5 roster moves the Brooklyn Nets need to make this offseason
When people talk about the 2021-22 season and mention the Brooklyn Nets, they will talk about opportunities missed. Due to various vaccine mandates around the USA and Canada, one of their superstars, Kyrie Irving, was unable to play much basketball.
Then, the superstar they added last season, James Harden, wanted out and basically forced the team to trade him. The Nets received Ben Simmons back in the trade, but he was unable to play due to his body and mind not being right.
As a result of this, the Nets, who should have been towards the top of the Eastern Conference standings, were consigned to playing in the Play-In Tournament. They made it to the seventh seed, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers for the challenge of taking on the Boston Celtics. Such was the nature of their season, they were swept in the first round.
5 roster moves the Brooklyn Nets need to make this offseason: 1. Move on from Blake Griffin
Since the Nets claimed him off waivers March 2021, Blake Griffin has gone from somewhat solid in his first season with the franchise, to struggling to have much of an impact. His scoring average dropped in his second season to just 6.4 points per game.
If Griffin was a strong defender, then this would not matter. However, he has suffered too many knee injuries to have any lateral movement on defense. Sometimes, the Nets would have been better served defensively by putting a lamppost on the floor.
But seriously, Griffin’s game has diminished so much that he has almost become a liability on the floor. Of the 56 games that he played last season, he had a negative impact on the box score 33 times. The Nets have committed to Ben Simmons, who will offer the same rebounding presence as Griffin, meaning they should give his roster spot to an up-and-coming player.