith. It was a controversial move given the age difference between Durant and James, but it was the clearest sign yet that Brooklyn was making it Harden's team. And Harden responded by putting on an MVP-like season, one that, in almost any other year, would surely get him the trophy. However, the narrative favored his now teammate, LeBron James, who many thought may have reached the end of his peak. Still, two moments in the regular season stand out above the rest. The first was Harden's hamstring injury in early January, an injury that was expected to sideline him for six weeks, well into the playoffs. Harden, somehow, gutted it out after two and half weeks out and played the rest of the year, leading to moment number 2. With the Nets having already clinched a playoff spot, but positioning still on the line, Harden EXPLODED for 60 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 steals early in a week 16 match-up against Oklahoma City. It, for all intents and purposes, ended the match-up and gave Brooklyn the #1 seed. It also set the Nets and Harden up for their playoff run.
In that playoff run, Brooklyn was relatively unchallenged in the conference semis and finals, thanks in large part to Harden and LeBron James. In the conference semifinals, Harden averaged 33 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, knocked down 38 threes and went 82-93 from the line. It was a classic Harden series. Once in the Finals, the story became all about LeBron turning back the clock and putting up a triple-double, but Harden willingly played second fiddle almost to perfection averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, hitting 19 threes and making 73 of 85 foul shots. It became all about points on the final day, and though he didn't have a typical day shooting the ball, Harden did just enough to put the series on ice. Had it not been for LeBron's superhuman performance, Harden likely would have been the Finals MVP. Yet, much like earlier years with Durant, Harden was more than ok doing his work in the shadows. That all changed, though, in the 2019 season.
2019 SEASON: SUPERNOVA It's hard to put into words the type of season James Harden had in the 18-19 year. It's the kind of season that comes around once in a decade. It started relatively innocuously, with Harden plugging along as the lead guy now surrounded by mountains of youth. The Nets were cruising at 8-2 with a wins over Tampa Bay and Boston when they reached a turning point on Christmas day. LeBron James tore his groin that night, sending the Nets into what could have been a season-ending spiral. Instead, James Harden turned on the jets and went to another level. In the stretch that LeBron was out, which covered roughly six weeks, Harden averaged 43 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.2 steals, 1.3 blocks, made 116 threes, and was 249-281 (89%) from the line. It remains, arguably, the greatest six-week stretch in league history. It single-handedly got the Nets back into the playoffs with the opportunity to defend their title, and Harden only got better from there.
In the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against Chicago, Harden averaged 37.5 points, made 35 threes, hit 42-46 free throws and shot 46% from the floor. He had reached the pinnacle of his craft, and yet, he was still getting better. The next round against arch-rival Tampa Bay, Harden averaged 35-5-5, 2 steals, made 66-70 FT and knocked down 24 threes. Harden knocked down 6 of those 24 threes in the final two games of the series, and Brooklyn needed every last one of them to advance to the team's fifth NBA Finals. Still, in spite of all of that, Harden managed to save his best for last. In the Finals, Harden averaged 37 points, 8 assists, 2.5 steals, knocked down 40 threes and shot 45% from the floor. With the series still in doubt in the middle of the final week, Harden ended it with 57-point and 61-point outings in back-to-back games. Harden had finally reached the peak of his abilities, and he was using them to full effect at the exact right time. He would be named the run away Finals MVP, and a few months after that, he would win his first MVP award.
Now, after seven jaw-dropping seasons, the Nets and Harden are starting new chapters. In those seven years, the Nets experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but James Harden was always there to keep the team moving in the right direction. About a week after the 2012 trade was approved by the league, the Nets held a press conference to introduce their newest additions. James Harden was asked about being traded to Brooklyn and what that meant. After briefly throwing out some platitudes, Harden got right to the point, "I want to win. They (the Nets) want to win. And I think we'll win." After seven seasons, it's safe to say that Harden, and the Nets, were right.
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Post by Miege22 on Aug 14, 2019 14:51:42 GMT -5
NETS WRAP UP WHIRLWIND OFF-SEASON
After winning the 2018 NBA Finals, the Brooklyn Nets embarked on a "competitive" rebuild. They turned over nearly the entire roster, brought in 4 rookies, and appeared committed to something sustainable long-term. The plan was a smashing success, as they went on to repeat as champions, taking down the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2019 NBA Finals. For most franchises, it would be a sign that they should stay the course. However, the Nets went in the complete opposite direction. In the span of roughly 6 weeks, Brooklyn completed 16 trades and made two signings. When it was over, only LeBron James, Pascal Siakam and Cedi Osman remained from last year's title winner. Gone were prized rookies Jaren Jackson Jr., Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mo Bamba and Kevin Knox, the entire rookie class brought in last summer. The Nets even traded franchise cornerstone James Harden; all of this in an effort to fully maximize the two-year window they have before LeBron James' contract expires.
It remains to be seen if the Nets really are in a better place than they were at the start of the off-season, but there's no doubt that the Nets added some heavy hitters. They can run out a starting 5 of Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James, Pascal Siakam and Clint Capela. After going through much of last season with a shallow front court, that may be this team's biggest strength. They'll have the ability to bring DeAndre Jordan, Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter Jr. off the bench. Of course, that's not to say the back court is a weakness. With Fred VanVleet, Jrue Holiday, Wes Matthews and the aforementioned Lillard and Butler, this is surely one of the deepest teams in Brooklyn history. We caught up with the Nets' GM to go over the litany of moves.
So was this the plan when the off-season started? Not... entirely. Obviously we wanted to add some firepower to this team, and we never had any intention of actually using the #2 pick. That said, we had still planned on adding younger impact players and continuing with the plan we set in motion last year, and you can see that in our initial moves. Trading for Devin Booker then flipping Brogdon for a pick to use on Dejounte was right in line with our plan.
Then you traded for Marc Gasol... Then we traded for Marc Gasol. The Harden deal came together, and at that point, we decided we just had to go for it. At that point, it became about upgrading every spot we could.
Was there a rhyme or reason to all the moves? Of course there was. We knew the deal with Washington was going to happen, and that was going to unbalance us toward the back court. Kansas City had been looking for another point guard, and they had a surplus of bigs. That allowed us to swap SGA for Bagley. We had been working with OKC on a Booker/Butler deal for weeks before finally landing on a package that worked. At the same time, we knew we needed more pieces to upgrade Bamba, and that's where the deal for Avery Bradley and Boston's pick came in. Landing Giles in the Butler deal and that Boston pick enabled us to put together a competitive package for Capela.
