Three Things To Watch For In Nets Summer League
Given where the Nets appear to be headed in 2024-25, their NBA Summer League edition might end up being one of the season’s highlights.
Brooklyn will roster all three of its 2023 Draft picks in Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson plus Keon Johnson, Jaylen Martin, and Jacob Gilyard, who finished last season on two-way contracts (Martin’s deal includes this season). Undrafted rookie KJ Jones II has an Exhibit 10 training camp invite, but that was mainly to give the Nets the rights to assign him to their Long Island G-League squad this fall. Villanova’s Mark Armstrong may end up with a similar arrangement should he show out in the Las Vegas tournament starting with Friday night’s contest versus Indiana.
Obviously, Summer League results are irrelevant, unless you’re one of those sickos who found a casino in Barcelona willing to take action on last year’s Nets/Cavs semifinal (Thank you, Elam Ending). However, there are some things Nets fans should watch out for over the next two weeks that have the potential for positive portents going forward:
1) Noah’s Arc
One of the few bright spots to the Nets’ depressing close to last season was the development of Clowney, who turns 20 on Sunday. After an underwhelming showing at last year’s Summer League, he took in all Long Island had to offer and looked like a totally different player when Brooklyn said, “Why not?” and threw him into the rotation for the final 11 games. It wasn’t just the 9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks he averaged in about 24 minutes per game, or his 10-for-24 (41.7%) hit rate on three-pointers. It was his improved overall awareness on both ends, especially his help defense. Now that he’s had a year under his belt, he should be more of a dominant force this go-round in Las Vegas. Though I still project him to be more impactful as a 4 due to his listed 6-foot 9, 210-pound frame, it shouldn’t hurt him to get reps as a center over the next two weeks so long as he isn’t pigeonholed into a lobs-and-blocks guy. He should be taking 3-4 three-pointers per game, minimum. Look to see if he improved on driving closeouts. In general, the game should slow down for him the way it did for Jarrett Allen in SL Year 2.
2) Whitehead’s athleticism
Summer League play isn’t known for its efficiency. Players shuttle in from around the globe, most of whom have gone a month or more without competitive basketball. For those coming off a serious injury, like Whitehead, rust has to be expected. Between Brooklyn and Long Island, his rookie year was limited to all of 19 games before he needed season-ending surgery to correct shin splints in his left knee. This after undergoing two surgeries on his right foot before and after his sole season at Duke. The latter procedure, performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley, the Nets’ team orthopedist, before the 2023 Draft, prevented him from joining Clowney at last year’s Summer League. So maybe Whitehead has a built-in excuse should his shot be a little off in Las Vegas. What’s important is how he’s moving. In high school, he showcased an explosive first step. Does he still have that in his bag, even if it’s sporadic during these otherwise meaningless games? Can he defend one-on-one without getting blown by? And is he back to where he can elevate not just on the initial jump, but on secondary efforts? The Nets could sure use a feel-good story; it would be a blessing if it came from Whitehead’s recovery.
3) Jalen & Jaylen’s J’s
Forget what I said above about efficiency for this purpose. I lumped Wilson and Martin together despite the differences in their respective statuses on the Nets because their longevity in the organization is heavily dependent on the development of their streaky strokes. Wilson opened a lot of folks’ eyes a year ago when he was draining 3s at rates well beyond the 31.6% he shot at Kansas. In five 2023 SL games, he went 11-for-24 (45.8%) from deep to earn Second Team All-League honors. The hot shooting continued in Brooklyn, as he was hitting on a 50/50/89.5 clip through late February. Thereafter? A hideous 25% regression to his three-point mean. Wilson’s penchant for hustle plays in tight spaces can’t be discounted, but it will be his growth on the perimeter that will determine his future. Martin, who is three years younger than Wilson and not as bulky, has also had his ups-and-downs with his shot. But he too had one particular G League stretch where one might think, “Something’s there.” The two-year contract was an indication the Nets felt so.