Nets Could Begin New Era With Thursday’s Draft Haul
Nets Could Begin New Era With Thursday’s Draft Haul
In what the consensus has deemed a relatively deep Draft, this seems to be a good year for the Nets to hold a swap with the Rockets as opposed to an outright conveyance of their first round pick from the 2021 trade for superstar James Harden. Not only will Brooklyn select from its own slot at No. 22 in Thursday night’s first round, it will be the second of back-to-back selections, with No. 21 coming courtesy of Phoenix as part of the package from February’s Kevin Durant blockbuster. The Nets will then cap off the evening with the No. 51 overall selection in the second round.
Such a position has given Nets General Manager Sean Marks options. Some have wondered whether he will combine the two picks in an effort to move up. I would call that a sucker’s bet on one crapshoot instead of taking two rolls of the dice.
There’s also the possibility that the picks will be used in another bid for a star. Now that Bradley Beal is off the market, Damian Lillard’s name seems to be bandied about most often, though I would think Portland would place higher values on Brooklyn’s future picks should the Blazers choose to pivot and pursue a deal for their point guard. Or maybe Lillard will choose Miami as his ultimate destination.
That’s ok. I remain of the opinion that the Nets should be in more of a rebuilding mode rather than chasing a quick fix. Acquiring a player of Lillard’s stature could put them in contention for a playoff slot, but not much more.
Besides, if you look at how the cores of most of the top teams of recent vintage were constructed, they blossomed from seeds planted internally. These clubs possessed quality scouting departments, cultures, and, of course, good luck. You hit on a Stephen Curry at 7, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 15, or, miracle of miracles, Nikola Jokic at 41, and you’re at least halfway there.
Before Brooklyn went star gazing, Marks was highly regarded for setting up such a quality program. All he needed was one elite player to get to the next level like Miami did with Jimmy Butler. Unfortunately, in order to secure Durant’s services, Brooklyn was saddled with the cancer that was Kyrie Irving (never mind the washed DeAndre Jordan). When Irving proved unreliable, Marks emptied his draft cupboard to acquire Harden.
It could have worked, but didn’t. That doesn’t mean Nets fans shouldn’t trust Marks to try it again, starting with this Draft.
Every GM drafts players who don’t pan out, but Marks’ scorecard over the years, with Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Nic Claxton all selected outside of the lottery, is pretty impressive. If he goes 1-for-2 in this first round, that’s still a win.
As to which two, I’m not enough of a Draftnik to predict who Marks is targeting. Over the years, few of even the most acclaimed pundits have been able to nail his selections—remember, every team tries to throw up smoke around the fish in the pool and the public lists of those who have worked out for the Nets have rarely provided clues. Often, players mocked for higher picks fall to the Nets for a variety of reasons, much to the experts’ surprise and Marks’ delight.
LeVert was one such player prior to the 2016 Draft due to foot issues suffered at Michigan. However, the Nets gained comfort from LeVert’s surgeon, Dr. Martin O’Malley. He’s part of the Hospital of Special Surgery, whose name on the side of Brooklyn’s practice facility can be easily read from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Marks tabbed LeVert with the No. 20 overall pick.
Could we see another version of this story with Duke’s Dariq Whitehead on Tuesday? A few weeks ago, ESPN reported that O’Malley performed surgery on Whitehead’s right foot and proclaimed that the 6-foot 7 wing is on track for full participation at NBA training camp.
From what I’ve gathered, it would be a steal if Whitehead dropped to Brooklyn’s slot. The injury, which limited his effectiveness during his 28 collegiate contests, is one that, if given time (and we know the Nets Performance Team has typically allowed for plenty of time before clearing non-star players for duty), can heal. It’s possible, then, for Whitehead to get back to showing the full complement of the game that made him a top-three prospect in his recruiting class.
To be clear, LeVert is a different type of player (and was also three years older when drafted) than Whitehead. Marks once said his takeaway after interviewing LeVert was, “That’s a Net.” There’s no way of knowing how Marks—or other NBA teams picking ahead of Brooklyn--feels about Whitehead, but we do know that character carries significant weight on the Nets’ board.
In that regard, few prospects have garnered higher praise than that which has been directed at UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie called the 6-foot 6 wing “the kind of person you want to buy into.” Jaquez plays with energy and a hard edge--combined with a high basketball IQ.
Of course, as with anyone who falls into the 20s, there are always “buts.” In Jaquez’s case, he is 22, was a dreadful (31.7%) three-point shooter last season, and isn’t the athlete Marks usually prefers in his picks. Age and athleticism bias could have led to Marks passing on Desmond Bane at the end of the first round back in 2020 and Bane was one of the best three-point shooting prospects to ever come out.
Still, scouting reports don’t indicate that Jaquez needs a major overhaul in his shooting mechanics, so Brooklyn’s rejuvenated development program could be just what the doctor ordered. At No. 22, I feel Marks could do worse than taking a chance on a winning player.
I’ll give you one more flawed player based on my readings to whom I hope the Nets give consideration: Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette).
If the Nets intend to dangle Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason, they could look to develop this 6-foot 7 wing as a future replacement. Every scouting report on Prosper, a Canadian who will turn 21 in July, screams DFS—the size, wingspan, ability to switch, and high character.
Sure, this would be considered a bit of a reach (maybe an opportunity for Marks to trade down and grab another player in this or future Drafts) due to his shaky three-point shooting, but if Prosper could get get his catch-and-shoot efficiency up just a few points to around 35-36%, he’d become a highly valuable asset. Finney-Smith, if you recall, went undrafted in 2016 and now could allegedly command at least a first-round pick in a potential trade.
No one knows how Thursday’s Draft will play out, but there’s hope that it will mark the beginning of a new era in Brooklyn, even if it’s a repeat from Marks’ early years on the job.