|
Post by Miege22 on May 17, 2023 14:46:44 GMT -5
BASKETBALL GODS SMILE ON BROOKLYN AS NETS LAND TOP 2 PICKS
As lottery day approached, the mood in the Nets' front office got noticeably more tense. After all, the front office had almost everything riding on the outcome of this draft lottery. They owned 6 of the top-10 picks, but they were in this position two years ago and only came away with 1 pick in the top-4. They knew as well as anyone that there was nothing guaranteed in the lottery, and the fact that the top-2 prospects were so clearly head and shoulders above the rest only added to the stakes. When the drawing reached the top-8, and the beginning of the Nets' run of picks, everyone in the front office leaned forward as if hoping to catch a glimpse of the cards before they were drawn. When the run ended with no movement, and the Nets own pick showed up in the 5th slot, an audible gasp was let out. Suddenly, Brooklyn was down to just two picks and four spots. Flashbacks of the 2021 draft were surely bouncing through the minds of those watching. The next two teams drawn would ultimately decide the fate of this whole plan. If the Nets saw their name come up for 3 and 4, they would have spent three years building to, possibly, nothing.
When the fourth pick was revealed, an excited chatter broke out. The Las Vegas Gamblers, winners of the top pick each of the last two years, had fallen to fourth, which meant, at the very least, Brooklyn would get the 2nd and 3rd picks. When the third pick was shown to be Tampa Bay, the office erupted. There was no need to wait for the reveal of the last two picks. The front office already knew they'd be getting both. It's not hyperbole to say that landing the top two picks completely changes the outlook of this franchise. The Nets had already started to make moves at the deadline to try and pad the landing a bad lotto night would induce. Bringing in JJJ, Dyson Daniels, and Moses Moody was them looking at the lotto and saying, "we need to have contingencies on hand if this doesn't work out." In the end, those contingencies were not needed.
It's not lost on those on the inside that the picks that ended up jumping to 1 and 2 were picks they received in trades. The pick that landed number 1 they received from OKC in exchange for Seth Curry, which, on it's face, looks like a fantastic no-brainer for the Nets. However, the reason they had Seth Curry is they moved De'Aaron Fox to Chicago for a package centered around Ben Simmons... and they initially had Fox because they swapped Atlanta's and Tampa Bay's 2023 picks for him. Those picks landed 3rd and 13th, respectively. The pick that jumped to number 2 they received as part of the deal that sent Brandon Ingram to Kansas City. There's a world where that pick drops to 6th or 7th, and the Nets are wildly regretting that trade. Instead, with the jump, there will no longer be any questions about whether it was the right move. The Nets will now head into the off-season armed with the top-2 picks, four more in the 5-8 range, a number of young assets, and significant cap space. A return to relevancy could be on the horizon.
Describe to us your feelings when Tampa came up third? I know how this sounds, but honestly, it was on par with winning the championship. Just that sense of excitement and relief, that's the closest thing I can compare it to. When we knew we'd landed 1 and 2, I just started jumping up and down and yelling. It was probably unprofessional [laughs].
What does this mean to the franchise? Possibly everything? We've got a storied history here. We've won four titles, made significant trades. But this day might rank right up there with the KD trade, the Harden trade, or the LeBron trade. But where those moves vaulted us into or further into title contention, this move opens up so many opportunities. We have some time with this. We don't have to rush into title contention. We may still get there next year, but it will be organic and allow us to maintain future flexibility. It's just incredibly exciting.
You've been reluctant to talk about the two players, can you talk to us about them now? Oh yes, there's no mystery here. Victor [Wembanyama] and Scoot [Henderson] will be the top-2 picks. Again, maybe it's unprofessional to let that out there, but we have no intention of trading either pick, so I'm not worried about anything coming back to bite us. Wemby is the best prospect I've seen since I've been here. LeBron is probably the best of my lifetime, but that was before I got this job. This kid is 7-5 with a jumper and ball-handling abilities. It literally makes no sense how he exists. Meanwhile Scoot would probably be the easy #1 pick this year if Wemby weren't in this class. We've been after a lead ball-handler for some time now, and Scoot checks off just about every box. We couldn't be more excited to bring both of those kids into our program.
What are the plans for the rest of the roster? You know, I think it's too early to get into all that. I do know that we would like to compete. We want to be in the playoffs next year. We really don't want to have to struggle through another season like this last one. That was tough on all of us. What that means for the rest of the roster or those picks, I can't say. We'll just have to see what moves are out there.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Jul 26, 2023 16:37:56 GMT -5
COMPLETION OF 2023 DRAFT BRINGS END TO NETS' WHEELING AND DEALING
The Nets entered the off-season possessing the top-2 picks in the draft and a mountain of uncertainty. With 6 of the top-8 picks, and a full roster, trades were an absolute certainty. In the end, the Nets made 7 trades, moved both up AND down in the draft, traded the 6th pick twice, and still, somehow, ended up bringing in 6 rookies. Just how and why the Nets did what they did required another sit down with the Nets GM.
So... take us through the plan. Did you all really intend to bring in six rookies? Quite honestly, no. It had been our intention going into the off-season to draft Wemby and Scoot, then turn the rest of the picks and some other young talent into at least 3 impact players in their prime. When we quickly came to a deal on Jaylen Brown, a player who actually wasn't on our potential targets, we thought we would absolutely be able to accomplish that goal. When it became clear that was not possible, we felt we needed to pivot.
Can you speak to the other targets? And where exactly was the pivot? No, we aren't going to leak trade discussions on deals that didn't happen. Suffice it to say, we simply didn't have the assets those teams were looking for. And I think you could easily spot the pivot.
