Brooklyn Nets: Can Mason Plumlee Step Up This Season?

By Adam McGee | Oct 21, 2014

May 6, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Mason Plumlee (1) looks prior to a game against the Miami Heat in game one of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s perhaps too early to be asking this question, but it has unfortunately become reality for the Brooklyn Nets. Luckily, the team’s All-Star center Brook Lopez‘s recent foot injury is only a minor one, but still, for a player with his history it’s more than enough to set off the alarm bells.

If Lopez’s foot continues to be an issue this year, Brooklyn need to have a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings. In all likelihood that player would be Mason Plumlee, the team’s emerging sophomore star.

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There’s no doubt that it’s unfair to have pressure on Plumlee to up his productivity so early on in his NBA career, but it may prove to be as simple as that’s what his team will need from him to stay above water.

After being selected with the 22nd pick of the 2013 draft, Plumlee has already outperformed many people’s expectations for him. Plumlee played in 70 games for the Nets last season, and it wasn’t as if he was just a rookie coming in at the end of games when the bench was emptied out either.

Plumlee showed real talent to go along with his constant effort, and that allowed him to make a meaningful impact in the process. In just over 18 minutes per game, the 24-year-old averaged 7.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot a whopping 65.9 percent from the field.

This didn’t go unnoticed around the NBA either, with the Indiana native getting his reward by being selected to the All-Rookie first team as part of the league’s end of season awards.

Mason Plumlee’s recognition didn’t stop there either. As a former Duke Blue Devil, and favorite of coach Mike Krzyzewski, Plumlee was one of the lucky few to make the final USA Basketball squad for the FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Plumlee may only have played minor minutes throughout the tournament, but spending so much time with some of the league’s best players, and the experience alone, should be of great benefit to him.

In fact, that may be the experience that he will be forced to rely upon if Brook Lopez continues to struggle with his foot. The Nets allowed Andray Blatche to walk away this summer following a productive year as a backup, meaning there are only two genuine options that could play center in Lopez’ absence.

One is Plumlee, the other is Kevin Garnett, who at his age can’t be relied upon to play for extended periods of time.

This is why Plumlee has suddenly become so important to this Brooklyn Nets team. It’s true that his immediate production would have come as a most welcome surprise to the front office, and coaching staff last season, but now in his second year, Plumlee will only be expected to take even more significant steps forward.

Nets fans will be hoping he won’t be required to start at center too often, but if when he has to, he’s very successful in doing so, it will only paper over the cracks in the Brooklyn roster.

Plumlee is an excellent young talent, something which the Nets haven’t had too much of in recent years, but he ideally needs time to learn, grow and develop.

Depending on Brook Lopez’ health, there’s every chance he won’t be afforded that opportunity though, and so, through no fault of his own, the pressure will be on Mason Plumlee to show further improvement this time around.

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