Changing the Brooklyn way: A Brooklyn Nets Dynasty

[studbucket]

I hope the Nets can finally start seeing some success with this young core, supplement it with all these great picks they've got from other teams.

Keep it up, I enjoy reading this.

[Funkycorm]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

I hope the Nets can finally start seeing some success with this young core, supplement it with all these great picks they've got from other teams. Keep it up, I enjoy reading this.

Thank you! I appreciate it. I am really enjoying doing this.
Here's hoping that my young core we have made and some of our plethora of picks makes our future bright. The Nets can only move forward from here.

[Funkycorm]

The rest of the offseason is upon us. We need to prepare for the 2021-22 NBA season.

Rookie Signings:

Rick Huestis: 2 year/$8.37M deal

Team Options:

Johnnie Watson: accept 2-year team option
Bradford Ford: accept 2-year team option
Jerian Grant: We declined his option. We have no interest in keeping him on the roster.

My Free Agents:

Nerlens Noel: We offered him a 3 year/$73.36M deal. This is the biggest contract we have offered a player. We feel Rick Huestis will be the future at center for us but he will need a few years to grow completely into that role. For now, Noel is a solid defender and rebounder for us.
Boban Marjanovic: He wanted to test free agency and we just drafted Rick Huestis so we are not in the market for a center off the bench.
Ian Mahinmi: He wanted to test free agency and we just drafted Rick Huestis so we are not in the market for a center off the bench.
Jerian Grant: We had no interest in him.
Quincy Pondexter: He wanted to test free agency and we were ok with that. He was signed as depth and did not play.

Free Agency:

PG Tim Frazier (74B-): We offered a 1 year/$1.60M deal. He will be 3rd in line on the point guard rotation and provide depth for us to help cover injuries.
SG J.J. Redick (73B): He was offered a 1 year/$1.88M deal. Though aging, he is still a quality shooter off the bench.
C Marcin Gortat (73B): He was offered a 1 year/$1.91M deal. He can provide some depth as center but will not see much playing time behind Noel and Huestis.
SG Alex Abrines (73B-): We offered a 1 year/$1.64M deal. He will be depth at the shooting guard spot for us. He may see some playing time to help cover injuries.

League Signings:

There was not much movement around the league in terms of signings. Most players accepted big extensions for their current club.

One thing to note is that former Brooklyn Nets power forward Shaun Bridgeman was offered a 3 year/$42.85M deal from Atlanta. A little expensive for our taste for the numbers he put up here, but congratulations on the big contract for him.

Brook Lopez, after signing a 3-year deal with Utah last offseason, was waived by the Jazz and remained on the free agency market after the start of the next season.

Player Progression:
Nerlens Noel: +1
Wally Carlisle: +1. We predict he would have grown more if he was not out most of the season with an injury. Surprisingly, there was no change to his overall durability.
Johnnie Watson: +3
Noel Whitney: +2
Richaun Holmes: +1
Bradford Ford: +3
James Michael Simpson: +3
J.J. Redick: -4. With this drop, Alex Abrines will receive playing time before Redick as our back up shooting guard this upcoming season.

Training Camp (untapped potential):

Johnnie Watson: B+ to A-
Wally Carlisle: A to A (89 to 92)
Bradford Ford: B+ to A-

Season Outlook:
After having a long season this last year and losing 63 games, I feel we will have a turnaround this upcoming season. We were hampered by Carlisle’s injury. If he stays health, I predict we will win 35 games this season. We will still fall short of the playoffs, but I think this will be the year we inch closer with a young core of players growing together. We also have 3 first round picks next summer so we will be able to address any deficiencies we have, especially at power forward.

Record prediction: 35-47, 4th in the Atlantic.

Stay tuned for the 2021-22 NBA season overview. Including improvements to the power rankings.

Thanks for reading!

[Funkycorm]

A new season full of promise for the Brooklyn Nets. The 2021-22 season begins now. We look to put last year behind us and move forward as a young team of growing future stars in the league.