Trading Jaylen Brown? Hmm... I guess it wasn't easy. No, the pivot was the second deal with Atlanta to reacquire the 6th pick. It was prior to that deal that we realized our initial plans weren't going to work out, and we needed to, instead, try and balance the roster with the best talent we could.
It appears coming away with the Thompsons was a big part of that plan? Oh, absolutely. When the pre-draft process started, we were lukewarm on the idea of bringing in any other top-10 picks beyond Wemby and Scoot. We just didn't think the value was there. As we got deeper into it, I think we all kind of came away thinking that these kids, Amen and Ausar, are special. The athleticism, obviously, jumps off the page, but we just weren't sure about the level of competition they were playing against. They also both have pretty rough-looking jumpers. That said, they were both a revelation with how smart they are offensively and how hard they work defensively. As the third pick came up then was on the clock, we were pretty determined to figure out a way to jump up and land Amen. Ausar we knew we could get at 5, but Amen wasn't going to get to us, so we had to make a deal.
And that's where Houston comes in? Not at first, but yes. We'd briefly discussed a deal with Vegas for number 4, but nothing really reached real negotiations since Houston came in over the top with Zion. We can't even fault Vegas, that's better than what we were offering. However, when the pick went to Houston, we thought there may be an opportunity to make a deal. Houston already had Steph and Dame, they're kind of in position to go for a title now. At the same time, Houston is in the position they're in because that's fantastic front office. They're not going to lose a deal. In the end, after a few different proposals, we found something that worked for both teams.
There was some talk surrounding that deal that you all gave up too much. How would you respond? Look, I'm on record saying we just focus on getting the guy we want. If that means we "lose" a deal, so be it. When we stray from that principle, and we simply try to "win" deals, we end up with Ben Simmons (laughs). I can certainly understand the argument. We moved a proven top-30 guy and the 6th pick for a rookie and two guys on expirings. We do love PJ Washington though, so that probably clouded our judgment to an extent. To get the 6th pick back, we traded 7, 8, and Ousmane Dieng, who we loved in last year's draft but who kind of got crunched by the roster. We traded Deni Avdija and Josh Richardson, two legit contributors, to take a guy who likely won't see a ton of playing time this year. In terms of immediate value, we probably lost those deals, but we don't care. This is about building a sustainable roster.
And what makes this sustainable? Have you seen how young our roster is? The average age is like 20 [editor's note: the average age is 20.7], but we expect to see some big leaps this year. We might have the best big man rotation in the league. Between JJJ, Mobley, Wemby, PJ and Duren, those are five legit bigs. We should never lose blocks. The backcourt is a little shakier, but we expect Scoot and Amen to have impacts right away. Daniels and Sharpe should be in line for playing time bumps. The wings are where the question marks are. We are confident in what Kuminga can do this year, and what Ausar can eventually do, but Miller and Bufkin will be projects.
Speaking of Miller and Bufkin, why the moves for them? We love those guys, first off. We think both could end up being top-10 players from this class. Leonard is a kid that has improved rapidly over the last couple of years. He hit a big growth spurt, so he still has some of those guard skills that can really separate big wings. He really has a nose for the ball. The jumper is a question mark, so he's like the Thompsons in that sense. Kobe is definitely going to need a year, but you see glimpses of the vision and scoring ability. He really needs to put on some weight. It will probably be at least a year before either is a real contributor, but we're optimistic about their ceilings.
With the question marks on the wings, does that mean you all will be looking for wings in FA? In all likelihood, yes. We've made no secret about our hope to move Beasley to a better situation. At the same time, we just kind of need scoring in general, so position might not matter as much. We freed up a little cap space, and with our situation next year, we don't have to worry about a long-term deal signed this summer hamstringing us next year. In fact, it probably behooves us to give out a long-term deal to help us next summer and the summer after.
It does seem like there was an eye on the future with some of these deals. There always is. As I've said before, we always want to be conscious of what things could look like a year or two from now. We think we've got a pretty solid three-year window here before things get crazy expensive. Plus, with three firsts next year, who knows what we could pull off next summer?
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Aug 27, 2023 15:11:35 GMT -5
NETS LAND VASSELL IN HISTORIC 11-TEAM TRADE
It almost sounds too ridiculous to be true. An 11-team trade. Over half the league involved in one deal. 17 players changing teams, over $70 million in 2024 salaries on the move. When the dust settled, the Nets had moved two picks and Kobe Bufkin, recently drafted 19th just a mere month ago, for fourth year swingman Devin Vassell. The trade for Vassell fills a glaring need on the wing for the Nets. We caught up with the Nets GM to find out how it all came together.
What's the mood like over there? Excited, relieved... we're very happy to get Vassell. He can really shoot it, he can put the ball on the floor and pass a little bit. Just need him to stay healthy, and we think he can fill something of a missing piece for us.
How is a deal like this even possible? Well, we think we have pretty solid relationships with just about every team in the league. We're always trying to keep an open line of communication with every front office. What I think is unique about this deal is, despite it's historic nature, no one was in it just to be in it. Every team had a very real reason to be involved, and it happened entirely organically.
Where does an idea for this even come from? I don't think you ever go into trade discussions with the intent to put together a deal like this. We know Golden St. had mentioned a deal that would involve every team in the league, so it's been out there. But frankly, this one started somewhat innocuously. Kansas City mentioned to us that they were trying to land Jimmy Butler, but they didn't think they had the pieces Seattle would want. That was, really, the jumping off point.
