Brooklyn Nets: 5 reasons to be excited for 2018-19 NBA season

5. The new additions are fun

Going into this past offseason, there were two clear-cut paths the Nets could have taken to prepare for next summer. They could’ve either glutted the roster in favor of tanking for a star prospect in the 2019 draft, or they could’ve bolstered the current corps in preparation to attract free agents.

It’s pretty obvious which path they chose. Sans the training camp deals, Brooklyn added five new veterans through trades and signings: Ed Davis, Shabazz Napier, Kenneth Faried, Treveon Graham and Jared Dudley. All of them bring varying skill sets that help the team immensely in the present, while also providing the team with flexibility next summer. The only players owed money of these five next year are Napier and Graham, both of whose contracts are non-guaranteed in 2019.

For the moment though, these guys all give the Nets dimensions to the offense. Napier’s on and off-ball duality allows him to slot next to either Russell or Dinwiddie in the lineup. Davis and Faried are proven rebounders who can cover for Jarrett Allen’s deficiencies on the low block. Graham, a low-usage 3-and-D wing in the era of 3-and-D, is the forgotten gem of the offseason. Dudley is the locker room presence every team needs, but not the one they deserve.

From deploying four ball-handling shooters to installing a two-big lineup, all these new additions give coach Kenny Atkinson a lot to work with. The roster is malleable, deep, and sprinkled with just enough shooting to actually win some games.