A tough season is in store for the Brooklyn Nets. They’re still a rebuilding roster and are short on high-level talent. However, the lack of expectations should create the perfect environment for the team’s younger talents to play through mistakes and learn on the fly.
Nevertheless, the Nets fan base will certainly want to see signs of progress. After all, Brooklyn has been mired in a rebuild for a while now, and seeing some steps forward would do wonders for the overall confidence level regarding the franchise’s blueprint.
With that in mind, here are three questions heading into the new season.
Can Michael Porter Jr. raise the team’s ceiling?
Michael Porter Jr. joined the Nets as part of the trade that sent Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets. He will now enjoy an expanded role, which should allow him to expand his game and showcase his overall skillset.
When healthy, Porter Jr. is a high-level talent. Last season, he averaged 18.2 points, 7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 50.4% from the field. While his efficiency may take a dip, it’s fair to assume his counting stats will all improve courtesy of the additional on-court freedom he will have in Brooklyn.
Therefore, the hope should be that his two-way play helps anchor the rotation and potentially creates a runway for others to produce at a high level. Whether that will result in more wins, at least in the short term, will remain open for debate.
How will the offense improve?
The Nets ranked 28th in the NBA for offensive rating last season (108.1 points per 100 possessions). Part of that was due to their limitations on the perimeter (34.4% from deep, 25th in the league) and the other was their appalling rebounding numbers (41.3 per game, 29th in the NBA).
Head coach Jordi Fernandez has his work cut out for him in trying to improve the Nets’ overall offensive process. In truth, it will need to be done in small chunks. Whether that means Brooklyn takes a leap as a rebounding team or as a perimeter scoring team, the small steps over time will compound into big differences.
Can the Nets take care of the rock?
Brooklyn was bad across the board last season. Therefore, their issues in taking care of the ball shouldn’t come as a surprise. They sat 27th for turnover percentage last season (15.6%), making them one of the most careless offenses in the league.
The lack of a genuine point guard may mean the Nets are in for another turnover-heavy season. However, if someone on the wings can emerge as a play initiator, it could ease the burden on the backcourt, especially in terms of half-court creation.
No matter what, though, the Nets have another developmental season in store, and that means there’s a lot of room to grow, but also another losing year. However, there’s a clear plan in place, and the team can only get better.