OK, that explains two of the teams, where do you all fit into that picture? It might seem a little convoluted, but based on discussions we've had with Seattle, and the first couple of trades from their new FO, it was pretty clear they were looking to stay competitive. Based on roster construction, we had a feeling that they'd be looking for help at the guard spots. We had made overtures for Marcus Smart in Phoenix, but the Suns let us know they weren't rushing to move someone like Smart. That said, the front office in Phoenix is savvy, and, similar to Seattle, we felt like they'd change their stance if the price was met. That's the thing about trade discussions. We firmly believe there's always a deal to be made, and if it can't be reached between the two teams negotiating, bringing in a third or fourth team could help get things done.
Alright, so Kansas City, Seattle, Phoenix... again, where do you all come in? We're getting there, don't worry. After we signed Coby White and traded PJ Washington, we thought we could use another front court piece. We'd recently made a deal with Washington for Deni, and we stayed in touch with them as we really did like Jalen Johnson. When Washington informed us that they were open to making more moves, we approached them about Jalen. Originally, the Wizards were going to get Jordan Walsh and Kansas City's 2026 for Johnson; Jalen would come to us, and Smart and Bufkin would go to Kansas City. The problem was that we were still lacking draft capital for the Suns.
So that's where Tampa Bay came into this? Not at first, no. Initially we asked the Knicks how they felt about Toppin, as they'd put Utah's 2026 on the block for SG, SF/ or PF help. They weren't particularly interested, so then we reached out to Tampa. Despite our rivalry, we have a pretty solid working relationship with their front office, and we thought they'd be interested in moving a pick for some immediate help, but they'd almost certainly need a guard instead of a big. At the same time, we brought in Golden St. as they'd mentioned wanting to move a guard for a big. They also had expressed interest in being in a large deal like this. We went to them about a Toppin for Russell swap, and they were open to it.
You're up to 7 teams... what happened next? After some discussion with Tampa Bay, they were on board with swapping their pick for Russell, and that's when we felt like things were real. Phoenix didn't get back to us right away, but the foundation was there. While waiting for Phoenix, Washington, and Golden St. to consider their ends of the deal, we reached out to Colorado.
Colorado? Yeah, the Kings weren't especially interested in taking back Bufkin, but we knew the Swannies might be interested. They'd shared with us previously that Bufkin was the guy they were going to draft had we not offered them Deni and Richardson. When we threw out Bufkin for cash, they jumped on it immediately. That actually freed up Nickeil Alexander-Walker to go to Kansas City.
Wait, what happened? The Warriors signed Kris Murray and had to drop a couple guys. They were going to put Nickeil on waivers, but we suggested waiting as Nickeil could be thrown into the deal. KC was fine getting back NAW, as they still wanted to make a play for Butler and would end up needing guard depth. Golden St. was on board with moving NAW, but they weren't really sold on Toppin, preferring a big that offered more from a rebounding a blocked shots perspective.
Oh, so Atlanta? Bingo. We'd tried to make a play for Kyrie, and didn't quite have what they were looking for. Mitchell Robinson, though, seemed like a guy that could be had. Now, Toppin for Mitch Rob probably wasn't going to make a ton of sense for Atlanta given their roster construction, as well as the fact that they had just drafted Jarace Walker. Fortunately, Washington had already let us know Walsh wasn't really an appealing return for Jalen Johnson. That freed up Walsh and Tampa's pick to go to Atlanta. Kansas City agreed to throw in Jaylin Williams to sweeten the deal. Atlanta was receptive and agreed to ship out Mitch Rob for that package.
What about Bassey? Don't worry, we'll get there. With Atlanta on board, we were able to go back to Golden St. and offer up Robinson in exchange for Russell. Their FO gave us the green light, which meant Obi Toppin could be offered to Washington. They were far more receptive to Toppin, but needed some to think about it. That was no problem there as we were all still waiting on Phoenix, and they were kind of the linchpin to the whole thing.
And when was this? Thursday night. After a day of negotiations, we had us, Tampa, Golden St., Atlanta, Kansas City, and Colorado on board. We were waiting on Phoenix and Washington. We hadn't even gone to Seattle yet since there wouldn't have been anything to offer without Phoenix being on board.
So the next big domino was? Friday morning, but it wasn't really a domino. It was really the first big obstacle. Phoenix ultimately didn't want to move Smart for a couple of picks, particularly if one of the picks was 3 years out. Washington also felt like they needed to get a pick back with Toppin, since Toppin had a kicker and it would likely end up being an expiring contract. On the one hand, that freed up Kansas City's pick to go to Washington. On the other hand, there was nothing to send to Phoenix, and that was likely going to scuttle the deal.
Is that how Johnson ended up going to Phoenix? Yes, that was actually something both Phoenix and Washington filled us in on. They independently disclosed that there had been offers with Jalen going to Phoenix. We weren't particularly thrilled about not getting Jalen Johnson, but at this point, so much work had gone into the deal that we didn't want it to die because we didn't get exactly who we wanted. So we started scouring rosters for a different player that would make sense coming back to us. And that's when we looked at Utah.
Utah? Yes, we actually asked them about Hield for a couple of picks, but that would have cut Phoenix out which didn't seem right. Before we heard back, we asked if Kispert might be available. What Phoenix told us is that they'd rather put Brogdon into the deal with Smart, and get back just one pick with Jalen Johnson. They'd also offered up cash and the ability to take on unwanted deals. We thought Utah might be willing to take on Brogdon for Kispert if they were getting cash to cover the difference. We waited to hear back from them and were pretty confident they'd be in. While waiting, Phoenix agreed to take on Charles Bassey from Atlanta, and Washington agreed to send out Suggs with Jalen Johnson in exchange for Toppin and KC's pick. So... we reached out to Miami.
Because you needed someone to take Suggs? Right. The Kings were on board with the deal to this point, though they were looking to get a wing. We'd discussed Suggs with Miami before we moved him to Washington, and were going to be in a four-team deal with the Kings and Heat where Bogdan Bogdanovic would have gone to Kansas City. We immediately suggested Suggs for Bogdan, and after some discussion, the Heat were on board with that swap.
