Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are as deep as any team in the Eastern Conference which is a product of their miraculous bargain-bin, void-filling NBA offseason. One of those signings fell through the cracks, however, and will have a profound impact on head coach Steve Nash's rotation. That signing is point guard Patty Mills.
Brooklyn inked Mills on a two-year, $12 million deal, a contract he can crush with the role and importance he takes on for their team.
Mills is a smooth and consistent player. He's a composed ball-handler who finds his teammates for clean, open looks and easy buckets while being an efficient shooter. A career 38.8 percent shooter from beyond the arc, Mills is coming off yet another effective season with the San Antonio Spurs.
Averaging 10.8 points per game while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc, he was a sturdy fixture in the scoring department leading the Spurs' second unit. He's tasked with doing the same for the Nets.
At the moment, the Nets' presumed starting five are Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Joe Harris, Kevin Durant, and Blake Griffin/Nicolas Claxton. The second unit is a combination of Patty Mills, Cameron Thomas, Sekou Doumbouya, Bruce Brown Jr., Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Griffin/Claxton. To summarize: the Nets have a lot of depth.
Their second unit is made up of veterans and proven shooters. Mills is the ball-handler and point guard of that unit, one that will be able to go toe-to-toe with any reserve unit in the sport. With that said, being the leader of the second unit isn't the sole way Mills plays a meaningful role for the Nets.
One could argue that the potential for Mills to be the starting point guard at various points of the upcoming season, a possibility that derives from two factors, is what looms largest in his arrival.
Irving is as cool as the other side of the pillow with the ball in his hands both passing and scoring. At the same time, injuries continue to plague Irving's career with him yet to play a full season for the Nets and his season most recently being cut short due to injury for the fourth time in the last seven years — albeit his 2021 postseason ankle injury was a fluke play, as Irving landed on an opponent's foot.
The second could-be catalyst for Mills playing a vital role in the Nets' offense is the fluid COVID-19 vaccination status of Irving, who is reportedly likely to receive a shot but is yet to do as such. This is relevant from an availability standpoint because if Irving or any member of the Nets is unvaccinated, they can't play in games at the Barclays Center, the Nets' home arena, due to New York City's COVID-19 regulations.
In other words: an unvaccinated Irving would be unable to play in at least half of the Nets' regular-season games. That's not to mention any rest or injury hiccups that could occur with the Big Three.
As for Mills' fit in the Nets' starting lineup, he's the ideal player to fill Irving's shoes. While a proven ball-handler, Mills wouldn't have the ball in his hands as much given the scoring tendencies of Durant and Harden.
In a way, Mills would assume an off-the-ball role, a designation he can thrive in given his shooting efficiency. Plus, he has 90 career postseason games under his belt. An on-the-fly adjustment or uptick in playing time in the spring festivities won't faze him.
If the Nets didn't have Irving on their payroll, they're still as formidable as any team in the East with Mills at point guard. Brooklyn is that deep in the scoring department, and Mills' fit in their starting five plays a role in such a notion.
Griffin can handle the rock and score off the dribble. Millsap can score both inside and outside. Aldridge has a killer midrange game. Doumbouya is an athletic forward. Rookies Cameron Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe bring compelling skill sets to the table; Thomas was a daring scorer at LSU, and Sharpe was a steady, inside player at North Carolina.
All of these individuals contribute to the Nets' offensive variety, but they won't have the impact that Mills will in both the short and long term.
Patty Mills is a savvy steal for the Brooklyn Nets and someone whose value to their team will only grow as the season progresses.
Follow Us
Subscribe