How do you all feel about the team now? We feel pretty good. We might need a wing down the road, but we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. We've got some heavy hitters on this team, and we think things will kind of work themselves out. We were also able to keep some of that youth we had last year, even if they're different players. We're excited about Bagley and Carter, and Zhaire Smith has a chance to be really good.
What are your thoughts on the league as a whole? Oh man, it's totally wide open this year, and so many teams are going for it. It makes it really fun. Just look at the Western Conference. Seattle, Portland, Memphis, Houston, Kansas City, Utah, OKC all have legit claims as a playoff team. Minnesota and Golden State both have some fun pieces. Even Vegas is a couple of moves away. And on our side of things, the East may not be as deep, but battling it out with Tampa Bay and Boston is going to be really fun.
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Post by Miege22 on Nov 18, 2019 20:28:59 GMT -5
NETS ENTER QUARTER MARK UNDEFEATED
After an extremely busy summer, the Nets entered the season as, arguably, the favorite to claim the NBA title for the third consecutive season. With a 6-3 win over the Washington Wizards, it's safe to say they're meeting expectations. Brooklyn is 4-0, tied with the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks for the best record in the East, and none of their 4 wins have really been all that close. They opened the season with wins over the banged-up Celtics and Grizzlies, then followed that up with victories over conference rivals Toronto and the aforementioned Wizards. It's exactly where the Nets thought they would be after four weeks, but the schedule will toughen up immediately. Over the next seven weeks they'll face the Blazers, Bull Sharks, Kings, Rockets, Jazz and Sonics. Given the way the Eastern Conference has collapsed this season (some of it by design), Brooklyn can probably get away with playing .500 ball over the remaining 12 weeks of the season and still make the playoffs. Of course, that's not the goal for this team, and the GM said as much in this week's Q&A.
What's been your impression of the season so far? You know, we've been solid. I think we're performing at about the level, collectively, that we expected to play at. There are definitely some things to shore up, but it's a long season.
What are those weaknesses? Well, I think the last game against Washington laid those bare for all to see. We don't have a prolific three point shooting team, and we can be very streaky from the line. I was honestly a little surprised with how well we performed in those two areas the first three weeks, but I didn't think that was sustainable. The free throw shooting we'll probably just have to deal with. But the three point shooting is hopefully something that we can improve on.
Can you pinpoint why the three point shooting has struggled? This looked like a solid shooting team on paper. Yeah, I think it's a few things. First off, we really did load up on players that are most similar to big men in their offensive profiles. Clint Capela, DeAndre Jordan, Wendell Carter Jr., Dwight Powell, Marvin Bagley... these are all guys that are most comfortable closer to the basket. They're going to live 15 feet and in, so already you're talking about 5 guys that aren't going to give you threes. Then you throw in Jimmy Butler focusing more on facilitating and Jrue Holiday having some early struggles, and making threes are going to be difficult.
Would you classify Butler and Holiday as disappointments so far? Oh, absolutely not. They're both still providing really solid counting stats, three pointers not withstanding. Jimmy is leading the league in steals and Jrue is fourth. Both are averaging more than 5 boards and 7 assists, and Jimmy is getting to the line almost 8 times per game and making 82% of them. The hope is that they continue to put up these kind of numbers, maybe just shoot a tad better.
How do you see things shaking out in this upcoming stretch? Honestly, I have no idea. If we keep playing like this, we'll be tough to beat, but there are a lot of good teams out there. I'm very interested to see how Marvin Bagley looks when he gets back, and I'm optimistic that Donte DiVincenzo will prove worthy of playing time when it matters.
What do you do with Zhaire Smith considering he hasn't seen the floor? Obviously we would prefer that he get some minutes, but we're also deep enough that we can afford to have him around. That said, my guess is we bring Grant Williams up when we get down the stretch if Zhaire continues to see DNPs. That also assumes Grant will be playing, which isn't a guarantee.
You mentioned other teams looking good, does that make you nervous at all? Nervous? Why would it make us nervous? It's fantastic! There's nothing more fun than going up against good teams week after week. It just so happens that this year may not be the season for that in our conference, but the playoffs are still going to be fun. And have you seen the Western Conference? Holy cow. That could end up being the deepest playoff field in league history, provided everyone is healthy. Seattle and OKC have been dominant to this point, and Kansas City might be better than both. It's really a fascinating development.
Any thoughts on how that conference will play out? No, I don't want to go there. Come back to me in four weeks.
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 16, 2019 13:24:22 GMT -5
HALFWAY HOME: NETS STILL UNBEATEN AFTER EIGHT WEEKS
Despite the undefeated start, the Nets have refused to rest on their laurels. On November 28th, Brooklyn moved prized big man Marvin Bagley to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jaylen Brown and Darius Garland. The move came in the midst of their showdown with the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks, a match-up the Nets would win 6-2-1. Since then, the Nets ripped off two more dominant victories, defeating the previously undefeated Kansas City Kings then the Atlanta Hawks. With those wins, the Nets are now 8-0 for the first time since 2014 (when they went undefeated and won their second consecutive title). They'll be heading into a difficult stretch against Western Conference foes: Houston, Utah, and Seattle. The Rockets have fallen on hard times this year given their injuries, but they're coming off a bouncback win against Las Vegas. Utah, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, is tied for first in the west, having handled Kansas City, 9-0. They've also beaten Brooklyn every year since 2015, a 5-game losing streak the Nets have never had to endure before. Finally, they'll go up against the Seattle Supersonics and their old friend, James Harden. If they come out of those three weeks with wins, there is a very good chance this Nets team could finish unbeaten in the regular season for the first time since 2014 (the last team to go unbeaten in the regular season? The Memphis Grizzlies in 2018). Of course, looking ahead in this league can be dangerous, and the Nets GM is focusing on one match-up at a time.
Four weeks ago you mentioned that the team was "solid." Is that still you impression? Yeah, I think so. We're underperforming in some areas, overperforming in others. I don't know that I would say we expected to be 8-0, given the difficulty of our early schedule, but it's obviously a nice position to be in given that Tampa Bay continues to win and stay on our heels.
How big was that win over the Bull Sharks? I mean, it was massive. A loss there and we're in second staring down a playoff series against the Celtics. As it stands, we're two games up with the tiebreaker.
Quite a bit has changed in the last month. Can you take us through the thought process of those changes? Sure, first off, we really hated to move Marvin. We just felt that, given the makeup of our team and our strengths, we needed to make the trade we did. Jaylen Brown and Darius Garland give us increased depth on the perimeter as well as two knockdown shooters. It's no secret that three-point shooting was a weakness, and we needed to do everything we could to improve on that. And moving Zhaire for Dorian Finney-Smith was simply about bringing in a contributor. That one was pretty straightforward.