The Kings were going to get Smart and Bogdanovic? At one point, yes. The money was going to be tight, but Phoenix was willing to grease the wheels. The Suns having so much cap space is what really made this deal come together.
OK but Utah ultimately said no? Surprisingly, they did turn it down. We really thought they'd want the immediate production from Brogdon, but they expressed concerns about his health, which is fair. We really didn't know who to go to at that point. The biggest impediment, frankly, was our return. We just couldn't justify moving a pick and Bufkin for someone like Brogdon. It didn't make sense. Phoenix suggested OKC, but they were pretty set at guard, and they'd turned down a Bagley/Baldwin swap to try and get something else to Utah. Our first thought was Houston.
Why Houston? They have Steph and Dame. We knew it would be a long shot, but the Rockets are all in for this year, so we thought maybe they'd swap out Gradey Dick for Brogdon. They said no, but expressed interest in a SG/SF. Bogdan was really the only piece that fit that description, and KC gave the go ahead to swap out Bogdan for Brogdon in their return. Since they were open to that, we threw Bogdan at Houston and waited. We also circled back to OKC, offering up Bogdan and one of our firsts in 2024 for Vassell.
Was that a shot in the dark? To an extent, sure, but we'd asked about Vassell earlier in the summer and OKC didn't completely shut it down. With Vassell's kicker, he was going to be more expensive than Bogdan anyway, and we could guarantee the highest of our remaining picks. To our delight, they were on board, which meant the deal was on whether Houston was in or not.
But if Houston was in, they would have gotten Bogdan? They would have, but OKC was good with Gradey Dick as a return, so he would have just been rerouted to the Thunder.
So where was Seattle in all this? As I said earlier, it didn't make sense to throw anything at Seattle until Smart was locked in. With OKC locked in, Phoenix was locked in, and that meant Smart was now available to be offered. KC was ok moving forward with the deal as is, knowing that the Butler offer was out there. We threw it at Seattle but didn't hear back right away. We didn't want to keep anyone waiting, so we sent it to the league. Since Seattle's decision only impacted Kansas City's return, it didn't make sense to wait too long.
Seattle was ultimately on board though. Oh yeah, they jumped on with no back-and-forth. It made total sense for them. Smart and Dinwiddie gives them a very solid lineup. And there you go. That's how it all came together.
What do you attribute the ability to complete this deal to? We've been doing this for a long time. We've been in so many deals with all these teams at this point, I mean, you can go and look at the three and four-team deals in this league. You'll see a lot of familiar faces. Most importantly, I think there was a level of trust involved that is fairly unique. We were doing a lot of the negotiations, sure, but we were really more of a conduit for this one. We were doing our best to keep everyone informed as things unfolded. And I think that ultimately helped get this over the finish line. It also really helped that no one involved was looking to "win" the deal. Everyone wanted to get fair value for what they were giving up, sure, but there was no team in the deal that made things difficult.
Now that it's all said and done... you think we'll get a 20-team deal? Can we at least wait a week before trying to think through that one (*laughs*)?
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Nov 22, 2023 12:10:15 GMT -5
NEW LOOK NETS START SEASON 4-0
When the schedule was released, the Nets knew they had a chance to make waves immediately. The first four weeks of the season brought four of the five Eastern Conference playoff teams to the table. One of those was the defending NBA champions. Another was the franchise's long-standing rival that has, in some ways, usurped their role as the premier franchise in the conference. After a season-opening win against the Wizards, a match-up that wasn't decided until the final game, the Nets boatraced the Knicks to run their record to 2-0. A win in week three over their rival Bull Sharks followed, and the hype train officially left the station. It very nearly derailed before the first stop, but a late rally gave the Nets the win over Toronto. Somehow, some way, the Nets became the last unbeaten team left in the league at 4-0.
The record is remarkable for any number of reasons, foremost of which may be that the oldest player on this team is just 25 year old. Austin Reaves is the "old guy" on this team, and after a dreadful start to the season, he has settled in to his new role. Since the calendar flipped to November, Reaves is averaging 15-6-5 while knocking down 1.6 threes per game and shooting 50/84 splits. He's largely been exactly what they paid for. His uneven play, however, is not all that dissimilar from the rest of the roster. Consider prized rookie Victor Wembanyama, the early front-runner for Rookie of the Year. Wemby has had a number of jaw-dropping plays already this year, and he's had four games of 18+ points and 4+ blocks. He's also had multiple games where he's failed to crack double-figure scoring, and he's shooting a startling 42.%. Look up and down the roster, and one will see, well, plenty of ups and downs. The highs though, such as Ausar Thompson's 14/9/4/4/4 line against Phoenix or Dyson Daniels' line as a starter (10/6/5/2), are intoxicating, and they point to a roster that appears to brimming with players capable of contributing in almost every category.
Whether or not the winning ways will continue is hard to predict. Already, injuries may have finally caught up with them. Being out Duren, Vassell, Henderson, and Amen Thompson makes beating a team like OKC, who they face in week 5, quite difficult. However, they've banked four conference wins and one important tiebreaker already, which is literally the most they could do in the opening four weeks. We caught up with the Nets GM to get his thoughts on the first quarter of the season.
Congrats on the start. Are you at all surprised by how quickly you all have gotten out of the gates? Oh, very much so. Obviously we were quite pleased with the way the off-season went for us, but we still knew this was a young team, and it's hard for young teams to win in this league. And the schedule itself... boy, it was not easy. Washington is a very good team. New York and Tampa, of course, are legitimate title contenders. The Raptors may have been down Morant, but they made the playoffs for a number of reasons that go beyond just what he brings to the table. We felt like, if we could come out of that stretch 2-2, we'd be pleased.
