NBA: Ranking all 30 starting small forwards for 2018-19

18. DeMarre Carroll, Brooklyn Nets

Lost in all of the Brooklyn Nets‘ roster maneuverings and notable lack of a franchise star last year was how good DeMarre Carroll quietly was for Kenny Atkinson’s squad. Aside from supplying the expected veteran presence, the 32-year-old wing actually brought it on the court too, averaging a career-high 13.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 29.9 minutes per game.

Sure, a lowly team like the Nets needs someone to score, but getting that kind of production and leadership out of Carroll in his first season there was a pleasant surprise, especially as he defended the wing and made 37.1 percent of his 5.4 long range attempts per game (another career best).

Ideally, this will be the last year Brooklyn need Carroll’s two-way talents as he heads for free agency next summer, but it’s hard to see someone supplanting him in the starting lineup after he started all 73 games last year. That says as much about Carroll’s effectiveness even at this stage in his career as it does about the current state of the Nets.