What is your take on the noise being made by the Kings owner? That's all it is, is noise. We really don't pay much attention to it. He's going to say what he wants, and we're going to do our job. Two weeks ago, I would have been fascinated by a potential Finals match-up with them. Now? I'm not sure if they'll make the playoffs.
The West does appear to be quite a bit stronger than the East. Why do you think that is? Well, these things seem to be cyclical, first off. We aren't that far removed from the East being the dominant conference. Honestly, I think timing really does play the biggest factor in all this. You look at each team individually... us, Tampa, Boston and Chicago are all going for it. Toronto has gone into a youth movement, but they're loaded with young talent. Cleveland has been rebuilding for a couple years now, and they're going to have both KD and John Wall back next year. The North, alone, looks like it could be the best division in the league. Then, you know, I think our loading up had a bit of a chilling effect on the bottom half of the conference. I'm not sure how many teams wanted to burn assets to compete in a season like this. But our shelf life isn't very long, so things could change quickly.
How do you see the West shaking out? I gotta tell ya, I still have no clue. Two weeks ago, I was 100% sure that the Kings, Sonics and Thunder were all getting in, likely in that order. But now, the only team I'd feel comfortable about is Seattle. Utah has been really impressive, and I think, if they get through the next month at least 2-2, then they'll get in. If Utah does manage to get in, it may be his best job yet given how loaded the conference is.
What's the most important thing for you guys to have in the playoffs? Healthy bodies, easily. If we're healthy, we'll be tough. If not, it could be rough sledding.
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Post by Miege22 on Jan 12, 2020 21:35:33 GMT -5
NETS HOLD OFF CAVS, IMPROVE TO 12-0
In a match-up that was closer than most expected, the Brooklyn Nets were able to do just enough to take care of business and stay unbeaten. It was an eventful four weeks for Brooklyn. After defeating the Houston Rockets, 6-3, they lost Pascal Siakam to a groin injury and traded Jrue Holiday for Paul George. They then went out and won a "not as close as the score indicated" match-up against Utah. They followed that up with what was, by far, their best win of the season, coming from behind in the final two days to knock off the Seattle Supersonics. Then, because there's no such thing as a win without consequences, they lost Fred VanVleet and Wendell Carter Jr. for at least 6 weeks each.
While there are some big questions moving forward, especially with the playoffs just a month away, we have to go back to the game against Seattle one more time. It may have been the game of the year in the league, and it was certainly Brooklyn's most impressive win. With Brooklyn clinging to a close lead heading into Friday night, James Harden, Danny Green and Lonzo Ball combined to hit 14 threes and shoot 18/21 from the line. That appeared to all but end the match-up going into the weekend, as it put Seattle ahead by nine threes. Then the Nets - who made their moves for Brown, Garland and PG precisely to help with their three point shooting - exploded. They hit 19 threes, 6 of them from Garland and Brown, on Saturday. They poured in an additional 13 on Sunday, with George hitting 5. When Bam Adebayo and Robert Covington combined to shoot 3/8 from the line, it sealed the victory for the Nets. Brooklyn will head into the home stretch looking for their second undefeated regular season in franchise history.
I want to start with the injuries, if I may. How do you all feel about the health of the team? Well, it's not ideal. I don't know that Fred and Wendell will be back in time for the start of the playoffs, though I would hope they are back for most of the first round. I mean, there's nothing you can really do about it. Just have to look at the positives. At least they've happened with enough time to get healthy before the playoffs... I hope.
You traded Cedi for Joe Ingles. Can you expand on why? It really sucks to move Cedi. He's played a major role in us winning the last two titles. We just felt like Joe would be a little more reliable on a game to game basis. And it's also a bit of a handcuff with Fred being out because Joe will get assists in a way that Cedi doesn't. Plus Joe was with us a couple years ago when we won in 2018, so there's some familiarity there.
Were you surprised to see Boston punt on the season? At first, yeah, I was very surprised. I've always felt like, when you get to the playoffs, things can happen. They had stars that can carry them when it matters. Of course, then you find out Joel is out, and you see them land a first and a prospect for two expirings, and it makes a lot more sense.
Would you prefer to play them in the first round over Chicago? I mean, we'll play whoever is in front of us, but at this point, probably, yeah.
Has anything surprised you about the East? I've been very excited to see how Orlando has played lately. They have finally gotten healthy, and some of their young guys are getting minutes. Obviously, we play them next week, so we'll get an up close look. But they could definitely sneak into the playoffs, and I think they'd be dangerous. Also, Tampa Bay continuing to win without KAT has been really impressive.
What about the West? The West is an absolute mess, and I have no idea what's going to happen. But Portland has been pretty dominant lately, and they would be my pick to come out of that rumble... at this point.
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 11, 2020 11:10:33 GMT -5
NETS FINISH REGULAR SEASON UNBEATEN, PREPARE FOR REMATCH WITH CHICAGO
For the second time in franchise history, the Brooklyn Nets made it through a regular season without a loss. They were able to clinch a 16-0 record with their closer than expected win over the Chicago Bulls late Sunday night. Now, they get to turn around and play the Bulls again as the two will meet in the first round of the playoffs. It will be the second consecutive year they've played in the playoffs, with the Nets prevailing in last year's first round, 6-3. If they Nets manage to defeat Chicago this year, it looks likely they will face last year's conference finals opponent, the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. It would be yet another heavyweight bout in their playoff rivalry, but that's a conversation for another day. First, they'll have to get past a Bulls team that has to feel confident after a strong showing, in the face of massive upheaval thanks to the trade deadline, to end the season.
Well, you've got Chicago. What's the mood like? Mood is good, I'd say. Look, you can't be "afraid" of any team if you're going to win a championship. Chicago looks really darn good right now, but this was always the most likely outcome. This team is 16-0. They're not going to play scared.
Is there anything in particular you are watching for in this round? I'm keeping a very close eye on LeBron, to be honest with you. He's been great this year, but I do think he might be running on fumes a bit at this point. he hasn't shot it great lately, and he's looked less explosive than the beginning of the year. It really seems like he could use the All-Star break, which, fortunately, will be here in a few days.