What's stood out to you the most? It's got to be Ausar [Thompson], right? We were high on both he and his brother, but holy cow, this kid is just a winner. He just goes out there and makes his presence felt, even when he's not putting the ball in the hoop. There's a world in which he's the best perimeter defender in the NBA next year. I really don't think it's that far-fetched. If he can shoot it even a little bit, he's going to be dynamite.
The win over Toronto also clinched you all a knockout spot in the GM Cup. Thoughts on the new tournament? Well, I don't know if anyone else has felt more urgency with these division match-ups, but we certainly have. We joked with the Tampa folks, when things looked bleak for us against Toronto, that we absolutely would have preferred dropping that one if it guaranteed a Toronto win, and a knockout spot. As for the impact it will have... it's always nice when we can shine a spotlight on different teams and storylines. How many people had Chicago making the playoffs? And they may just win the group heading into the knockout round. All five teams are somehow still alive in the Midwest. We'll kind of get a look at what a playoff field with no conferences could look like. It's pretty interesting.
Is there any concern about the injuries? Sure, you always want your guys to play. Especially for a team as young as ours. They need game reps. Plus, Vassell and Duren were two guys we came into the season really counting on, so to lose either, or both, of them for an extended stretch is a real killer. Hopefully they can be back for the Orlando and Chicago match-ups, since those could obviously have seeding implications.
Anything else you're watching? The West is fascinating, isn't it? KC, Utah, OKC, and Seattle are all clearly quite stronger than I think many anticipated. I think we may be looking at a scenario where 11 wins is needed just to get in. We're pretty shocked that Houston has just kind of collapsed like this. There's so much talent on that roster, you'd think at some point they'd put it together.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Dec 18, 2023 17:02:17 GMT -5
NETS REACH HALFWAY POINT 7-1 BUT TROUBLE IS LOOMING
The Nets ran their second quarter record to 3-1, following a win over the Las Vegas Gamblers, and normally that would be cause for celebration. After all, this young Nets team is now 7-1, leading the Eastern Conference, reached the knockout round of the inaugural GM Cup (set to begin next month), and has generally played well above expectations. Of course, no season is without it's bumps in the road, and the Nets have hit their first real bump. Sure they've had guys miss games here and there, but they'd managed to overcome those absences. Now, things have gotten real. Shortly after losing Jalen Duren for at least two weeks (and likely closer to 4) with yet another ankle injury, the real bad news struck: Evan Mobley, an iron man in his short career, would be shut down for the next 6-8 weeks after requiring knee surgery. On the optimistic end, that puts Mobley out until the last week of the season. Realistically, he won't be ready until the conference semifinals... which makes landing a top-3 seed imperative in an Eastern Conference that suddenly looks far more competitive following some surprising week 8 results. We caught up with the GM to asses the situation:
Where do you all stand with the injuries to Duren and Mobley? It's not ideal, I'll tell you that much. You know, a big part of the reason we were reluctant to move on from other bigs despite landing Wemby is that we wanted protection in case he or JJJ got injured. We didn't think we'd need protection for our protection, but here we are. It's tough. Hopefully the team we've built can survive. Going to need Jaren to hit those boards.
Wemby has been on quite a hot streak lately, what have you seen from him? That one's actually pretty simple. The Spurs started playing him at center. Now, I don't know if that's better for them as a team, but it certainly helps his fantasy prospects. Little things like that make a huge difference. Just look at Shaedon Sharpe.
What? Sharpe was rolling when Jerami Grant and DeAndre Ayton went out. It's no surprise he's struggled since they returned. Both of those guys are complete black holes. If they get the ball, it's not coming back out. When you combine that Anfernee Simons running "point" there, it's just not a great situation.
How do you all feel about your match-up with KC? It'll be tough, it always is. Poopy's got a solid team over there. One of our biggest advantages over them was our bigs, and that's been kneecapped, so we'll see what happens.
Any major takeaways from the first half of the season? Yeah, I wish we'd gotten Sharpe into the lineup over Ausar against Orlando (*laughs*). Sitting here undefeated would have been nice. We're in a solid position though. This team has done everything we could have hoped for and then some through 8 weeks. Just have to keep it going.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Feb 12, 2024 15:44:59 GMT -5
NETS FINISH REGULAR SEASON 14-2, AWAIT PLAY-IN WINNER
It's been a charmed regular season for the Brooklyn Nets. After ripping off five straight wins to start the year, four of which went right down to the wire, the Nets hit a minor rough patch going 2-2 over their next four. With what looked a tough closing schedule coming up, and the tiebreaker for first with Orlando, the playoffs, let alone the one seed, were not guaranteed. Instead, this precocious Nets team won seven straight games to close the regular season, winning the Eastern Conference by three full games. All season, the Nets FO had been somewhat hesitant to make too big a move, knowing that many of the players on this roster wouldn't hit their primes for years (we say "somewhat" because they did trade Jonathan Kuminga and Leonard Miller for Malik Monk early in the season, the former of which has since exploded for the Hawks). However, with Evan Mobley back in the fold (and suddenly hitting threes), they decided to push their chips in. And the result was the stunning return of Kyrie Irving.
