 |
| Brooklyn’s brand new backcourt. Watch out Eastern Conference, this duo means business. |
So, I’m back. I returned from sleepaway camp two days ago and I’m slowly catching up and coming to grips with everything that has happened regarding the Nets’ roster over the past eight or so weeks. Let’s review each Nets’ transaction (or non-transaction, you’ll see what I mean) going back to Draft Night, which fell on June 27th this year:
Portland Trailblazers trade the 41st overall pick in 2012 Draft (G Tyshawn Taylor) to Nets for cash considerations
Entering this year’s draft, the Nets only had one pick, the 57th overall pick in the 2nd-round. I guess Billy King liked Taylor, a point guard from the University of Kansas, so much that he didn’t want to wait for him at 57 and instead used some of Mikhail Prokhorov’s extra cash to nab Taylor with pick 41. Tyshawn, a Hoboken, NJ native, figures to be a part-time player for this year’s Nets team who will share back-up PG duties with recent signee C.J. Watson.
Philadelphia 76ers trade the 54th overall pick in 2012 Draft (F Tornike Shengalia) to Nets for cash considerations
I don’t follow European/foreign basketball very much so I have no first-hand experience in watching any of the Nets foreign acquisitions play but according to some scouting reports, Shengalia is a physical rebounding/defense type who won’t be an offensive superstar but has some decent moves down in the post. His 6’9″ frame is better suited for the 4 than the 3 as one of his major weaknesses is lack of a reliable jumper. My best guess is that he’s a project who figures to not make much of an effect in the meantime.
With 57th overall pick in 2012 Draft, Nets select SF Ilkan Karaman from Turkey
Karaman is another 6’9″ project who has solid rebounding skills but unlike Shengalia, Ilkan can consistently hit mid-range and deep jump-shots. Looks to be a decent low-risk, medium-reward player who will certainly need some time adjusting to the American game but like Shengalia, could be a nice role player for Brooklyn in a few years.
Nets trade SG Anthony Morrow, PG Jordan Farmar, F Jordan Williams, SF DeShawn Stevenson, C Johan Petro, and a 2017 2nd-round draft pick to Atlanta Hawks for SG Joe Johnson
Along with the Deron re-signing, trading for perennial All-Star shooting guard Joe Johnson is sure to be Billy King’s signature move this offseason. Sure, the Nets lost some solid pieces like Morrow, Farmar, and J-Will in the deal, but in return they get a guard in Johnson who can always make his own shot and can also spot up from three and have D-Will get him the ball in penetrate-and-kick situations. Although he isn’t very fond of playing defense, being on the same floor as a star point guard for 30-40 minutes a game is sure to be a much-needed boon to Joe’s career.
Nets re-signed PG Deron Williams and SF Gerald Wallace. Also extended contract of C Brook Lopez
These three players aren’t newcomers but the re-acquiring of them is certainly crucial to the Nets for their debut season in Brooklyn and the Barclays Center. It was widely believed that if they didn’t trade for Dwight Howard, which they didn’t this offseason, the Nets would be able to re-sign Lopez as their current franchise center. However, D-Will and Wallace were much bigger question marks to return to the Nets but they were convinced to re-up with the team after Billy King constructed the blockbuster deal for Joe Johnson. These three guys serve as the backbone for the Nets and incidentally serve as some of the longest-tenured players on a team that has flipped every which way in the past few seasons.
Nets sign F Mirza Teletovic
Another European signing for the Nets, this time it’s a Bosnian forward. The Nets signed Teletovic to a 3-year, $9 million deal, which fit under the mini mid-level exception, and intend for the 6’9″ sharpshooter to be a key bench player for Coach Avery Johnson’s disposal. Playing with Caja Laboral of the Spanish ACB League last season, Mirza achieved career-highs of 21.7 and 6.0 points and rebounds per game respectively. His performance last season against relatively tough competition shows that Teletovic can make an impact in the NBA immediately and will be a nice addition to a Nets team in flux.
Indiana Pacers sign F Gerald Green
After the Nets delivered Green from D-League purgatory last season and let him shine in the NBA with the playing time he needed, it was widely assumed that he would reward the team that gave him a second-chance by re-signing with them this offseason. Guess what? This is the Nets after all, and that didn’t happen. The Pacers swooped in and stole Green from right under the Nets’ feet with a believed-to-be 3-year, $10 million offer that was simply too high for Brooklyn to match. I still love Gerald and will be rooting for him in Indy, just not when they play the Nets. It’s sad to someone with his talent leave the Nets organization so soon as he certainly has the talent to be a difference-maker in this league for years to come.
Nets acquire Reggie Evans from Los Angeles Clippers in sign-and-trade for a future 2nd-round draft pick
Hey, the Nets didn’t just get offense-only players this offseason, we also got someone that only rebounds! All jokes aside, acquiring Evans from the Clips for a future 2nd-rounder and signing him to a 3-year, $5 million contract is a steal in my eyes. Evans is a player that is all about defense and rebounding and throws offense to the curb, evidenced by his staggering career total rebound rate (TRB%) of 21.1, meaning that whenever he has been on the court in his career, he has snagged 21.1% of the potential rebounds during his playing time. That’s something the Nets, consistently ranked among the NBA’s bottomfeeders in rebounds, desperately need.
Nets sign PG C.J. Watson to a two-year contract
This signing may go relatively under-the-radar but personally, I feel that it could be incredibly important to the Nets’ success this upcoming season. During his last two seasons in Chicago with the Bulls, Watson served as a perfect backup and replacement point guard to Derrick Rose who consistently hit clutch 3-pointers and played solid defense while anchoring one of the best benches in the NBA. If he can provide that same presence in Brooklyn, he could transform the Nets bench into a very formidable one.
Nets sign SG/SF Keith Bogans and SF Jerry Stackhouse
These two veterans shouldn’t be counted on as much more than roster-fillers at this point in their respective careers. Bogans played five games for the Nets last season before tearing his deltoid ligament and fracturing his ankle in a February 8th loss to Detroit, requiring season-ending surgery while Stackhouse played sparingly in 30 games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2011-12. Bogans probably has more left in the tank than Stackhouse and offers some more defensive presence and offensive ability than the 37-year old North Carolina grad does at this point in his career.
Nets re-sign PF Kris Humphries to a two-year contract
Once it was clear that the Nets wouldn’t be able to complete a trade for Dwight Howard, Humphries went from being a potential trade asset to a key interior player that the Nets needed to, and did, lock up quickly to a contract. Humphries is a nice constant on a team full of roster turmoil because you what you’re gonna get from him on the court; max hustle, max effort, great rebounding, solid defense, and the occasional offensive outburst.
Orlando Magic trade C Dwight Howard to Los Angeles Lakers as part of a blockbuster four-team trade
Well, the Dwightmare is finally over but it’s conclusion was certainly one that the Nets weren’t expecting nor hoping for. Any rational Nets fan and/or player would have loved to have a top-5 NBA player like Howard on their team for the first year at the Barclays and the fact that the Nets were so close to acquiring him on multiple occasions makes the trade that much harder to gulp down. However, it’s not just a negative that Brooklyn missed out on the cast-off Orlando center because Dwight’s utter lack of maturity and ability to stick to the decisions he made throughout the entire Dwightmare spectacle showed that maybe he isn’t the best possible face for a “new” franchise in a new state, city, and arena.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