Here is our roster:

Brooklyn Nets
#	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY
8	Matthew Dellavedova (75B-)	PG	31	6'4"	198	1yr/$1.16M
1	Bradford Ford (74A-)	PG	24	6'0"	178	2yr/$3.95M
6	Tim Frazier (72B)	PG	30	6'1"	170	1yr/$1.60M
30	Johnnie Watson (78A-)	SG	24	6'4"	200	2yr/$5.45M
9	Alex Abrines (73B-)	SG	28	6'6"	190	1yr/$1.64M
4	J.J. Redick (72B)	SG	37	6'4"	190	1yr/$1.88M
41	Wally Carlisle (80A)	SF	22	6'8"	241	1yr/$4.23M
45	Noel Whitney (75B)	SF	27	6'8"	215	1yr/$1.94M
21	Solomon Hill (72B-)	SF	30	6'7"	225	1yr/$1.16M
33	Richaun Holmes (75B-)	PF	28	6'10"	245	1yr/$1.53M
15	Thomas Robinson (74B-)	PF	30	6'10"	237	1yr/$1.16M
50	James Michael Simpson (69B)	PF	22	6'9"	229	1yr/$1.68M
17	Nerlens Noel (82B+)	C	27	6'11"	228	3yr/$23.40M
40	Rick Huestis (73B)	C	23	7'1"	276	2yr/$4.09M
3	Marcin Gortat (70B)	C	37	6'11"	240	1yr/$1.91M

Depth Chart:

Brooklyn Nets Depth Chart - 2021-22
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Bradford Ford	Matthew Dellavedova	Tim Frazier
SG	Johnnie Watson	Alex Abrines	J.J. Redick
SF	Wally Carlisle	Noel Whitney	Solomon Hill
PF	Richaun Holmes	Thomas Robinson	James Michael Simpson
C	Nerlens Noel	Rick Huestis	Marcin Gortat

Roster Assessment:

Our roster is starting to improve with young players that have the ability to be stars in this league in the future. This team will rely heavily on Wally Carlisle as he will probably be seeing 33-35 minutes a night. If he can stay healthy, this team can start making some noise in the Atlantic this year.

Draft Picks:

2022: 1st round, 1st round (via Memphis), 1st round (via San Antonio)
2023: 1st round, 1st round (via Miami), 1st round (via Houston, top 3 protected), 1st round (via San Antonio)
2024: 1st round, 1st round (via Memphis, top 3 protected), 1st (via San Antonio)
2025: 1st round, 2nd round.

We own a plethora of 1st round picks the next 4 years, including San Antonio’s for the next 3 years which should all hopefully be projected to be lottery picks as they need to rebuild. We own a total of 12 picks over the next 4 years with 11 of those being 1st rounders. We have a bright future of young players ahead of us. These 12 picks represent the most of any team in the league over the next 4 years. I remember when we acquired this team, we owned the least. Times are changing and this prospect looks good for Brooklyn.

Prospect Profile:

C Rick Huestis:
Huestis is a 22-year-old, 7’1”, 276 pound, 73 overall, B potential center from Florida. He averaged 13.8 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game over 35 games and leading the Gators to the Elite 8. He is scouted as an inside scorer, but we feel with his college stats, he can also provide some defense for us. He rates as a B+ in post defense, A- in rebounding, and C- in inside scoring. He has a 3-star rating in strength, 2-star rating in rebounding, and 1 star rating in layups and dunks. Out scout feels he is a play who can contribute right away, but is not the best on the offensive side of the ball without some growth first. He is also a great rebounder who goes above and beyond on the offensive and defensive glass. Our plan for him is to groom him for a few years then he will eventually be replacing Nerlens Noel at the end of Noel’s contract. He will be coming off the bench as the backup center and should get plenty of opportunity to prove his value early on.

Stay tuned for the preseason power rankings, which I decided to do separate this season as I have decided to expand upon them a little to make them more realistic so we can get a feel for what is happening more around the NBA. Our midseason update will follow.