As many probably remember, Irving was the prize signing of their 2021 off-season. The lead guard they'd been trying to land since trading Harden then Damian Lillard. The Nets had dreams of competing for a title in that 2021-2022 season. Instead, Irving refused to get the COVID vaccine and was effectively banned from playing any home games. The Nets quickly moved to dump Kyrie, and they sent him to Miami for Montrezl Harrell and Portland's 2022 pick. Ironically, it all came full circle for the Nets with the return Kyrie trade. After the deal with Miami, the Nets later dealt Montrezl Harrell to Kansas City for Brandon Clarke and Atlanta's 2022 draft pick. That pick was used to draft Shaedon Sharpe... who the Nets sent to Atlanta for Kyrie. Also in that deal was Dyson Daniels, who the Nets received from Houston in exchange for multiple picks and Rui Hachimura... who the Nets got in a separate trade with Atlanta. (The 2022 Portland pick was ultimately traded to New York for the Knicks' 2024, which the Nets flipped, along with other assets, at the 2023 deadline for JJJ.)
Just like that Kyrie was back in Brooklyn, but he wasn't the only deadline acquisition. The Nets also sent their final two 2024 picks to Houston for Kevin Huerter and Gary Trent Jr. The early returns on those moves were fantastic. Kyrie averaged 25/4.5/7, hit 12 threes, and shot 56% from the floor in the regular season finale. Kevin Huerter and Gary Trent, picked up for their three-point prowess, knocked down 14 threes, while also combining for 9 steals. The Nets head into the playoffs not only as the number 1 seed, but with a firm belief that this young team may just have the right alchemy to pull off a surprise championship.
What's the mood like right now? We just finished 14-2, what do you think the mood is like? We're all obviously very excited about this group. This has all happened quite a bit faster than we thought. Obviously we were high on all the young guys, because we made it a point to try our hardest to bring them in, but still. I'd be lying if I said we knew, for example, that Coby White would be doing this. Watching this team night in and night out has truly been a joy.
How did you all decide to bring back Kyrie? What all went into that decision? Oh, I won't lie, we agonized over that one. There were a lot of hurt feelings, on all sides, I think, when all that stuff went down a couple years ago. We still believe the decision he made was selfish, and, frankly, the wrong one. That said, things obviously change. I don't think I would characterize the decision to trade for him as one of us admitting we were in the wrong or ok with what happened. Just that the past is the past. We considered other options. We really wanted to land Steph Curry. Houston, I think smartly, held firm on getting back real value, and we just couldn't match the asking price. We kicked the tires on Garland. The point is, we knew we needed a point guard. And we knew we needed one who could produce. Kyrie, when he's healthy, produces. It's as simple as that. The extra year on his deal was a deciding factor as well as the other two would have been true rentals.
Was there a strategy to the deadline deals? What were you looking for? Well, we needed the point guard, hence Kyrie. But we also really needed threes and steals. Trent and Huerter might not be heralded players, and they can run hot and cold fantasy-wise, but they both make threes. And more importantly, they get threes up. They both shoot almost 6 threes per game in just 25 minutes, and they shoot them well enough that a hot night can lead to extended playing time, which obviously translates to more attempts. Trent also gave us another body at PG, which is of course big. We also needed to push our rooks down the depth chart a bit.
What do you mean by that? We love what Ausar has done this year, and both Scoot and Amen seem to be coming into their own. But all three are still super high variance players who don't shoot it particularly well. As 12th-14th men, that's totally fine because we just need them to fill some gaps when called upon. Without those deals, they were closer to 8th-10th guys, and that just didn't seem tenable for the postseason. Now, we'll see what happens. Both Amen and Ausar have played really well the last week. I can definitely see one or both of them making key plays over the next month.
Talk to us about Wemby. What do you mean? Is that a question? He's awesome, I don't know what else there is to say. He's the rookie of the year. He might be the defensive player of the year. He does everything, and he's just a kid. He has completely changed the course of this franchise. We all hope he can keep it up.
Where do think things stand in the East playoffs? I feel like I've said this before, but it's truer than ever this year... this playoff field is STACKED. I can legitimately see any of the five East teams winning it all. You just look at some of the names of guys in this conference in the playoffs. LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, Donovan Mitchell, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Jalen Brunson... I mean, come on. That's ridiculous. We're very likely going to have to beat at least four of those guys to make the Finals, and that's without getting into the incredible depth of Orlando, who actually did beat us this year. Look, this is no disrespect to the West, there are a lot of really good teams and players in the playoffs over there, but this is a gauntlet. I am fascinated to see how our young guys handle it. You know, only Kyrie and Jaren have Finals experience, and Jaren didn't play for us that year (when they won in 2019). It's going to be an incredible 6 weeks... I hope.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Mar 25, 2024 16:16:30 GMT -5
NETS LIMP PAST BULL SHARKS, ADVANCE TO SIXTH NBA FINALS
It wasn't pretty, and, at several points, it looked like injuries were going to derail a charmed season at the worst possible time, but the Nets ultimately held on to knock off their arch rival, Tampa Bay, 5-4. After dominating a battered and bruised Wizards team in the first round, it looked as though the basketball gods were going to even the score in Brooklyn. They entered the ECF down Evan Mobley, JJJ, Ausar Thompson, Vince Williams, and Gary Trent Jr. They lost Coby White midway through the series, though he made a remarkable return over the final weekend, helping offset the losses of Huerter and Duren toward the end of the ECF. Things did not look great, and it seemed as though the projected schedule advantage the Nets had for the first week would be completely lost.
