The underwhelming flexibility of the Brooklyn Nets roster has been well documented since their all-or-nothing push towards an NBA Finals appearance when Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Joe Johnson were brought together a few years ago. To the Nets, especially compared to other teams around the league, the Orlando Summer League is a bit more crucial when it comes to filling out their roster for the upcoming season.
Along with their first-round pick Chris McCullough out of Syracuse, who isn’t ready to play due to a knee injury that all NBA teams were fully aware of, the Nets snagged versatile defender, Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, in a trade with the Portland Trailblazers that also brought back veteran guard Steve Blake. Other camp invites include Connecticut’s Ryan Boatright, who leads the Nets in scoring in the Orlando Summer League with 15.5 points per game, Cory Jefferson, Cliff Alexander, Xavier Thames, Josh Gasser and others.
Players like Alexander are the ones the Nets are looking out for—talented, athletic players that have something to prove. Alexander was a surefire first-round lottery pick before entering his freshman year at Kansas, before eligibility questions forced him into the NBA Draft early after a disappointing single season as a Jayhawk.
An early glimpse into the Nets’ future roster can be seen with the help of Hipmunk.com as they have flights to Orlando to get Brooklyn fans in front of the Summer League action. The No. 1 travel resource for basketball fans, Hipmunk also offers hotels in Orlando starting from $55 per night to enjoy multiple days of basketball.
The Nets lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on July 4, the opening day of the Orlando Summer League that runs through July 10. The following day, the Nets dropped their second game to the Miami Heat. On July 7, they’ll take on the Charlotte Hornets before capping things off with a meeting opposite the Orlando Magic White team on July 9.
Brooklyn retained Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young during the free-agent signing frenzy last week. The Nets’ most immediate need is adding frontcourt depth behind Lopez and Young. The guard and small forward positions feature plenty of viable options with Williams, Blake, Jarrett Jack, Bojan Bogdanovic, Markel Brown and Joe Johnson.
It doesn’t appear any action during the Orlando Summer League will have fans running to the gate to buy Nets tickets, but there’s plenty of available space for talented players to crack the roster and have a positive impact on a team that is looking for talent from all angles. Thus, this could be a critical period for Brooklyn, still searching for additional pieces to help sustain their standing as a playoff contender.
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