Projected to win between 27 and 30 games in the 2017-18 season it’s safe to say that the Brooklyn Nets are nothing special. The organization is still suffering from the egregious deal with the Celtics back in 2013. Today no one expects the Nets to pull off a miracle as they once again are in the bottom оf the league. Nevertheless, it appears that being in a bad situation can be a benefit. Right now the team from New York may turn out to be the most balanced in the league in terms of scoring and player involvement.
As of now there are eight players on the Nets roster who average more than 10 points with D’Angelo Russell leading the pack with 20.9. All of these players also average at least 40% shooting from the field with highest percent going to Trevor Booker – 51.8%. This means that the team has achieved several key aspects that can greatly benefit them in the long run.
It's been a while, but Brooklyn has finally found the couch it needs! Kenny Atkinson was named as the 21st head coach in Nets NBA history on April 17, 2016. As of now he has managed to establish two very important things.
Number one – an interesting rotation that attributes to eight players averaging 10 or more points. Scoring-wise this ensures that the team has options and will not fall apart if an injury occurs. Best example could be the absence of Jeremy Lin who was considered the second main scorer on the team. Brooklyn was expected to lack offensive power but it overcame it to the point of actually being third in scoring. That’s just behind Golden State and Houston. Even though one can say that scoring on a bad team doesn’t matter as much it is still very impressive to see how balanced their offense is.
This involvement keeps players active but not worn-out. Right now DeMarre Carroll averages the most minutes – 29.1 per game. That pretty much is the best counter to overusing players and putting them in danger of an injury.
Last but not least. The Brooklyn Nets can’t rely on the draft yet. Certified talent usually goes in the top 10 picks while selecting at the middle and bottom could be a high risk. Right now general management can just offer paychecks and hope for the best. It’s coaching and player development that should be the main source of success. The current team rotation provides just that. By keeping 8 players scoring double digits and redistributing minutes coach Atkinson is showing his willingness to give a chance to the bench. That thing alone can get players to be more active and reliable scoring-wise. The other aspect of it is development. Overall improvement can turn players into trade assets. Not that Brooklyn should be trading – it can’t keep any star talent due to its long term situation. But it’s much better to have a reliable roster that can be revamped than being a dumping ground for bad contracts with unskilled players.
We are yet to see how the season will develop for the Nets. The ongoing team balance may actually be the difference maker in a season with no major expectations. The only team that should worry about Brooklyn’s improvement is Cleveland as the Cavs hold the Net’s pick that is slowly slipping away from Top five. You can gauge the Nets progress by how the Cavaliers use the pick; if they strike a deal with it this season, you know Brooklyn has convinced teams they're heading in the right direction.
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