Following the Mikal Bridges trade we have finally seen the Brooklyn Nets pick a firm direction for the first time since the implosion of the Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Embracing a rebuild, the Nets are hoping that they can return to the elite class of contenders in the East sooner rather than later.
Now armed to the teeth with 15 first-round picks and 10 second-round picks, including their own, from 2025 through 2031, many fans are embracing tanking as the preferred strategy going forward. The Nets were a bad team last season with Bridges, and now without him, they will be worse in the 2024-2025 season. But is an all-out tank really the best strategy?
The Nets have key young players to develop
While it may feel as if the Nets are starting from scratch, they already have some young talent on the roster that needs cultivating. The Nets need to see if any or all of these players can be future building blocks, and their development is paramount.
Still just 22 years old, Cam Thomas emerged as a near-elite scorer last season. The young guard averaged 22.5 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field and 36.4% from three despite inconsistency in his role. The next step for Thomas is to prove that he’s not just a one-dimensional player. While not a natural point guard, the ball-dominant Thomas must show that he’s a capable secondary playmaker for others and improve upon his paltry 2.9 assists per game posted last season.
Noah Clowney at just 20 years old is an exciting two-way power forward. Super athletic and with a burgeoning three-point shot, he needs a facilitator around him to maximize his skills. In the G-League last season, he averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game all while shooting 49.1% overall and 33.9% from three.
Second-year forward Jalen Wilson is still just 23 years old. In 43 games last year in Brooklyn he showed flashes, while overall being inconsistent leading to a final line of 5.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game while shooting 42.5% from the field and 32.4% from deep. At times, he was red hot, and at other times he was ice cold, but he has real potential to develop into a 3-and-D role player, but again must play within the structure of a functional offense.
It’s hard to believe but big man Nic Claxton just signed his third contract with the team. The former University of Georgia product is still just 25 years old and has improved incrementally every season. Now a legitimate double-double threat, Claxton averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game last season. Already one of the most unique defensive players in the game, Claxton’s offensive game still has room to grow, but can only do so with competent play around him.
The common theme here is that for this young core to continue to grow, they need to play within a competent system that allows them to accentuate their strengths, develop their weaknesses, and avoid developing bad habits that can come from being the only player with any talent on the court at a given time.
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The draft lottery doesn’t simply reward the worst team
We’ve talked before about how the loaded 2025 NBA draft class will be crucial for Brooklyn’s rebuild. With four first-round picks and a real shot at the number one overall selection, Brooklyn could leave that class with its next star plus several other building blocks.
However, the NBA in an effort to increase parity has smoothed out the odds for the number one pick in the lottery. No longer does the team with the worst record have the best odds. Instead, now the teams with the three worst records share equal odds of winning the lottery at 14%.
So while it pays to be bad, it doesn’t pay off anymore to be substantially worse than the other bottom feeders around the league. Barring some sort of miracle, the Nets will be a very bad team in 2024-2025. That’s fine, as this season is about development and not about winning games. However, what they want to avoid is leaning so hard into the tank that they hamper the development of the young pieces already on the team.
Don’t expect general manager Sean Marks to trade away every veteran not nailed down unless an offer blows him away. He and the organization understand that doing so may actually do more harm than good in this rebuilding process.
