Brooklyn Nets: Several Young Players Hoping To Emerge

All the talk surrounding the Brooklyn Nets revolves around their draft picks. However, three young guards could be key in their future.

The Brooklyn Nets are going to stink this year.

After several trades to win now, the Nets are feeling the pain of giving up several draft picks. Despite their poor records, the Nets won’t truly be able to benefit until 2019 – the next time they have their own first round pick, thanks to the Boston Celtics.

Brooklyn already began experiencing the effects, surrendering the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, which ending up being California forward Jaylen Brown.

For the foreseeable future, general manager Sean Marks will have to hold water and try to figure out how to add young, affordable talent to the roster. That’ll be tough as the team will continue to lose draft position and constantly see even the best mid-level free agents opt for a situation where one can make money and compete for an NBA championship.

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The Nets made some moves in free agency anyway, but only Jeremy Lin – opting to join former Knicks assistant head coach, now current head coach Kenny Atkinson – made headlines. After failing to add any restricted free agents, Brooklyn added Justin Hamilton, Anthony Bennett, Greivis Vasquez, Luis Scola, Trevor Booker and Justin Hamilton — a true shot in the dark if I ever saw one.

However, the Brooklyn Nets have some interesting players on the roster that could help with those rebuilding efforts.

The most notable name is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. As The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks wrote earlier in the offseason, Hollis-Jefferson has everything you want in a modern NBA wing player: good size, active on the defensive end and again, young and under contract for pennies in an era with the cap explosion. The shooting is still an issue, but Hollis-Jefferson’s defensive value will allow him to remain effective.

Another key asset is 2015 first round selection, Chris McCullough. After an ACL tear resulted in his college career being cut short, McCullough entered the draft, falling to Brooklyn with the 29th overall pick. McCullough is a ball of clay at this point.

Per 36 minutes, McCullough averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. His size — 6’11” with a 7’3″ wingspan — makes him a potential terror on the defensive end.

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What will determine his fate is if McCullough can add weight to his frame — he’s listed at 200 pounds — and whether or not if he could develop a three-point shot. At Syracuse, McCullough shot (and made) exactly one three-pointer. In his first stint with the Nets, McCullough made 13 of his 34 attempts, good for 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. If McCullough can add a solid long-range shot, he becomes an interesting prospect.

Brooklyn’s other two guys were 2016 draft picks — Isaiah Whitehead and Caris LaVert.

Whitehead, selected in the second round, had a solid season for Seton Hall, averaging 18.2 points, 5.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. The issue, however, is that he shot just 37.9 percent from the field, and that was only a slight improvement from the 36.7 percent he shot as a freshman. Still, Whitehead showed the ability to get to the free throw line, create for others and put the ball in the basket.

The larger question surrounding Whitehead is if he can improve his efficiency. A part of his overall struggles with the Pirates was that he was constantly in possession of the ball. As a result, he took an array of terrible shots and finished with more turnovers than assists. Moving him into a bench role where his offense is controlled could help him.

A second round pick with a four-year contract, the Nets could be patient with him, even if that means placing him in their new NBA D-League affiliate, the Long Island Nets.

As for Caris LeVert, there’s a hope that he can come in and contribute right away. Acquired in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, LeVert was elected by the Nets in the hopes of rolling the dice on a player with high risk and high reward.

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A four-year guard from Michigan, LeVert flashed everything you wanted in a wing player. At 6’7″, LeVert has good size to defend both shooting guards and small forwards. Even with his slight frame, his seven-foot wingspan allowed him to contest the shots of most players he faced on the perimeter.

Offensively, LeVert was great in college. After three seasons averaging over 12 points per game and over 40 percent from three, LeVert had all the tools of a potential of a top scorer. Add his ability to create for teammates and himself — with LeVert putting up more assists than turnovers in all four seasons at Michigan — and he sounds like someone who should’ve been drafted in the lottery, as opposed to the middle of the first round.

The issue, however, was the injuries. Multiple leg injuries caused LeVert to play just 33 games over the last two seasons. It hampered his draft stock and for the Brooklyn Nets, there’s a hope that he’s past those injuries and could emerge as a potential gem.

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The Brooklyn Nets are going to stink next season and will most likely give up another lottery pick to the Boston Celtics. However, the cupboard isn’t completely bare for the future. Although they’re far away, guys like Caris LeVert, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Isaiah Whitehead, and Chris McCullough are all young, under contract and will be essential to Brooklyn ascending the rankings in the future.

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