What about Chicago makes them so dangerous compared to, say, the Celtics? Well, first off, they're just deeper than Boston is at this point. Injuries and trades have made sure of that. They've also got more high-end talent. Russell, Mitchell, Drummond and Vuc are legitimate fantasy stars. They've also got role players capable of big nights. Warren can score. Smart can rack up defensive stats and knock down threes. Herro can shoot, and Wood can do a bit of everything. They're a really well-rounded team that, I think, is better than their record. I also think they've done a nice job at the end of the season shoring up the margins. They went out and got Hernangomez. They're making a play for Korkmaz. They're good.
Are you concerned about any injuries? Yeah, a little. Capela's heel issue is lingering. He's been such an important part of our team, we can't really afford to lose him for an extended period. Especially with Wendell Carter Jr. still healing. The timeline is end of the month for him to get back on the floor, but you never really know with high ankle sprains. It might not respond the way we'd hope. I don't think it would be out of the question for him to miss a potential conference finals series.
What's your take on the other series in the East? I think Tampa will put that one away fairly quickly. I don't mean this as disrespect to Boston, but they just don't have the depth to compete in a two week series at this point. With DeMar and Blake, maybe that's a different story. In order to win that series, they would need something unprecedented. The problem they're going to really run into there is that their path to victory plays right into Tampa's hands. They basically need to win percentages, turnovers and two of blocks, steals and threes. The percentages they can absolutely win, and turnovers they'll lock down. Tampa Bay is going to be the heavy favorites to win the counting categories though because of how deep they are. They're also the best three-point shooting team in the entire league. It's a numbers game, and the numbers don't look good for Boston.
What about the West? No idea what's going to happen. I think I said Portland was the favorite last time we did this? I see no reason to back off that now. Any combination would surprise me over there.
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Post by Miege22 on Mar 11, 2020 15:01:02 GMT -5
NETS OUTLAST CHICAGO, WILL PLAY BULL SHARKS ONCE AGAIN
The Brooklyn Nets, battered and limping to the finish line, managed to hold off an incredibly tough Chicago Bulls team, 5-4. Despite the Nets' victory, there will likely be an asterisk attached to this match-up as the Bulls failed to play everyone for two days. Had that not happened, the Nets would have suffered a 5-4 defeat. It would not be the first time a missed day changed the course of the playoffs. In 2018, the undefeated Memphis Grizzlies did not get their lineup set for the first day of the WCF against the Portland Trailblazers, and that ended up costing them a trip to the Finals (and likely a championship). Still, the Nets can't worry about how they got to this point, not with their rival, Tampa Bay, on the horizon. It will be the sixth time the two teams have faced off in the playoffs, and the fourth straight match-up in the conference finals. Tampa Bay owns a 3-2 edge, historically, but the Nets won last year en route to a fourth title. It will be a fascinating match-up if only because both teams come in ravaged by injuries. The winner of this one may very well be the team that avoids the most lost games. It certainly doesn't feel like the heavyweight battles we've previously gotten in this rivalry, especially with both Seattle and Portland looking so dominant. The winner of this match-up has won the title every time, but that could easily come to an end this season.
First off, how do you all feel about this win? Honestly, I don't know. We've not run into a situation where we've basically won on a technicality. You're happy to advance, but you know in the back of your mind you probably shouldn't be here. You can't change the result, but you also don't really want to revel in the victory. I don't know if that will change with another win or even a championship. It might make it worse. Regardless of what happened, I think the point that can't be debated is Chicago really outplayed us over the last five days. We did just enough early to build up advantages in 4 categories, and we somehow held on to blocks, but there's no doubt in my mind Chicago would have a great shot at the Finals. And talking about it is probably worse.
Well, how do think you all match up with Tampa Bay? I mean, healthy, it's a great match-up. But that team is super banged up right now. KAT is out, LaVine is out, they've had other injuries. I don't know, it doesn't quite have that heavyweight feel it typically does.
Do you think that has anything to do with the Western Conference? Oh, I'm sure that plays into it some. Even last year, with Memphis the likely opponent, they were suffering from some key injuries of their own. This year, Seattle is (mostly) healthy, and Portland would be beating us in spite of some of their injuries.
Assuming you all win and you play Seattle, is there any comfort in knowing you've beaten them? (laughs) No, not really. We had some nice scheduling breaks that week, if I recall, and that was when Isaac went down. This is a totally different team. Arguably one of the best teams we've seen in a long time. Had they been playing like this all year, they'd be the undefeated ones.
Are you moving the goalposts for your team? This sounds like a similar refrain to the last two years? I don't think so. I don't think anything I've said to this point, including the previous two years, is wrong. Also, we have to get through this round first before talking about Finals opponents.
What are you looking for as the ECF wraps up? First off, a win. Second, we're hoping that Jaylen Brown and Jimmy Butler can get healthy in case we need them in the Finals.
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Post by Miege22 on Apr 5, 2021 14:14:33 GMT -5
NETS' BRASS OPTIMISTIC AFTER DISMAL SEASON
It may have been the worst season in franchise history, but the Nets managed to accomplish their final goal of the year: they won a game. Frankly, they dominated. The Nets thoroughly defeated the Orlando Magic, a result that had the added bonus of bumping the Magic up to the fifth spot in the upcoming NBA draft lottery. That pick belongs to the Nets, and they now prepare for the single most important night in this franchise's history. With 3 of the top 4 lotto odds, and 6 of the top 10, the fortunes of this franchise have a chance to change dramatically. A few good bounces, and the Nets could be looking at an extremely quick rebuild. A few bad bounces and, well, the groundhog is probably looking right at his shadow.
On the bright side, Brooklyn can feel good about the players under contract for next season. Unlike most teardown jobs, the Nets will head into the summer with 12, and potentially 13 (depending on the Jaylen Nowell re-sign), players on the roster. Despite that, they project to have over $50 million in cap space, not factoring in draft picks. They also got to see most of those players contribute to the team's first and only win of the season. Chuma Okeke was a revelation, averaging 15-6.5-3.5, 2 steals and 1 block per game. Robert Williams has proven to be a legitimate starting big man in this league. De'Anthony Melton, who the Nets almost traded for nothing but cash on multiple occasions, turned into a lights out shooter. And Theo Maledon had his best game of the season, going for 33-5-3 to help seal the victory. Add it all up, and the front office is feeling better about a 1-13 season than anyone in league history.
You've been a hard person to get ahold of this season. Have you had any down time? It's funny, this is the worst we've ever been, yet it's probably the most work any of us have ever had. Doing all of this in a condensed off-season and shortened season, and, no, there really has not been any down time. Felt like we were always making a trade or a signing.
Well, we actually counted it all up. You all made 21 trades in the off-season and 11 in-season trades. That's it? Only 32 trades? Wow, felt like far more.
