National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: Five Things to Expect in 2016-2017

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:42 a.m. ET

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Nov 11, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) shoots the ball during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The Nets defeated the Rockets 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

With a roster overhaul looming over the team and no first round pick until 2019, the Brooklyn Nets are turning out to be one of the least covered teams in the league this season. Predictions have been consistently negative, with some stating that the Nets will be the worst team in the NBA.

Perhaps flying under the radar is a positive for the Brooklyn Nets this season. After all, they are looking to develop young talent with a first-time head coach. However, the question of when this team will flourish will remain unanswered for quite some time. As of today, this Nets squad has one of the worst collections of talent in the entire league, despite their plethora of offseason acquisitions.

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It is almost certain that Sean Marks‘ new signings will improve the team as a whole. It would be nearly impossible for Marks to put a worse product on the floor then he did towards the tail-end of last season.

The Nets finally have a starting caliber point guard along with a nice mix of youth and experience. Yet, questions pertaining to chemistry, health, and pure talent loom in preseason.

Despite these questions, negative outlooks, and uncertainties, here are five things Nets Nation should expect from their team this season.

1. The Nets will not compete for a playoff spot

Despite what some optimists think, everyone must come to the harsh reality that the Nets will not be good this season. Unfortunately, this is the price the team must pay for taking a huge risk in June 2013. As much as some fans believe that this squad can be the 2013-14 Phoenix Suns and prove the preseason power rankings wrong, this simply will not be the case.

The biggest difference between this season’s Nets roster and teams that have proved their preseason outlook wrong in the past, such as last year’s Portland Trail Blazers, is a huge discrepancy in talent. It was not necessarily a lack of talent that caused everyone to write off the 2013-14 Suns and 2015-16 Blazers. Rather, it was the idea that these teams were taking risks.

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The Suns’ two best players, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, played the same position, but were both great talents at the time. Despite this, Phoenix was able to innovate and find an efficient way to play their two best players together en route to a 48-win season. The Blazers had similar concerns with CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard playing together. Still, Portland was able to make the playoffs.

Looking at the 2016-17 Nets roster, fit is not an issue, but a simple lack of talent is what will be their downfall. This Brooklyn roster is a melting pot of former role players, unproven young guns, and veterans, with Brook Lopez as the only exception.

With a 36-year-old Luis Scola expected to be this team’s fourth scoring option, the Nets won’t sniff a playoff spot and will be lucky to win over 30 games.

Jan 18, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Luis Scola (4) passes the ball as he is guarded by Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Nets 112-100. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

2. Yet, they will not be the worst team in the NBA

However, the Nets will not be the worst team in the league this season. In fact, with Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers recently suffering a broken right foot, it is quite absurd for pundits to proclaim Brooklyn as the worst team in the NBA.

While on paper it may look like Kenny Atkinson‘s squad is the worst in the league, people must remember that most teams ranked around the Nets’ level are young and unproven as well. It will take several months for the inexperienced cores of teams such as the Lakers and Nuggets to gel together.

This is where Brooklyn’s veterans such as Scola and Randy Foye will be advantageous. They bring leadership and basketball IQ, which will no doubt steal a couple of games for the Nets against developing teams.

While some squads may throw away games in March and April after knowing they are eliminated from playoff contention, the Nets have no reason to do so, as they do not currently own their draft pick. This team will have no incentive to tank games, which will lead to maximum effort night in and night out.

Apr 13, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) drives through Toronto Raptors defense at Barclays Center. Toronto Raptors won 103-96. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

3. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will break out

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be a symbol of hope for Nets fans throughout the season. While attendance may be low and wins will be hard to come by, the organization will get to watch a healthy RHJ blossom into a threat on both sides of the ball.

The biggest knock in RHJ’s game is, as well-documented, his awkward three-point shot. Yet, in 29 games last year, Hollis-Jefferson was still successful while only shooting 14 threes. This demonstrates that as long as Coach Atkinson can surround him with decent shooters, his deficiencies will be cancelled out.

Another option could be playing RHJ at power forward. While this may be difficult with the Nets’ current logjam at the four, Hollis-Jefferson may fit best there long-term. His highly underrated midrange shot will allow him to step out and not constantly bang inside with big bodies on offense. In turn, his length and athleticism will be useful in guarding most modern day power forwards on the defensive end.

RHJ’s biggest asset this season is the quality of players that will be surrounding him. When returning from injury in March of last season, RHJ was met with the likes of Donald Sloan and Henry Sims to help him progress. He will no doubt benefit from having Lopez and a starting caliber point guard in Jeremy Lin playing alongside him.

The Nets were a much better team overall with Hollis-Jefferson on the floor last season, and there is no reason to doubt that this will not be the case in his sophomore season. With health and a full season of development under his belt, RHJ is primed to break out in the 2016-17 campaign.

Feb 10, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic (44) drives against Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Courtney Lee (5) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

4. Bojan Bogdanovic will become an elite shooter

While some may say that Bojan Bogdanovic has reached his peak at the age of 27, his Olympic stat line would say otherwise. Bogdanovic averaged 25 points per game for a surprisingly competent Croatia team in Rio this past summer. As his team’s clear-cut first scoring option, Bogdanovic averaged more points in the tournament than several NBA All-Stars.

If the Nets learned one thing from Bogdanovic over the past two seasons, it’s that confidence is key in his production on the floor. It is clear that in games later in the season, Bogdanovic has no problem firing away from the behind the arc. His famed 44-point game came at home late last season. This was in the midst of essentially being named the team’s first scoring option after Lopez and Young were ruled out for the season.

Given that he will be coming off a leadership role for his home country and a hot streak at the tail-end of last season, Bogdanovic should explode for his most productive season so far. An improvement on his 38 percent shooting from behind the arc would instantly make him one of the most elite shooters in the league.

With a solidified spot in the starting lineup and supreme confidence abound, Bogandovic should receive heavy consideration for Most Improved Player and a place in the Three-Point Shooting Contest in New Orleans next February.

Mar 15, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Thaddeus Young (30) drives the ball during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

5. Management will regret the Thaddeus Young trade

Nets fans and the organization as a whole will end up regretting the Thaddeus Young for Caris LeVert swap by the end of this season. This draft day trade sent the Nets’ second-best player for the 20th pick in the draft, which ended up being LeVert. The rookie is an injury-prone wing, but holds a ton of potential.

In the short-term, this trade may look atrocious, as the biggest rationale was the addition of $11 million in cap space. This excess in cap was not even used this summer. In addition, LeVert will most likely be brought along slowly this season after having foot reconstruction surgery performed by the famed Dr. Martin O’Malley. The Nets were in no rush to play Chris McCullough last season, and a similar approach will be taken with LeVert.

As a result of not using cap space gained from the trade and the likely painstaking slow rehabilitation of LeVert, Sean Marks’ first trade as a general manager will go down as a failure after a year. In addition, it won’t help seeing Young and his Pacers team have great success and trot into the playoffs with ease.

But fear not Nets Nation, as when Brooklyn is a playoff team years from now, this trade will look like a genius move on Marks’ part. First and foremost, that cap space will be even more valuable next summer, when the loaded free agent market opens. In addition, when LeVert is fully healthy, the Nets will have him tied down on a cheap salary for four years. This is much better compared to carrying an aging player such as Young.

All in all, this trade will indeed look atrocious this season. After all, most moves do when a franchise is losing at an alarming rate. Yet, Nets fans must see the long-term benefits of this deal, as it will better the organization when they have draft picks and assets.

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