Instead, thanks in large part to Victor Wembanyama, the Nets entered the final week clinging to a 6-3 lead. The Nets then got their own injury luck, as Tampa Bay lost games from Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray, D'Angelo Russell, Duncan Robinson, and Jaime Jaquez. Those losses allowed the Nets to squeak into the Finals, running their playoff record against Tampa to 4-4 all-time, and 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. As mentioned, Wembanyama led the way, averaging 21-11-4, knocking down 11 threes, and blocking 24 shots. Unfortunately for the Nets, he tweaked his ankle and will miss at least the start of the Finals. Fellow rookies Amen Thompson (15 points, 8.5 rebounds) and Scoot Henderson (14.5-4-6, 22/26 from the line) came through in big spots after relatively underwhelming regular seasons. Deadline acquisitions Kyrie Irving (23.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists to go along with 11 total steals, 13 threes, and a perfect 18/18 from the line) and Gary Trent Jr. (24 ppg, 14 threes, 17/18 from the line) had huge moments in the series. Free agent signee Austin Reaves was as steady as ever, putting 18-5-5. And Jaren Jackson Jr. returned midway through the series to averaged 25-5-4 and block 7 total shots. With Wembanyama and Duren on the shelf for at least the start of the Finals, they are going to really need both Jackson and Mobley to get up to speed and perform above their heads against a game Warriors team.
Thoughts on the ECF? Just a rollercoaster of emotions, I tell you what. I lost track of the number of times I went from thinking this team was a lock to advance to thinking there was no way they'd be able to hang on. The injuries were one thing, but Ausar getting a blood clot? How do you prepare for that? It's impossible. Multiple guys getting hit by tankitis, including young players that would otherwise play in these sorts of meaningless games? Just one of the more unpredictable conference finals I think we've been a part of.
What's your early take on this series/Golden St.? My early take is that what Crossover has done over there might be the best in-season GMing in the history of this league. That team was struggling midway through the year. But they swung that Beal trade, then knocked their in-season signings out of the park. They stuck with Tre Jones, Khris Middleton, and Donte DiVincenzo, and those guys are now really producing. It's really remarkable the turnaround they've had.
Do you think it would be an upset if you all lost? Shoot, should we even be favored? Honestly, if Wemby and Duren are going to miss time, at best, I'd call it a coin flip. Our big man situation is fraught. That's our strength, but those two are out, Mobley is getting slowly worked back in after a long layoff, and JJJ is going to be a tankitis candidate down the stretch. I think we're going to need our guards to play over their heads, but that's kind of the strength of this Warriors team. Ultimately what I think we'll probably need is some unforeseen injury luck.
Would you classify this season as a success regardless of what happens? I think so. Sometimes it's tough to lose sight of the fact that this is hard. Making the playoffs is hard. Winning a round is hard. Winning a title is hard. The season is long, and the schedule does not stop to let you catch your breath. With how young we are, I've been, overall, really pleased with how these guys have held up. Sure, we'll have some tough decisions to make in the off-season, but just about all of these guys should be on the upswing. We certainly didn't expect to be in the position we're in this soon, but hopefully we can finish the job.
|
|
|
Post by Miege22 on Apr 9, 2024 16:53:00 GMT -5
CHAMPIONS AGAIN: NETS HOLD OFF WARRIORS, WIN FIFTH NBA TITLE
As the 2024 Finals entered their waning moments, the Brooklyn Nets found themselves clinging to a perilous 5-4 lead. That this team, with four rookies and four other players in their 2nd or 3rd year, had even made it to this point was a remarkable success in itself. But now, with history slowly slipping from their grasp, it was harder and harder not to view this as a golden opportunity lost. No one, not even the Nets themselves, could have predicted any of this. Victor Wembanyama came in with as much hype as any rookie maybe ever, but a top-5 fantasy player in year 1? Amen Thompson and Jalen Duren turning into rebounding machines? Maybe eventually. Coby White launching himself near the 20-5-5 stratosphere? It had all come together so quickly, and the path had broken wide open for them, that to lose now would feel devastating.
It's easy to see why that lead felt so fraught. Before reaching those final three days, the Nets had already lost five players to season ending injuries. Gary Trent Jr. had missed the two most recent games. Trent returned Friday, but the Nets would be at a disadvantage with no healthy small forward eligible players. They also learned JJJ would be sat, and they lost Coby White at halftime due to an ankle injury. Still, they powered through that Friday, outshooting the Warriors from the floor and the line (an impressive 18/18), while picking up 2 rebounds and losing just 13 points off their lead. They'd done what they needed to do and held the lead going into Saturday, a day in which they were scheduled to have a major advantage with four players going up against just Jaden Ivey of the Warriors. Once again, the basketball gods threw them a curveball, and both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jalen Duren were late scratches. To make matters worse, both Evan Mobley and Austin Reaves struggled mightily, combining to score just 15 points, grab 5 boards, and turn the ball over 6 times. They lost a point, gained just one board, and effectively lost turnovers for good.
What could have been a Sunday coronation turned into a white knuckle affair. With just a two rebound lead, the Nets would have to straight up outplay the Warriors to bring home the title. Because of the schedule, the Nets had four players playing early in the day to the Warriors' one. It was a chance to build a lead and, potentially, make the Warriors make some tough choices with their lineup. As the early games unfolded, disaster struck almost immediately. Amen Thompson, returning from a one-game absence to an ankle injury, was tossed in the first quarter after playing only 8 minutes. Thompson, who had been playing so well (he grabbed nearly 9 rebounds per game in the five games he saw action), was gone just like that, after grabbing just three boards. One of the players the Nets were counting on in that category was simply done. However, what happened in the immediate aftermath was a sign of things to come.
After years of off the court distractions and injuries, it all fell into place for Kyrie Irving. He was back in a real life role that suited him, and the Nets made the surprising plunge at the deadline to bring him back to Brooklyn. Going into that final day, it had already paid off tenfold, as Irving played in every single game during the post-season, scoring 20+ points in all but three of them (18/21). He'd already put up 27, 26, and 26 in the three games heading into Sunday, but he saved his best for last. Irving exploded on the final day, shooting 15/25 from the floor, knocking down 15/17 free throws, and scoring 48 points. He grabbed 7 rebounds to boot. It was reminiscent of LeBron's 37-10-8 early on the final day of the 2018 Finals that wrapped up this team's third title. Irving's 48, along with 20 from Mobley and a surprising 13 from Jock Landale, tacked on 62 points to the Brooklyn lead. While it didn't wrap up that category, it gave themselves some much needed cushion heading into the evening. Though with just a 19 rebound lead, and six Warriors players left, things were far from locked up.