Thanks for reading!

[Funkycorm]

Let’s check out where everyone stands in the league going into the 2021-22 NBA Season.

NBA.com Preseason Power Rankings:

1. Cleveland: With Lebron in tow, the Cavs will be here yearly if injuries do not plague this team again.

2. Minnesota: KAT and Wiggins lead this group of young stars. The Timberwolves have the best chance of catching Golden State in the West.

3. Philadelphia: Ben Simmons is a star already. Back to Back Finals appearances may be in store. The 76ers are the most likely team to leap ahead of Cleveland in the East.

4. L.A. Lakers: Every year they are up here because of their talented roster yet they underperform yearly. Should be no different this year.

5. Golden State: Perennial championship contenders. Curry. KD. Klay. Draymond. No need to go on.

6. Atlanta: They have depth at point guard with Kemba Walker and Donte Barrett but not many players for those points to move the ball to.

7. Chicago: Jimmy Butler and Caris Levert need a front court to help them win games.

8. Indiana: Paul George and Myles Turner’s team are only 1 player away from being a force to deal with. Point guard move at the deadline may be needed here to stay competitive with Cleveland.

9. New York: ‘Melo is getting older and still relying on D-Rose as your point guard will not get them into the playoffs.

10. L.A. Clippers: Blake, Deandre, and CP3 will only get a few more chances to catch Golden State.

11. Oklahoma City: Westbrook is still a beast and Oladipo needs to improve his play this year to put the Thunder back in the Finals.

12. Utah: Middle of the road team that needs to surround Hayward with talent before they can become a force in the West.

13. Washington: John Wall will be solid again after signing an extension and should get the Wizards back to the playoffs.

14. Orlando: Solid young core can get them to the top of the East sooner than later.

15. Phoenix: With Devin Booker and Kelvin Long as a backcourt to be reckoned with, good things lie ahead for the Suns.

16. Sacramento: Front court is solid with Cousins and Gobert, but need to improve everywhere else to make noise in the Pacific

17. Denver: A young nucleus lead by Mudiay is close to contending.

18. Detroit: Drummond is solid, but needs help to keep the Pistons in playoff contention.

19. Houston: Harden and Capela can push them to the playoffs but a first round loss will be the way of it.

20. Boston: The plethora of lottery picks they have gotten are starting to grow. Isaiah Thomas, Jaylen Brown, and Monty Gatens can make this team dominant if they can learn to coexist.

21. Dallas: Last year’s playoff appearance was a fluke and the quick exit made that apparent. Mike Conley’s bloated contract won’t land them in the playoffs this time.

22. Memphis: They are a solid team that could easily win a weak Southwest division.

23. San Antonio: Kawhi is not enough to lead this team of role players. No first round picks the next 3 years will not help their cause. Time to move Kawhi to a contender and start thinking about the future?

24. Portland: Lillard and McCollum are stars but need front court support.

25. New Orleans: Anthony Davis deserves a championship. Too bad no one else on this team can help him get it.

26. Milwaukee: With Giannis signed long term, the Bucks look to push on Cleveland in the Central.

27. Toronto: An off year by DeRozan and an aging Kyle Lowry may be signaling rebuild time north of the border.

28. Miami: The Heat have traded away big names the last 2 drafts. Full rebuild mode here.

29. Brooklyn: If Carlisle can remain healthy, the Nets could make some noise in the East. Playoffs are still a year or two away.

30. Charlotte: Young frontcourt needs guard help to get them the ball low. They won’t be at the bottom much longer.


Though we are near the bottom now, I feel we will be moving out of the league’s cellar this year.

Stay tuned for our mid season update!

Thanks for reading!

[Funkycorm]

The 2021-22 season is in full swing at the All-Star break. Our Nets come in with a record of 26-30, which puts them 3rd in the Atlantic, 10th in the East, and 20th in the NBA.com Power Rankings. This is a major improvement over last year where the Nets only managed to win 19 games the entire year. Our longest losing streak of the season was 4 games between December 1 and December 6, with our longest winning streak of 4 games coming between January 7 and January 14.