You all did also make 19 in-season free agent signings. For comparisons sake, last year that number was 4. OK, there you go. That's where all our time went.
What do you make of this team, now that you've seen all of them playing real minutes? Honestly? I think we should have signed Dean Wade to a longer-term deal (*laughs*). No, seriously, I'm pretty pleased with where this team is at. I think our summer was a mixed bag, especially the draft, and that was probably what triggered this rebuild. We just knew that Onyeka and Killian weren't going to be contributors right away, and it didn't make sense to roster them on a contender.
Speaking of rookies, it does look like last year's draft strategy failed. Why put all your eggs into that basket again? Well, I guess one could say that. It would be hard to disagree. I think, on the whole, things are still fairly positive on that front. We moved on from Killian, but that was only because Theo and Quickley, both rookies, look like players. Plus we were able to pick up Chuma, and this is basically his rookie season. Isaac has been solid, but we all knew his offense was a project. Onyeka... this is basically a redshirt season for him. I wouldn't say we put all our eggs into the draft, either. Owning draft picks doesn't mean using the picks to draft someone.
So the plan is to trade the picks? I mean, I didn't say that either. We're going to do what we think is best with those picks. Whether that's using them or trading them, that's a bridge we will cross when we get there. We still have a couple of months until we know the right path.
It does seem like that last week of the season played out as well as it could have? Sure, I guess. The draft lotto is pure randomness, but it is nice to have 3 of the top 4, and 6 of the top 10 odds. Now, I say that, and we'll end up missing the top-4. That would be a real kick in the pills.
How would you assess the teardown that took place last winter? We aren't really going to know anything about last summer for a few more years. Looking back right now, though, I'd say it was like our draft. It was a mixed bag. The LeBron/Siakam deal we probably ended up taking a loss. Although, we did end up flipping Marcus Smart with a future pick for Golden State's pick, so if both that pick and Orlando's pick hit, then the deal looks great. Dame and Wendell turned into our 21 and 23, Minnesota's 21 and 22, Utah's 22 and Boston's 23. Jimmy turned into Okoro, Portland's 21, Golden State's 22 and Jarrett Culver. If I have one regret, it's probably that we should have been a little more patient with some moves. Kuzma and Terrence Ross come to mind as guys that we probably could have gotten something for at the deadline. I don't know. The collecting assets part is always the easier task. It's turning those assets into real pieces that is the challenge.
How many real pieces are already on the roster? I'd love to say 13, but in all likelihood, the answer is probably closer to 2-3. Maybe 4, if we're lucky.
Let's fast forward. It's one year from today. Are we talking about the playoffs? I sure hope so. Losing is not fun. We've always strived to be a title contender, and the last time we had a blip like this, we were able to bounce right back and win a title. Of course, this will be more difficult since there's no James Harden or Kevin Durant around, but who knows what could happen this summer.
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Post by Miege22 on Oct 5, 2021 15:58:24 GMT -5
KYRIE IRVING STATUS CASTS SHADOW ON OTHERWISE JUBILANT NETS
The 2020-2021 season was a trying one for many, for reasons that mostly stemmed from the chaos taking place off the floor. Given all of the uncertainty surrounding the season and player availability, the Brooklyn Nets elected to go into a complete rebuild, trading anyone and everyone on the roster. That's not hyperbole, either. Every single player on the Nets' unbeaten 2019-2020 squad was traded in the prolonged off-season (well, almost... Darius Garland was not traded in the off-season; the Nets waited until a few weeks into last year to make that move). The end result was an absurd haul of draft picks and a lot of fliers on guys who just weren't quite ready yet. After enduring a 1-13 season, Brooklyn went into the draft lottery dreaming the impossible: 4 top-5 picks. In the end, they had to settle for 2 top-5 picks. However, some off-season maneuvering got them picks 2 and 4, which they used on Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs, respectively. The Nets have high hopes for that duo, but they know it could be a year or two. In the meantime, there was no chance the front office or fanbase would be content with another year of kicking the can down the road. The Nets went to work to try and put together a competitive roster. A month ago, it appeared they had succeeded.
After trading for Brandon Ingram, the Nets finally had a young "star" to build around. Along with the recently acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Robert Williams (aka Timelord), Brooklyn felt very good about the core of young players they'd been able to land. So good, in fact, that they traded Onyeka Okongwu and a protected first to open up even more cap space. The goal was clear: bring in talent that can win... now. Looking around at the rest of the Eastern Conference, it was clear that a window to the playoffs was open. Not only was it open, but the Nets had extra incentive to try and climb through it, given that they had traded their 2022 away years ago. Their free agent spending spree resulted in a number of solid signings: Jae'Sean Tate, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Thad Young, Mike Conley, Buddy Hield and Chris Paul. The crown jewel of this class, however, was Kyrie Irving.
Players like Kyrie Irving don't hit the free agent market every year. In fact, they almost never do. Given his abilities and age, the Brooklyn front office felt they had to do everything they could to open up the cap space to land him. In the end, they did. And they celebrated. They all did. The front office, the players, the team, Kyrie... everyone was ecstatic to land the elite point guard that considers himself "home" in Brooklyn. That all feels so long ago now, as Kyrie Irving has elected to hold the entire organization hostage with his steadfast refusal to get vaccinated against an illness that has killed nearly 5 million people. How this plays out remains to be seen. As it stands right now, Irving would only be allowed to play road games, but that seems an untenable situation since he can't practice at home either. Has another player ever been as selfish as Kyrie is being? We asked the Nets GM about all this and more.
I guess we'll start with the topic everyone wants to know about: what's Kyrie's status? Kyrie is not allowed to play or practice in New York City. That's his status. Given all our practices and home games are in New York City... you do the math.
What efforts have been made to get him on board? Seriously? He's had access to anyone and everyone with knowledge about these vaccines and COVID, itself. Far more access than anyone on the street has. There's literally nothing we haven't done, short of strapping him down and forcing him to get it.
What will happen if he doesn't? Rules seem pretty clear at this point. He won't play in home games. He'll lose his money for those games.
What's your take on the situation? It's pretty freaking stupid, if you ask me! I mean, he's seen all of us step up to the plate and get it done, and we're all ok. Millions of people around the world have stepped up to the plate, and the cases of severe reactions have been miniscule. People have been required to get vaccines for decades, and it hasn't been a problem. Ultimately, it's his choice... but if he chooses not to do it, he's being selfish. Not just with regard to his teammates, who are counting on him, but it's selfish relative to any person he comes into contact with. At the end of the day, this isn't a "what's best for me?" question, this is a "what's best for us?" question. What's best for us, all of us, is that those who are able, get the vaccine.
