Brooklyn Nets: 5 reasons to be excited for 2019-20 NBA season

Short term help

Irving and Durant were not the only players the Nets added to their roster this summer. Some of the other additions are also poised to make impacts this year. Taurean Prince, Garrett Temple, and Wilson Chandler are all able to contribute to this team in the season ahead while David Nwaba looks to be a low-key pickup who could help in limited minutes.

Prince will provide much-needed spacing on the wing, having finished last season in the 84th percentile among wings for three-point percentage, hitting 39.7 percent from deep. Favoring the corner with 19.0 percent of his shots coming from that area of the floor, Prince will enable the team’s bigs to attack the paint.

Prince only played in 55 games last year. Otherwise, he would have finished the season with career-bests in points and rebounds. This year, he will have the added incentive of being a restricted free agent after this season. If he can improve his defensive showings, he can expect to be fielding multiple offers worth considerably more than his current pay packet.

Fresh off a hard-fought loss to the Warriors in the playoff’s, Garrett Temple can fill a role on the wing. With a team option for an additional year, he is going to be trying to impress to have a shot at a ring when Durant returns.

He will need to improve on last year’s efficiency though, having only ranked in the 13th percentile from three,  shooting just 29.4 percent. His mid-range was much better though, hitting 50.0 percent of his shots. He did impress on the defensive end of the floor though finishing in the 89th percentile for steals while grabbing 15.2 percent of the rebounds available from free-throws while on the floor.

Establishing a role as a defensive spark plug can ensure he is around beyond this year, and if his shooting can improve slightly he will be seen as a solid pickup.

Wilson Chandler was seen as a solid pickup to add depth at both forward spots heading into the season. That is, until his 25 game suspension left the team depleated before a ball has even been bounced. He will need to impress when he returns to secure another contract when he hits free agency again next summer.

A solid rebounder and reliable finisher when rolling to the rim, Chandler can provide solid rotation minutes. He can stretch his offense out to the 3-point line shooting, having shot 37.3 percent from beyond the arc last season.

Minutes will be available when he returns from his suspension, but he is going to need to earn the trust of both the coaching and playing staff before he sees meaningful game time.

The NBA season is long. Having solid rotational players deep into the bench can be the difference between home-court advantage or facing a baptism of fire come playoff time. These lower-key pick-ups provide the team with solid and exciting complementary pieces for the season ahead.