Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks didn't mince words at the end of the 2022-23 season: his team needed to get bigger and nastier on the boards.
After ranking 28th in defensive rebounding and losing the second-chance points battle 80-22 during a first-round sweep against Philadelphia, both Marks and head coach Jacque Vaughn appeared aligned on the need to address the weakness.
“We've gotta get bigger over the summer, we've gotta get nastier, we've gotta get guys who really love hitting and take it personally when the other team gets a rebound,” Vaughn said following the first-round sweep. “That's what we'll be looking for.”
“Without a doubt, we need to make some changes in terms of adding some size,” Marks said during his exit interview. “I think (head coach) Jacque (Vaughn) said it last night, (need to) add a little nastiness. And then a little bit of the Brooklyn grit that we've talked about for sort of six years. It's gonna come authentically, it's got to be real.”
Sean Marks addresses offseason
Yet, Brooklyn didn't sign or trade for a true center this offseason, instead taking fliers on young, small-ball options in Darius Bazley (6-foot-9) and Trendon Watford (6-foot-8) alongside Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe. When asked about the lack of additions to the frontcourt, Marks said Brooklyn will need to improve its rebounding from within.
“I think JV and I spent some time pre-free agency, pre-draft, looking at this, and it’s not going to be one man out there that just fixes our rebounding deficiency,” the GM said Tuesday. “We’re going to have to do that a little bit by committee. The people we brought in, a lot of them have a lot of length. There’s a lot of IQ out there. JV’s system is going to help with a lot of that.
“We may not be the best defensive rebounding team in the league or offensive rebounding team in the league, but the plan is certainly to be better than we were in the past. Again, that’s going to be by a committee, a system, and a mindset with all of our players.”
Sean Marks on whether he feels he addressed the need to get "bigger and nastier" on the boards:
“There’s not gonna be one man out there that just fixes a rebounding deficiency. We’re gonna have to do that by committee. The people we brought in, a lot of them have a lot of… pic.twitter.com/DjVLwlaTTR
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) September 26, 2023
Marks' teams are not known for their size or activity on the glass. The Nets have never ranked higher than 24th in defensive rebounding during his seven years at the helm. Brooklyn has instead leaned into a fast-paced style of play that prioritizes three-point shooting.
Jacque Vaughn hints at changes, bigger opportunity for Day'Ron Sharpe
The Nets' defensive schemes last season also presented rebounding hurdles. With Claxton blossoming as one of the best perimeter-defending centers in the league, Vaughn and his staff leaned into a switch-heavy scheme. This often pulled Claxton out to the three-point line on pick-and-rolls and DHOs, leaving Brooklyn vulnerable on the glass. Vaughn acknowledged this Tuesday and hinted at potential changes defensively.
“The schemes that we leaned towards a little bit that last year, we were just a little bit handcuffed with how we had to play,” he said. “With a training camp, I'm going to put more things on the guys' plates early in the year for us to try out. So I think schematically, that's one of the things.”
The backup center position remains another significant question mark. Sharpe, Brooklyn's most physically imposing center at 265 pounds, could not crack the rotation last season despite a glaring hole behind Claxton. However, Vaughn said the 21-year-old will get another opportunity to earn his place early this season.
“I think Day'Ron Sharpe gets an early look and see how he can impose his will not only helping us put things back to neutral by offensive rebounding, but at the same time, being big and a force for us at the rim,” he said. “He's a guy that probably will garner some minutes early and see that response. In the past, I have not blinked an eye at playing small and I won't again, just because there will be some times when we do need to play small and space the floor. But Nic and Day'Ron will have an early chance to impose their will.”
Sharpe's rebounding could undoubtedly go a long way for Brooklyn. The 21-year-old averaged 13.0 boards per 36 minutes last season. He also led the NBA in offensive rebound percentage among players to play at least 500 minutes. But that size comes with a tradeoff as he presents another limited non-shooter offensively and struggles to move laterally on the perimeter, presenting problems defending the pick-and-roll.
Defensive rebounding deficiencies have plagued the Nets for years. Despite all the talk about the need for change, it could be more of the same this year, barring dramatic improvement from the returning rotation that was bullied by Philadelphia to close last season.
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