You seem quite passionate about this- Of course I'm passionate about this. Millions have DIED from this. Forget about the fact that we made quite a substantial commitment to Kyrie, a commitment we easily could have made to other players. This goes beyond basketball. This is about right and wrong.
How are you feeling about everyone else? Oh, we're psyched about the rest of the team. We've been after Brandon for years, and we were all so excited when we finally got to an agreement on that trade. Nickeil is a kid we've admired from afar for a couple of years as well. All of the vets? Love em. The rooks, Mobley and Suggs? Going to be studs. We are very pleased with the way the roster shook out. And we've got an open spot to see what happens.
Do you all think there's a real shot to make the playoffs? Yes. Hell, I'll go one step further... I think there's a real shot to make the Finals. Normally I like to tamp down expectations, but I really do think we can do it. Now, the enormous caveat there is everyone has to be healthy and AVAIALBLE to play ALL the games. If that gets resolved, I really like our chances. We could probably use a little more depth up front, but we're going to be very good in the backcourt and on the wings, that I'm hoping it makes up for it. Then you're just relying on a little luck at opportune moments.
OK, wow. Realistically speaking, though, what do you expect? We really do expect the playoffs. It'll be tough. New York and Tampa feel like the only locks. Atlanta got better. Chicago probably came back to the pack some. Washington, Orlando and Miami are probably content missing the postseason. Memphis and Toronto are wild cards. We think we did enough to get in the top-5.
I'm glad you mentioned the Knicks. How's that been? Honestly haven't heard a peep about em. The city seems much more focused on the only franchise to win a title here... I kid. I kid. We're excited for the competition. We think it could be a great rivalry. And, of course, LeBron is back in town, so that's a lot of fun.
Any parting thoughts? Yeah, I hope I never have to answer another vaccine question again.
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 28, 2021 17:29:45 GMT -5
NETS GET BACK TO .500 WITH WIN OVER RIVAL TAMPA BAY
It's been an up-and-down season for the Brooklyn Nets. After scuffling through the non-conference at 3-4, losing 3 absolute backbreakers, there was still some hope that they could get right and make a run at a top-2 seed. That hope was quickly extinguished with yet another devastatingly close loss, this time to a Hawks team they'd almost certainly need to have beaten to land in the top-2. At 3-5, the season looked all but lost for the Nets. Instead, they rebounded to win their next two, beating up an injured Memphis team, and taking advantage of a COVID-riddled Tampa Bay. With those two wins, the Nets finally got back to .500, and the 2-seed was suddenly looking possible. Rather than make a run at it, with their neighbor the Knicks looking quite formidable, the Nets decided to pack up shop and collect assets once again. In a process that started several weeks back with the trade of Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn put the finishing touches on it by sending Chris Paul back to the team he started with, the Tampa Bay Bull Sharks. All told, the Nets' off-season signings of Paul, Buddy Hield, Mike Conley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Kyrie Irving resulted in Portland's 2022 pick, Atlanta's 2022 pick, Utah's 2024 pick, and Golden State's (or Atlanta's) 2024 pick. They also picked up Collin Sexton and Brandon Clarke. Finally, they flipped Nickeil Alexander-Walker for Seattle's 2024 pick.
And now, the next chapter begins. Or continues, depending on how you view this season in relation to last. The Nets did make an honest go of it this year, it seemed, and they still might make the playoffs. However, it's clear from their moves that they're looking to do something bigger than make the playoffs. With how often this team has contended, it will be interesting to see if the front office, and the fans, have the patience for a slow build Fortunately for them, Evan Mobley looks like the real deal and Brandon Ingram has lived up to the hype. Question marks abound on the rest of the roster, though, and we asked the GM about just a few of those question marks.
It's been a bit of a whirlwind these last few weeks. Can you peel back the curtain a little bit? Sure, I think it's pretty simply. COVID is still raging. We have no doubts that, had we kept things intact, we may have been able to make a run at it. However, with so much uncertainty, we did not think it worthwhile to roll those dice. With the opportunity to add to our war chest of assets without giving up much long-term value, we felt we had to do it. We liked Buddy and NAW, but neither was worth the downside - Buddy with his salary, and Nickeil with just one year left on his deal. We wish them well. With Chris, it was pretty easy. He needs to go somewhere he can actually contend for a title, and that wasn't going to happen here. Most of the pick market had been tapped out, but Tampa Bay was willing to move one and save us some money to take a flier on a player or two down the stretch.
And Kyrie? Listen, Kyrie made his priorities clear when training camp started. We did not think those priorities lined up with the organization's.
Can you tell us a little bit about the players you all brought in, Sexton and Clarke? Well, Collin is a guy we've long-admired for a while. He's just such an effortless scorer, and he can do it at all three levels. I think next year is going to be fascinating for him coming off the injury he had. It might take him a little while to get back to his explosive self, but the rest of his game, though it didn't show up in his limited minutes this year, really started to round out. We think he can be really good. Brandon is also a guy we've kept an eye on, and it seems he's not quite gotten the chance to show what he can do. On a per-minute basis, he can really fill up the box score. If given the chance, we think he could be a breakout candidate. We were willing to take that chance.
What about some of the free agent pickups? Yeah, you know, we still needed some talent to fill out the roster, and guys like Campazzo, Martin, Hernangomez, and Mathews have all shown they can contribute. We're happy with them. Jalen McDaniels is a guy we've watched since last year. If I remember correctly, he may have been someone's D-League signee [editor's note: McDaniels was not signed last year; his brother was signed by the Seattle Supersonics]. He put up some wild box score numbers to end last season, and I really don't think anyone was paying too much attention. He got buried early on this year, but he started to come on over the last month, and I won't lie to you, the fact he had COVID early was a driving factor. We knew he'd be available. I assume Josh Christopher and Brandon Boston are the other guys you're most interested in. Those two were guys we watched in summer league, and they just seemed to have... something. With the position we're in now, we could take a chance on the two of them.
You all are obviously pivoting, but how did it feel to beat Tampa Bay? What can I say? It felt like, for just a brief moment, that things had gotten back to normal. Even if Tampa Bay goes onto win it all again this year, they'll always know in the back of their minds that we had their number. And they'll know that they needed help from us, in the form of Chris Paul, to get it done. Look, it's nothing but respect for Tampa and what they've done, but... I don't want to call it a big brother, little brother dynamic because it's not that. It's kind of like... Brook and Robin Lopez, you know? Both are NBA players. Both have been in the league a long time. Both have accomplished a lot... but we all know which one is better. That's all I'm saying.
