DLo’s Future & Other Nets Notes

Though I have been on the receiving end of many a harsh word in disputes with Nets Nation’s fervent pro-tankers, the one area on which we agree is that General Manager Sean Marks has been sending mixed messages as to the what the season’s mission should actually be. It’s one thing to maintain flexibility to go in different directions, but a lack of a clear conviction as to the intended outcome can also backfire.

For instance, as soon as all pieces became trade eligible on December 15, Marks dealt veteran point guard Dennis Schroder to Golden State for a paltry return with zero current benefits. The thinking behind the move was that Schroder’s play was leading to wins in excess of a tanker’s expectation, so he had to be excised.

About two weeks later, Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn’s other veteran with a winning pedigree on an expiring contract, was traded to the Lakers. Except this time, for money matching purposes, the return had to include D’Angelo Russell, who might be a polarizing player to many around the league but was clearly someone with a skillset in which the Nets were desperately lacking. I called the trade a lateral move at the time; the Nets (20-34) have actually gotten better, as they’re 8-8 with DLo in the lineup, including six wins in their last seven games leading up to the All-Star break.

Which begs the question: If the Nets are supposed to be tanking, why hasn’t Russell been waived? To get a haircut on a portion of the approximately $18.7 million he is due in the final year of his contract, Russell would have to ask to be bought out. No one is reporting that has happened, nor has any other team leaked that they would be interested in him should a buyout agreement be reached. That includes Orlando, which is plummeting in the standings since point guard Jalen Suggs was sidelined with a back strain three weeks ago, going 5-14 in games he has missed since January 1.

Another possible factor: No city has expressed as much love for Russell as Brooklyn. It’s where he grew into an NBA All-Star in 2019 and his return has been greeted with much enthusiasm by those in attendance that aren’t actively rooting for losses. Since his subsequent inclusion in the summer 2019 sign-and-trade between the Nets and the Warriors for Kevin Durant, Russell has been a bit of a vagabond, playing for three different teams before the DFS swap brought him back. Perhaps he’d rather finish out the season as a big fish with freedom for a mediocre club than be a bit player on a contender.

But is that in Brooklyn’s interest? Russell will have an approximately $28 million cap hold this offseason, which might be useful if Marks has another sign-and-trade up his sleeve for the summer. Otherwise, it’s hard to envision that the Nets would bring him back (I’m not sure a Russell/Cam Thomas backcourt will jive with Head Coach Jordi Fernandez’s defensive mandates), in which case that cap hold is an obstacle to their vision for the near future.

In the meantime, Russell’s offensive gifts and experience will contribute to wins just as Schroder’s once did. Going for a Play-in Tournament seed now seems like an unlikely pivot given what Marks has previously told the public. Waiving Russell would be a clarifying statement.

________________________________________________________________

Speaking of the Play-In, here’s a scenario that would raise NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s dander: What if one or more of the qualifying teams tanked Silver’s precious mini-tournament?

Can you imagine if one of those teams suddenly announced a dubious injury list in advance of the game, or if a coach pulled players who had it going that night, just to ensure its place in the lottery? These games are part of the national package; Silver would be embarrassed.

I don’t believe it happened last season, as both seven and eight seeds advanced into the playoffs. The Eastern Conference’s No. 10 seeded Hawks, however, were rewarded with winning the lottery for the No. 1 overall pick.

Given that the 2025 Draft has been called by some as “generational”, teams might be better served by losing the play-in shot in exchange for a miniscule chance at a top-4 pick in lieu of getting manhandled by their respective conference’s No. 1 seed (though owners might come down the other way for the chance to overcharge for tickets to two home playoff games).

What would Brooklyn do? Your guess is as good as mine. Just another potential mess created by the league that still hasn’t figured out how to address its tanking issue.

____________________________________________________________________________

About this recent Nets run: It is not because Marks made them too good.

Since January 29, Brooklyn is 25^th in both points scored per 100 possessions and three-point attempts per game while ranking 29^th in three-point shooting percentage, per NBA.com. Here are some of the shooting splits from the field and 3 for their most used players (other than centers Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe, who don’t shoot 3s) during this span:

D’Angelo Russell 37/25.5

Cam Johnson 45.8/34.6

Keon Johnson 37/25.6

Ziaire Williams 41.4/36.4

Tosan Evbuomwan 43.6/33.3

Jalen Wilson 46.7/37

These ugly offensive performances are barely improved from the previous stretch during which the Nets went 2-15. Yet they have been winning games despite all the bricklaying because they have the league’s No. 1 defense in this tiny sample. They have been outworking the teams on their schedule. That’s it.

To repeat a line from a prior post, did you want Marks to fire Fernandez because he got the players’ buy-ins in his first opportunity as an NBA Head Coach? Or maybe put him on sabbatical until the team adds the requisite talent?

One complainer wished Marks would have brought in the incorrigible and unteachable types to whom Fernandez couldn’t possibly get through. I don’t know why a team would infect its locker room for an entire season, but let’s take Keon Johnson for example, since he came to Brooklyn with a bit of a control issue on the court. Johnson still can’t shoot a lick and will make some of the dumbest plays at the worst times—he owns the worst net rating (minus-5.2) among Nets players who averaged over 15 minutes per game over the last seven games. But Fernandez has found ways to have him contribute in positive ways, encouraging him to be aggressive at both ends. Sometimes, it yields a key steal or deflection, a grown man’s rebound, or a thunderous finish at the rim.

During this 6-1 stretch, the Nets leader in minutes, field goal attempts, and steals per game while ranking second in points, rebounds, and blocks is…Keon Johnson. If you’re mad at Marks because a guy he signed to a minimum deal is pushing them to wins that are blowing up the tank, I can’t help you.