Basketball Gods bestow cursed Nets with the No. 8 pick in NBA Draft Lottery
Brooklyn Nets fans rooted for the team to lose games intentionally. Tanking was in vogue. Log on to your favorite social media platform, specifically Twitter/X, and droves of accounts celebrated with each passing Nets loss.
While general manager Sean Marks executed a trade with the Houston Rockets to reacquire draft picks last year, but he failed to deal several veterans before the start of this season.
A few veterans were dealt at the deadline including Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder, but other veterans in contract years including Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford, Zaire Williams and Cam Thomas elevated their level of play.
As a result, the flawed plan of intentionally losing games went down the tubes. Add to that a rookie coach in Jordi Fernandez, who won the coaching battle on most nights, and you had a team that was not an a true tanking position.
The Nets acquired D'Angelo Russell from the Lakers in the Finney Smith trade. Russell, in his second stint with the team, had some bright moments that resulted in wins.
The Nets had some late season injuries that saw them sputter down the stretch.
Brooklyn had a puncher's chance at a top three or a top five pick, but drew number eight.
Lesson learned? There are no guarantees in the NBA draft lottery.
Tanking, and building through the draft is certainly one strategy, but it is not foolproof. The Washington Wizards are proof of that.
So as the Nets evaluate the draft field to see who they will select at number eight, they can go in any direction.
Package the pick for a star player, trade up in the draft to select a prospect they have their eyes on, or potentially trade down. Everything is on the table.
June 30th's NBA Draft promises to be a very active and perhaps monumental night in the history of the Brooklyn Nets franchise.
Brooklyn would turn into Freak Show by trading for Giannis
The message from the the Nets fan base is clear. No more shortcuts.
Sean Marks has picked up the pieces from a failed big three era and a discontented Mikal Bridges by turning ugly situations into a cupboard loaded with future first round draft picks.
Every indication from Marks and the Nets is that they will continue down the pathway of a steady rebuild by developing young assets and keeping future draft picks.
There is one clear exception, however.
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks 30-year-old star may be staring at another first round exit in Milwaukee and might possibly ask out this summer.
The Nets' general manager indicated that he would be opportunistic if there was a player of Giannis's ilk that could single handedly change the trajectory of a franchise.
While in theory the Greek Freak might be able to be the start of a huge turnaround in Brooklyn, the timeline for the player and the organization just does not align.
The Nets would need to maximize Giannis's prime window as he enters his age 31 season next year.
Brooklyn does not have the win-now cast that Milwaukee does and that franchise is further than ever from competing truly for a title.
The Nets would need a complete roster haulover that would likely require Marks to send out multiple first round picks and young pieces.
This would be a third time in the Brooklyn Nets era that they would try the quick fix. Both times and it ended in historically bad fashion. So while the forbidden fruit of Giannis may be dangled out there this off-season, the Nets should stay on the current path and avoid the temptation altogether.
Nets season comes to merciful end with ugly loss to the Knicks
The New York Knicks rested most of their starters but that did not matter on Sunday in Brooklyn.
Mikal Bridges checked in for a mere six seconds and then exited to the bench to prolong his games, played streak and complete 82 games played this season.
Trendon Watford and Tyrese Martin had 20 each, but after scoring 66 points in a torrid shooting Pace. In the first half, the Nets offense got stuck in the mud and only scored 39 in the second half.
A miserable season has drawn to an official close for the Nets and now everyone's attention turns to May 12th NBA draft lottery.
Nets trounced by T-Wolves 117-91
Brooklyn was outpaced 28-16 in the first quarter and never recovered. The Nets were dominated in every statistical category and had no answers for Rudy Goebert's 35 points and 11 rebounds.
Keon Johnson tallied 20 and Drew Timme finished with a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Without many key vets and with the Timberwolves aiming to lock up a playoff spot, Brooklyn faced an uphill climb.
Anthony Edwards had just nine points in 31 minutes, but Minnesota hardly the support as it coasted to a 26-point victory.
Brooklyn's final game of the season comes Sunday at Barclays as they will play host to the Knicks.
In a season where Nets fans were split about whether to tank or not to tank, a win in the regular season finale against the reveled Knicks is good for the Nets fan's soul.
Hawks soar past Nets 133-109
Atlanta outscored Brooklyn 33-14 in the first and never looked back.
Zaccharie Risacher had a game high 38, while Trae Young added 24.
Jalen Wilson led Brooklyn with 20 and Toscan Evbuomwan added 18.
The Hawks scored 66 points in the paint and shot an unconscious 57.1 from the field.
The Nets play a back to back as they visit Minnesota on Friday.
Nets fail tank mission, down Pels 119-114
This wasn't part of the plan. The Nets were supposed to be well on their way to tanking the season away.
But Trendon Watford's 22 points and 6 rebounds along with Drew Timme's 16 points and nine boards was enough to get Brooklyn across the finish line.
The Nets assisted on 30 of 41 field goals, shot 49.4 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3-point range to capture the win.
The Nets are now locked in to the sixth best lottery odds at the number one overall pick.
Brooklyn hosts Atlanta Thursday night. See
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