Speaking of titles, before the season you talked about that being a possibility- Yeah, and then what happened? Injuries and COVID. Can't win em all.
Can we circle back and talk Knicks? If you really want to, I guess. That LeBron fella is pretty good, isn't he? Oh, another reason we're better than Tampa - we actually got the job done with LeBron. But anyway, yeah, the Knicks are good. Good for them. It's good to have two good teams here. I am curious what happened to their owner. He seems to have fallen off the face of the Earth, though he's still getting his lineups set. It's a mystery. I really like that team, bias aside. If LeBron, Embiid, and Mitchell are performing at this level, they can beat anyone.
Have you taken note of what's going out West? Of course I have, I watch everything. Feel terrible for Seattle. They've just been devastated at the worst possible time. It seems the two best teams, KC and Houston, have largely avoided massive COVID outbreaks. I'm sure their record isn't a reflection of that... but seriously, how does Poopy keep doing it? Every year that guy acts like a complete blowhard, and every year (recently, at least), he puts together a top-4 team out there. It's kind of nuts. By the way, I can't help but notice that a lot of former Nets end up in Kansas City. Have you noticed that? CJ, BP, SGA, Jaylen Nowell, Trez... probably nothing. Four of those guys are champions though.
Do you see any more trades in the near future? Never say never, but it'll probably be tough. We haven't gotten a ton of offers for guys on our roster, though we're always listening. Except on Evan Mobley. He's untouchable.
I almost forgot about him. What are your early impressions? Honestly? He can be at top-5 player in this entire league. He's that good. He's just so smart already defensively, and while his offensive game needs a little bit of polished, it's so much further along than anyone thought. We couldn't be more excited for his future, and to be honest, it does a little bit of the sting off the rest of the draft. We are well aware that we could also have Barnes, Giddey, and Duarte. But hey, we didn't whiff on those picks. We just kicked the can down the road. We have plenty of options.
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Post by Miege22 on Dec 16, 2022 14:37:29 GMT -5
NIGHTMARE SEASON TRUDGES ALONG IN BROOKLYN
It's been a rough three-season stretch for the Brooklyn Nets, and it appears to be coming to a head this year. After the team elected to punt on last season, a decision that, in hindsight, might have been premature, they once again tried to thread the needle between rebuild and competitiveness. Unlike the magical 2018 season that ended in a remarkable run to the title, this year has been an utter disaster. There were early warning signs that maybe things wouldn't go so well in Brooklyn. The team brought in five rookies, and only two of them saw any kind of rotation minutes out of the gate. Their two big off-season acquisitions, Ben Simmons and Keldon Johnson, were hurt in pre-season. While Keldon managed to come back to start the season, Simmons missed multiple games before looking unplayable in his return. He managed to turn things around somewhat before injuries struck again... and that has been the other theme of this season. Yes, the Nets are a young team, and young teams need time, but they have also been without their best players for significant portions of the season. Brandon Ingram, Jalen Suggs, and Ben Simmons have all missed over a third of the season, and both Ingram and Suggs have no expected return date. The Nets finally gave up on the Simmons experiment, punting him to Atlanta for a pick and Rui Hachimura, also dealing with health issues in his own right. Outside of Evan Mobley, there hasn't been much on the positive end of things. Sure, Shaedon Sharpe, Tari Eason, and Jalen Duren have all had their moments, but the ceilings on those moments are, naturally, rather limited. How the Nets get out of this mess is anyone's guess, and, fortunately, the GM sat down to try and provide some clarity on this "plan."
I guess, first off, what happened this summer? Your guess is as good as mine. It really does feel like every move backfired. You know, we thought De'Aaron Fox was due for a big season, and we were right... but we got a little blinded by winning the deal rather than getting the best player. That's what it came down to with the Simmons move. He had every red flag imaginable, hadn't improved, bad back, bad attitude, quit on his team... and normally we've avoided guys like that. Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, but I thought there was a chance he could bounce back from all of that. He still might, but we were pretty much done with the circus as soon as it started.
All told, you ended up with four picks and Rui Hachimura for De'Aaron Fox... Yeah, glad I have job security, I'll put it that way. Who knows what will happen. We traded away two firsts in this draft to land Fox, one of them looks like it will be lotto, the other doesn't. We ended up with a potential lotto pick in this draft, a swing pick, a likely non-lotto, and a 2025. I think you'd probably want to do better, but if that potential lotto pick hits, then it was all worth it.
So was that the plan all along? Were you all simply pretending to field a competitive team? No, that wasn't the plan all along, though I'm sure very few would believe us at this point. Looking specifically at the Fox deal, we felt that, if Simmons got back to what he once was, landing Dort and two firsts was more than enough to put that deal over the top. We flipped Brandon Clarke because we didn't want to pay that kicker, and we felt Bogdanovic would have some value. It also looks like that pick could be a lotto pick as well. But you also don't trade three picks for Keldon Johnson if you're hellbent on losing. Things just didn't go our way. When you lose four of your five best players for significant portions of the season, it's kind of hard to win.
You all have tried this lotto strategy before, just two years ago in fact, and it did not go well. Why will this be different? I mean, we ended up with good picks, we just made the wrong moves. Mobley has panned out, and we still think highly of Suggs, but yeah, it hurts to know we could have come out of that draft with Mobley, Barnes, Giddey, and Wagner. But hey, that's the draft. You win some, you lose some. So I can't say it will be different. It might not. But that top prize, heck, the top two prizes... those are can't miss guys. If things break right, maybe we jump up to one or both of those spots.
The plan is to hope for a 14% chance at Wemby to come through? That doesn't seem like much of a plan. Well, right now I'm looking at the lotto odds, and based on where our picks stand, we have a 51.5% chance at Wemby. There's no guarantee that that's the case come May, but if it's around 35-40%? Hell yes, I'm taking those odds. This is the best prospect to enter the league since LeBron. You do what you have to do to have a shot at that.
And if you don't land him? Then we have a ton of capital to make some moves.
You've had that capital for multiple years and yet the team is winless... Look, what do you want me to tell you? We're not happy that we're winless. This stinks. Losing stinks. It's not fun to see your team get boatraced week after week. It's not fun to see two of your franchise cornerstones in street clothes for a month because they just can't stay on the floor. We want to make moves to win, but the reality of our current situation is there is no "win every remaining game" button. If there was, I would absolutely press it. We've done some things on the margins to try and at least be competitive. We've traded for and signed guys that can at least produce. But when the big money players are on the bench, this is what you get.