That's when the next stroke of good luck happened. Gary Trent Jr., fresh off a 31-point, 5-rebound performance on Friday, found himself starting alongside three guards and Kelly Olynyk. If there was ever a day for Trent to rebound well above his station, this was it... and he did just that. Trent grabbed 7 rebounds, tossing in 20 points for good measure, and actually outrebounded Golden St.'s Nikola Vucevic. Vooch had come into the final day averaging almost 13 boards per game for the series. He grabbed 5. It would be on Booker, DiVincenzo, Herb Jones, and Khris Middleton to make up the difference (Siakam was already in the books with 8, meaning the Warriors trailed by 12 boards overall). Golden St.'s chances were dealt a serious blow when Khris Middleton was ruled out for the game before halftime. Meanwhile, the second tentpole of the Nets was amassing rebounds at a generous clip.
Victor Wembanyama had already put up a ridiculous 40-point, 20-rebound game earlier in the Finals, and he looked like he was going to threaten another one, as he'd already put up 16-9 at halftime. By the start of the fourth quarter, it became clear that Wemby was not going to allow the Nets to relinquish the rebound category to Golden St. That's where the final twist in this dramatic series happened, as, with everyone done sans Wemby (and potentially Reaves), the Nets were now in jeopardy of losing free throws. Three missed free throws would flip the category and make it very difficult to flip back, unless Reaves had an outlier shooting performance. The Nets brass watched with baited breath as Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs forced overtime... then another overtime... time was no longer in their favor. Reaves was benched. The Finals would come down to the wunderkind from France. He never went to the line again.
When the dust settled, the Nets had won by just three free throws. After shooting 74/94 from the line the first five days, they shot 117/140 over the final 9 to flip the category and win their fifth NBA title. It's a number that's hard to fathom in the immediate aftermath. The Nets had made playoff runs before. But this? Winning this title after winning just one game in two of the last three years? Led by a rookie? It will be a while before everyone involved truly processes what just happened, but the Nets GM joined us to try to do just that.
We've asked this several times before, but the emotions right now... what are they? To be perfectly honest with you, I'm hard-pressed to find one person in our organization that isn't just stunned. By all of it. Wemby becoming a top-5 player. Kyrie being completely reliable and channeling his 2016 clutch instincts. JJJ dropping 40 and 35 in back-to-back games. Gary Trent Jr. getting hot and averaged 24 per game. Scoot Henderson shooting 50%! Of all the crazy things from this series, this post-season, that one might be up there.
There seemed to be a decent amount of pessimism coming from this FO during the series. Is that a fair statement? Yeah, I'd say it is. We just couldn't help but look at the guys going out, the potential numbers going out the door, and not get concerned about losing a winnable series. And make no mistake, part of that concern came from how good Golden St. was and the amount of respect we have for that team. There was a two-game stretch where Devin Booker scored 92 points and dished out 17 assists. Donte DiVincenzo started the series by scoring 40 points and making 11 threes. They really didn't appear to have a weak link, and we knew the injuries were going to put us at a disadvantage from a minutes standpoint that second week.
So there was no point where you felt you all were going to win? I wouldn't say that. I felt we were in great shape after the last Friday. We'd outrebounded them, shot it well, only lost 13 points. We were still under the impression that we'd have at least 3 or 4 guys going Saturday to really build a lead. Now, when both Duren and Jackson were scratched, and Mobley and Reaves had stinkers? Then, yes, we did not particularly like our chances.
Where does this one rank? It would be cliche of me to say at the top, but I will say, that this was definitely the most fun regular season I think we've had. It felt like every night, every week, someone new on this team did something we didn't think they were capable of. Chief among them was Wemby, obviously, but seeing Coby White take off at the end of November and never look back was a lot of fun. The way Ausar and Duren started the season was a welcome surprise. Getting to watch Malik Monk every night after we dealt for him... that guy has shot up my personal league pass rankings. Being able to land Vince on a D-League deal, seeing Amen blossom in the Finals, all of it was just fun. As for the title itself? I'm not really sure. I don't know if it can top 2014 or 2018, but it's certainly in the conversation.
Was Coby's improvement the most surprising thing this season? No, the most surprising thing was Kyrie Irving being the one guy we traded for to play every game for us (*laughs*). Pretty sure the casinos wouldn't even put odds up for that one.
You all have had a lot of great players wear this uniform. Where does Wemby rank? Well, hold on now, this is year 1 for him. Kevin Durant won 5 MVPs and 2 titles here. LeBron got 2 MVPs and 2 titles. Harden won 4 titles and an MVP. Victor still has a ways to go to catch some of those guys, but this is one heck of a start. I try to refrain from hyperbole as much as possible, but he's the best rookie I've ever seen in my life. It's not just that he's bigger and can do this physically that others can't do, but his feel for the game is fantastic and he plays with an edge. The way he blocks some of these shots, it's almost like he's offended that his opponent would even attempt the shot around him. In the final game of the series, he shot a three from the wing and turned around and ran up the floor before the ball was in the hoop like he was Steph Curry. I've just never seen anything like it. We lucked out so damn much last summer.
What's next for you all? Well, we're going to take a little time away, I think, and decompress. You know, it'd been a few years since we'd made a run like this, we forgot how draining it is. The last time we were here, I had no kids. Now I've got 3! Time really does fly, so I think we're just going to sit back and enjoy this one for a little while.
|
|