For the last few seasons, all the attention on the Nets was focused on their star players.
Now that James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have been dealt away, the spotlight on the franchise has dimmed. However, Brooklyn did make the playoffs last year after the blockbuster trades of Durant and Irving. The Nets got swept by the Sixers in the opening round but they have enough quality players to claim another postseason spot next season.
Coach Jacque Vaughn will have a major challenge trying to fit all the pieces together. Mikal Bridges, acquired in the Durant trade, is the closest thing the team has to an All-Star talent.
Cameron Johnson received a huge contract after entering the summer as a restricted free agent. Nic Claxton stands out at the center spot.
From there, it gets cloudy. Spencer Dinwiddie will likely reclaim the starting point guard spot but if Ben Simmons comes back strong, that could change. Royce O’Neale was a starter most of his career until the trades brought an influx of wings and forwards.
Dorian Finney-Smith started regularly after being acquired Dallas, but it’s no lock he’ll remain a part of the first unit. Simmons could be the starting power forward if he doesn’t displace Dinwiddie.
First-round picks Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead could also be part of the mix, though Whitehead is recovering from foot surgery.
The Nets added Lonnie Walker on a one-year deal in free agency and Cam Thomas, a 2021 first-rounder who’s had some big offensive nights, will also be pushing for a rotation spot. Brooklyn also signed Dennis Smith Jr., who could back up Dinwiddie if Simmons plays another position.
Day’Ron Sharpe could serve as Claxton’s backup if Vaughn opts against smaller lineups.
That brings us to our topic of the day: How do you think the Nets’ rotation will shake out this season? Which players will start? Who do you feel will be left out of the rotation?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Need more big men…more depth..need to get rid of one or two wings..fun team to watch though
Cameron Johnson makes 26 million lol. My mom should told me I need to be a sports athlete. Go outside and dribble, that’s all you have to do. He makes more than Bridges lol. I would just sell this team and everyone in it(except Simmons, let him sit on the bench for the whole rebuild) keep Cam Thomas too. Fire Vaughn too(he sounds like the guy asking for a dollar in dark alley with his shoes untied)
Are you okay man? You used to have pretty decent takes on here but now you sound manic… do you need to talk to someone?
I am going through alot and might need to move out of the country. I am stressed. My apologies for sounding manic. I appreciate you saying I had decent takes on here sometimes . Mostly people on here just like to hate. I have a lot of haters on here. I see you got four likes but nobody else said anything. I am not weak and don’t need someone else to help or talk to
Plus working 60 hour weeks
Always start at the goal and work back. They don’t want to tank for someone else to use their pick. They want to evaluate youth and trade some elder talent, without losing all the adults in the room. They probably want to stay away from bargain basement scrapheap bigs with attitude problems. Playing Clowney and Whitehead post injury let’s you see what you have, but doesn’t translate to wins. Thomas may be a star, or junk. If he can’t play D he sits. Obviously, two really good backup powerer forwards aren’t needed. Simmons isn’t tradable. It’s going to be a fun, very long year.
They will try Simmons as back-up center again, he cannot start at Point Guard becouse they got rid of all of their shooters: Curry, Harris, Watanabe , and didnt replace them. . Smith will be the back up pointguard, and Cam Thomas will fall out of the rotation. The minutes of Harrs from last year will go to Lonny Walker.
Dinwiddie has proven to not be a starter. Simmons, Bridges, Johnson, DFS, Claxton. Nets need to be a better rebounding team than last year. Neither of those first round picks will be playing much this year as neither are ready to play. Still expecting a trade of Royce O’Neale at some point before the season starts
Unless Claxton takes a big step forward on offense this season, and Bridges can regain the defense that he traded for offense since being traded, they’re going nowhere. Simmons is an awkward fit for this roster, so even if he regains his prime form it’ll still be weird. I expect them to be about a .500 team and maybe grab a bottom-two spot in the postseason via the play-in. The bottom of the East is going to be chaotic.
Dinwiddie/Bridges/DFS/Johnson/Claxton with DSJ/Walker-or-Thomas/Royce/Wattford-Bazley/Sharpe off the bench with Simmons being forced into the lineup wherever they can play him.
Four of the starting 5 (Dinwiddie, Bridges, Johnson, Claxton) were in the Top-100 for PER (15.2) so three of them (Bridges, Johnson, Claxton) are in the Top-100 for BPM (0.4) and two of them (Claxton, Bridges) are in the Top-100 for VORP (1.2). So not a bad start, and pretty much outlines why they’re a back-end playoff team going into this season.
You trade both Royce and DFS – I think you can get a low value 1st for each of them + a very meh player or two. You use that draft capital to trade Ben Simmons this year or next year and you focus on landing a guard or two.
Lonnie Walker and Cam Thomas probably aren’t LT solutions. Ben Simmons is probably out of the league in 2 years.
Tyler Herro or Simons would be nice gets as a by-product of a Dame trade.
However, I’d trade and extend Alex Caruso – inside the Top-100 in VORP and BPM.
I’d also pay close attention to the Hawks this year, if they implode and sell, swoop in and grab Murray at the deadline.
LT a team of Murray, Caruso, Bridges, Johnson, and Claxton would be a tough-out in the playoffs right now. Eventually you find another guard that pushes Caruso to a 6th man role. If Bridges becomes “that dude” then they become a top-4 team in the East 2 or 3 years from now.
Bruh they’re not trading DFS and royce just to be able to trade Simmons lmao especially if Simmons is even somewhat healthy
If no moves are made, I’d expect a lineup of
Dinwiddie/Bridges/Johnson/DFS/Claxton
Smith Jr./Walker/O’Neale/Bazley/Simmons
An O’Neale trade could work well for the Nets since they already got DFS who fills the same role. A first rounder for him is solid, and it clears the jam at the F slots. If Simmons regains at least some of his form, I can see him becoming a valuable player on limited minutes. However, its gonna be tough since you need to surround him with floor spacers so that will limit his usability.
Dinwiddie is a solid PG, but they need a younger primary ballhandler in my opinion. If the Blazers end up trading Dame try to make a deal for Anfernee Simons at the deadline, the 1st from the O’Neale trade + salary filler.