Does the team want to trade Brandon Ingram? Getting a little bold with the questions.
That's who you're referring to, is it not? No one else on this roster makes over $10 million a year. Brandon will play when he's healthy, and we hope it is sooner rather than later.
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Post by Miege22 on Feb 17, 2023 14:42:16 GMT -5
NETS FINISH WITH WORST RECORD IN FRANCHISE HISTORY; GM TOUTS BRIGHTER FUTURE
It's not very often that a 1-15 season can leave a front office feeling optimistic. Sometimes there's optimism in the "things certainly can't get any worse sense," sure, but never a true feeling that the team is ready to compete. That's not the case in Brooklyn, with the conference semis just underway, and the Nets sitting at home watching. It was, in fact, a very different tune than the one the Nets were singing just two months ago, as the team was mired in a winless season with their big names all sitting out with injuries. At that time, the team knew that a significant amount of work was necessary to turn things around, and they'd only just started that work (Ben Simmons being the first domino to fall). Only two weeks after that discussion, the next domino fell. Brandon Ingram was shipped out to Kansas City for two picks and Jaylen Nowell. Initially viewed as a subpar return for an all-star caliber player, the Sonics season went into a tailspin, and the 2023 pick the Nets received currently has the fourth best odds of landing number 1 (12.5%). It's possible that it actually drops in the lottery, and damages the return, but as the GM stated previously, it's a risk the team is willing to take with the best prospect since LeBron set to enter the draft.
Keldon Johnson quickly followed, heading to Toronto in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and a future pick. Then the deadline hit and the Nets went shopping. They traded six future draft picks, Tim Hardway Jr., Mark Williams, and Rui Hachimura for Jaren Jackson Jr., Dyson Daniels, and Moses Moody. All told, the Nets made 11 in-season trades (they actually had a hand in all but one in-season trade). They followed that up by signing Tre Mann, Isaiah Joe, and Cam Thomas, currently filling out every roster spot for next season. With 6 picks in the 2023 draft, moves are obviously going to be made, but considering all 6 are in the lotto, that shouldn't be a problem. When you add it all up, between the 6 picks the Nets own, they have a 68.5% chance of landing the number 1 pick in the 2023 draft. It's a lottery, so it's far from a guarantee, but it's as good a shot as any team can hope for. A big reason they have odds that high is their lone win came against the Chicago Bulls, who's pick the Nets own. Defeating the Bulls is why Chicago missed the playoffs, and it tacked another 6% onto that shot at #1.
Between their bevy of picks and young players, the Nets believe they are set up to quickly return to prominence in the Eastern Conference and, potentially, the league as a whole. Of course, after the debacle of last summer, it is fair to ask whether the front office is up to the task of rebuilding this once great franchise.
Everyone seems upbeat considering the season. Is that fair to say? I think so. We feel pretty good about all the players we have here, and the way a lot of them finished the season. There's a lot of talent here.
Can you elaborate on that? Maybe a quick breakdown- Oh, happy to. I'll leave JJJ out since we all know what he brings to the table. Evan Mobley is an absolute stud. He's been an 18-9-2.5 guy for the last two months. We are really high on him and think that pairing him with JJJ gives us, possibly, the best big man combo in the league. Heck, throw Jalen Duren into that mix. He's been a certified board eater all season, which can be a weakness of JJJ's. Those three, together, are going to be really good next year.
And the backcourt? More question marks there, but definitely some signs of life. Cam Thomas, of course, can score with the best of them. We actually had the opportunity to trade for him earlier in the year, but it just didn't make sense at the time. It worked out signing him in FA, and it allowed us to add that extra year on his deal. Shaedon Sharpe is another guy we are really excited for. He just moves around the court so effortlessly. If it clicks for him next year, and it already looks like some things are clicking now, he's going to be very good. Dyson Daniels is a guy we loved in the pre-draft process, but we just weren't sure about his opportunities. Seeing the way he's defended so far this year... it definitely made us comfortable with the idea of moving multiple picks for him. Isaiah Joe and Moses Moody are both knockdown shooters, and it will just be a matter of each seeing the floor.
What about the wings? Well, we'll see. Tari Eason and Kuminga are both still pretty raw, but they're so active. Just a minor improvement shooting for both of them, and they should both be solid. Dieng probably falls into that category as well, but he's even rawer than those two. Jaylen Nowell I'm not sure will ever be more than a role player, but he's either going to get a big new deal or he'll go to a new team that prioritizes him. Honestly, our point guard situation is what needs the most work. Jalen Suggs just hasn't put it together, and he's kind of running out of time. Tre Mann was a home run swing.
Couldn't one argue that's just putting a positive spin on things? I guess they could, but all of these guys are still so young. The oldest guys on this team are 23, so there's a lot of development left.
Did the team have any kind of plan with the trades they made? Broad strokes, we just wanted to get better. Whether that was a player who could help right now, like JJJ, or a guy who could help down the line, like Dyson Daniels, we were interested. We've also been intrigued by players that haven't quite lived up to expectations in their current situation, but who are still relatively young.
Do you have any plans with the picks? I mean, the top two guys on our board are the same top 2 on every board, so hope we land the top two picks (laughs). We are very, very interested in those two players, and if we land both picks through the lotto, that gives us a ton to play with in the off-season. If not... we'll still be interested, that's about all I can say.
Is there anything you've taken away from this season that you think might apply to next year? It's hard to say right now. I think the biggest thing is you really, really have to have a deep team. Teams like the Grizzlies, Warriors, and Sonics all missed out on the playoffs despite having a ton of top end talent. In years past, that might be enough to get in, but with load management and injuries, you really have to diversify your resources. With that, I think you also have to consider the ceilings of your role players. You know, we've always tried to find consistency, guys who may be capable of a huge individual performance, but who you could count on for a solid performance. I think we've gotten away from that some, and you kind of have to bet on that volatility even more with more and more guys getting games off.
Are you rooting for anyone in the playoffs? Uh, no. I think whoever wins is going to have a great story, but we don't care when we're not involved.
You know you've been here before with the picks... Yeah, you reminded us last time. It didn't work out. Maybe the ping pong balls bounce differently this time.
Realistically, it seems like a lot has to change to get back to the playoffs, no? What's a lot? With internal improvements and our assets, we firmly believe we can be in the playoffs next year. 8-8 is all it took. You'd expect the East to be better, but .500 is more than reasonable.
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