National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: Three Ways to Judge This Season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets introduce new head coach Kenny Atkinson at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets‘ preseason slate is underway. It’s time to get a look at a new era of Nets basketball. Here are three ways in which the season can be judged.

The preseason is finally upon us. The Brooklyn Nets tipped off the 2016-17 preseason by beating the Detroit Pistons 101-94 at Barclay’s Center. It served as the first look at multiple new additions–although 2016 first round pick, Caris LeVert, did not see the floor–the Nets have brought in this summer.

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Brooklyn doesn’t project to be a team that is in the playoff race, or one that even wins a lot of games, but this year is about more than just wins and losses for the Nets. With a rebuild underway, this is a season of hope and opportunity in Brooklyn.

In the next three slides, there will be three ways for Nets fans to properly judge whether or not the 2016-17 season was a success or not for the Nets.

May 16, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new head coach Kenny Atkinson answers questions from the media during press conference at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Is Kenny Atkinson The Right Coach?

On April 17, the Brooklyn Nets announced that they had hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach.

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Throughout the offseason we have broken down what we know about Atkinson (he’s a New Yorker, he’s been an assistant coach for the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, he’s the head coach of the Dominican National team). However, we now get the opportunity to see what he will do in his first year as the head coach of a NBA franchise.

There are many unanswered questions about Atkinson’s coaching as we begin the season. What offense will he run? How many players will be part of his rotation? What is his substitution pattern going to be? Will he lean on veterans or let the rookies and younger players learn through their mistakes? And the biggest of them all, is he capable?

Sep 26, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) poses for a portrait during media day at HSS Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

Can Jeremy Lin Lead A Team?

Everyone’s favorite Net–and if he isn’t, you’re either lying or the world’s biggest Anthony Bennett supporter (that would be me)–once again has the keys to a team.

The last time Jeremy Lin played basketball in New York we saw the birth of “Linsanity.” I don’t believe Lin will be able to replicate that type of play (and fame) with Brooklyn, but he will be the engine that makes the Nets go this season.

Lin is an adept player at penetrating into the lane and can work wonders out of the pick-and-roll as the primary ball handler. He also is a career 35 percent three point shooter so teams will have to respect him from beyond the arc.

With the Nets, Lin will be able to silence any doubters who believed his run with the New York Knicks was a mere fluke. The bullseye will be squarely on his back from opposing defenses, and every night he will be guarded by the opponent’s best perimeter defender. With the rising cap and deep pockets of owners, Lin’s three-year, $36 million deal signed this offseason could potentially be the steal of the offseason.

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Chris McCullough (Syracuse) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty-nine overall pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Developing the Youth

The Nets entered training camp with nine players on the roster 25-and-under. It is not uncommon to see teams take flyers on players ahead of the start of the year, however, with the Nets there’s a significant chance that a good majority of those nine will be part of the opening night roster.

Chris McCullough (21 years old), Isaiah Whitehead (21 years old), Caris LeVert (22 years old), and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (21 years old) are locks to not only be on this team, but also see extended playing time. These are the four most important names on the Nets right now. Their combination of youth and potential are keys to success of any rebuilding team. As the year goes on, the hope is that they’ll be able to play in as many of the Nets 82 games this season in a trial by fire type of situation.

The other five players are not to be glossed over either. Though most of them will not be playing many games in Brooklyn this season, it is more likely that they end up with the Nets newly formed NBA Development League team, the Long Island Nets. The Nets are one of 22 teams with their own D-League affiliate. They will be able to shuffle prospects back-and-forth all season long. Names like Yogi Ferrell, Beau Beech and Anthony Bennett could find themselves making that trip often during the season. Mining the D-League for gold has paid off for the Nets before (see: Sean Kilpatrick) and now they have their very own team in their backyard to develop potential pros.

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