Record Breakdown:

Overall: 26-30
Home: 12-17
Away: 14-13
Division: 7-2 Our Nets are playing strong in the division this season.
Conference: 16-17

Monthly Record:
October/November: 8-10
December: 5-10
January: 9-5
February (through All-Star Break): 4-5

Looking around the league, here are the NBA.com Power Rankings:

1. Golden State (44-12)
2. Philadelphia (40-16)
3. Charlotte (38-20)
4. Cleveland (34-21)
5. Detroit (34-21)
6. Minnesota (33-24)
7. Washington (33-23)
8. L.A. Clippers (34-24)
9. Chicago (33-24)
10. Houston (32-26)
11. Oklahoma City (32-25)
12. Utah (30-27)
13. Portland (30-26)
14. Orlando (29-26)
15. Atlanta (29-27)
16. Phoenix (30-27)
17. New York (29-28)
18. Dallas (27-29)
19. Memphis (26-30)
20. Brooklyn (26-30)
21. L.A. Lakers (25-32)
22. Sacramento (25-31)
23. New Orleans (23-35)
24. Milwaukee (23-34)
25. Denver (21-35)
26. Toronto (21-36)
27. Indiana (20-37)
28. San Antonio (18-39)
29. Boston (17-40)
30. Miami (13-44)

Player Stats:

Points per game: Carlisle 25.9, Noel 12.2, Watson 11.6, Whitney 11.1, Abrines 10.2
Rebounds per game: Noel 11.0, Robinson 9.4, Holmes 7.3, Huestis 5.3
Assists per game: Ford 7.9, Dellavedova 5.7, Frazier 5.0
Blocks per game: Noel 2.1, Holmes 1.6, Carlisle 1.1, Huestis 0.8
Steals per game: Carlisle 1.5, Dellavedova 1.0, Noel 1.0
Minutes per game: Carlisle 33.0, Noel 30.8, Watson 29.1, Holmes 25.7, Ford 25.5

Notable Information:

Carlisle has only missed a few games this year and he is showing why we drafted him. He currently sits 4th in the league in scoring. Noel is 7th in the league in rebounds per game and 3rd in the league in blocks per game so far this season.

We have our first representatives in the All-Star Game since I took over in 2016. Both Wally Carlisle and Nerlens Noel made the Eastern Conference All-Star team as reserves. Wally Carlisle also played for the Stars in the Stars vs. Elites Game. Rick Huestis represented us on the Elites team this year.

Matthew Dellavedova tore his right MCL just before the All-Star Game so Bradford Ford will be the full-time starter the rest of the year. To this point, the 2 have been splitting starts. Solomon Hill is also out for 2 to 4 months with a dislocate right patella. Though he wasn’t getting much playing time anyway.

Wally Carlisle was Eastern Conference player of the week from December 12-18. Rick Huestis was also Eastern Conference rookie of the month in December. Huestis is currently 3rd in the Rookie of the Year race and Nerlens Noel is currently 5th in the Defensive Player of the Year race.

Trade Deadline:

We made only 1 trade at the deadline. We traded J.J. Redick to Chicago for a 2022 2nd round pick and a 2024 2nd round pick. This trade was made solely for the picks and Chicago offered up 2 picks so we jumped at the opportunity.

Signings:

To add depth for the trade of Redick and the injury to Solomon Hill, we signed SF Hollis Thompson (70C+) to a 1 year/$1.16M deal.
To add some depth to our point guard rotation, we cut Marcin Gortat and signed Shabazz Napier (70C+) to a 1 year/$1.16M deal.

Stay tuned for the end of season recap as the 2021-22 season draws to a close.

Thanks for reading!

[studbucket]

How many games out of the 8th seed are the Nets?

[Funkycorm]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

How many games out of the 8th seed are the Nets?

We are only 3 games out. Atlanta holds the 8th spot and New York is 1/2 game behind them. We are on the cusp of the playoffs!