National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: How Far Will They Go This Season?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:23 p.m. ET

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Mar 29, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic forward Jason Smith (14) defends during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

As we enter the 2016-17 season, the Brooklyn Nets have a lot to prove not only for everyone, but for themselves as well. The Nets have made solid moves this offseason that went under the radar. How far will they go?

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Last season, the Nets finished 21-61, the third worst record in the NBA. This offseason, the Nets overhauled their management by hiring Sean Marks as the general manager and Kenny Atkinson as the head coach. With that being the first step for their rebuild, Brooklyn will have a different look this season.

The Nets really have something to prove this season. Everyone from the media and the Vegas odds are doubting them. Vegas projects just 20.5 wins for Brooklyn this season. Even Sports Illustrated themselves put only Brook Lopez in their top 100 players list. While the Nets are most likely not going to win a championship this season, setting their odds this low doesn’t mean that it will deter players from working hard.

What can we expect from the Brooklyn Nets? In all honesty, it’s for us to find out once the preseason and regular season start. However, with the work their offseason acquisitions are putting in, Brooklyn will go as far as they play. Let’s break down the highs and the lows for the Nets.

Apr 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lin (7) reacts after scoring during the second half in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 96-80. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

The Highs

The Nets do have many highs despite all the doom and gloom that everyone thinks the Nets are going to suffer.

According to the New York Post, Joe Harris, a recently-signed guard of the Nets, alluded to the fact that many of this teammates have been working hard in the summer.

What Joe Harris said about himself and his teammates is that what they have over everyone else is hard work. They are willing to put the work in and improve for the upcoming season.

The Nets have the talent to make some noise this season. With the work they put in this offseason, it’s up to them to shut the doubters up and win some games.

Additions like Jeremy Lin, Randy Foye, and Luis Scola (just to name a few), provide the talent the Nets need to defy the odds this season.

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Players like Bojan Bogdanovic are improving. When Lionel Hollins left, Bogdanovic’s three-point shooting has improved from 32 percent to 42 percent. Additionally, the 27-year-old got more minutes after Joe Johnson left. The Olympics itself showed even greater improvement for him, as he averaged 25.3 points per game for Croatia. Bogdanovic will definitely be a big player for Brooklyn, and even believed that the Nets will make the playoffs.

Let’s not forget Lin, whose game has improved, most evidently during his stint with the Charlotte Hornets. His progress was instrumental to the Hornets’ playoff run. Lin, just like his other Nets teammates, hope to show even greater development as a player.

The Nets also have veterans with the likes of Scola and Foye. Both provide scoring, as Scola is a crafty low-post player and Foye is a three-point shooter. These guys can also provide leadership to the young Nets team. Let’s see what the new acquisitions can do for the Nets.

Apr 13, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell (24) dunks during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Toronto Raptors won 103-96. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The Lows

As mentioned before, the Nets are projected to win the least amount of games in the NBA. While Brooklyn is optimistic with their newly acquired talent, the main question is: how will they mesh together?

For starters, the Nets have a new head coach in the name of Kenny Atkinson. Although Atkinson does have an assistant coaching pedigree with the Atlanta Hawks under Mike Budenholzer, how will Atkinson perform for the Brooklyn Nets?

The Nets may have gotten solid players this offseason, but they are still a few pieces away from becoming championship contenders. Another problem for the Nets is that they do not have a scorer who can complement Lopez. Lopez is the only consistent scorer for the Nets and aside from him, there isn’t anyone else that can score as consistently as he can.

As everyone knows, Brooklyn gave all their draft picks away to the Boston Celtics after the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce trade. The last couple of years had drafts that featured talented players. While the Nets are kicking themselves over that Boston trade, they must not look back on the past and keep moving forward.

Apr 1, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) looks to pass defended by his brother New York Knicks center Robin Lopez (8) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks defeated the Nets 105-91. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The Verdict

The Nets will use this season to figure out their team identity. Brooklyn may have aspirations for the playoffs, but they still have to figure out how they are going to play during the season. What adjustments will be made during the season? By using this season as an assessment, the Nets will be able to figure out their battle plan for the upcoming season and beyond.

The Nets, once again being led by Lopez, will have one mindset: to win games this season. In an interview with GeicoSportsNite, he pointed out that the main focus to win games this season is to have consistency and teamwork. The 28-year-old center will need to be the guy that has to play more aggressively and involve himself more on the defensive end.

“We have the correct mindset. We know it’s team first. We know we have to rely on each other. And we’re all here putting in effort regardless of what it takes. Continuity is an important thing. We just want to control as many variables as we can.”

Expectations for the Nets are low this season. However, the Nets might be able to take advantage of that. The Eastern Conference is improving, but it is still not a powerhouse like the Western Conference. If Brooklyn can figure it out as a team and put effort in, they can actually win games. Not to mention that they have to stay healthy. Will the Nets shock the entire basketball world and make the playoffs? That’s for us to find out this upcoming season.

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