Perhaps it’s just a case of confirmation bias, but news about the Brooklyn Nets, no matter how big or small, continues to release in a fast and furious manner. Ultimately, this means we’re well overdue for another version of Around The ‘Nets!
The Brooklyn Game is coming at you with a handy cheat-sheet of the franchise’s latest news, so if you get stuck on a crowded subway train, you’ll have more than enough small-talk fodder. Let’s get into it!
This is a fun one — remember when the Nets triumphantly took down the Cavaliers in March at home? For the Nets’ faithful, it definitely felt like a small shroud of a silver lining — but for the Cavaliers, it was an incredibly dire wake-up. All in all, Nets Nation is now claiming at least 40% of Cleveland’s title should they defeat Golden State — sounds fair, no?
Spahija, who has worked with both Atkinson in Atlanta and Bogdanovic in Croatia, mentioned the pair may be a natural fit next year in Brooklyn. Of course, Atkinson has long been hailed as a player development king and Bogdanovic has stagnated since taking over Joe Johnson’s role in February. It’s no secret that Bogdanovic can be electric at times, including his 44-point effort against the Philadelphia 76ers, but he’ll look to Atkinson to find a bit more consistency.
Speaking of the Drazen Petrovic-loving guard, he’s been named to Croatia’s roster for the Olympic qualifying rounds and he’ll be likely to make the final cut as well. Bogdanovic has been a long-time member of his national team and will get a chance to prepare for the 2016-2017 season in real-game rhythm. Elsewhere, Nets’ stash Juan Pablo Vaulet has a chance to make Argentina’s squad, but it will wholly depend on how he performs in the FIBA South American Championships through the end of June.
Per ESPN, they’ve revealed holiday uniforms for all 30 times — but will the Nets use them? After getting embarrassed on consecutive Christmas Day games, they’ve were removed from the slate the last two years in favor of younger, better teams. Now with no majorly marketable stars, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll make the all-day extravaganza this year either, barring anything spectacular (looking at you, KD) this summer.
But, still, they’re pretty pretty, no?
Per @UniWatch, these are the #Nets' holiday uniforms should they play on XMas. Which, uh, seems like a long shot. pic.twitter.com/NHmKyaq2Xn
— Ben Nadeau (@Ben__Nadeau) June 1, 2016
Well, this likely comes as no surprise — but it’s interesting that not even the additions of Sean Marks and Kenny Atkinson could save the Nets from the bottom of the barrel. Even with rookies Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough, along with potential diamond in the rough Sean Kilpatrick, the Nets are still looking at an uphill climb out of the Eastern Conference cellar. One interesting tidbit, however:
“Second, the Nets, for the first time in a while, aren’t in salary cap purgatory. We actually ranked them fifth among all 30 teams in this category. If they spend their money well, their roster score could jump dramatically.”
After the Nets’ first veteran mini-camp, that included none other than former no. 1 overall selection Anthony Bennett, it looks another is on the horizon. Pick, a well-respected writer in Europe, recently tweeted a few more names that will be joining the franchise for summer workouts. Two of the bigger names revealed thus far include Kwame Vaughn, who last averaged 17.8 points in Israel, and McKenzie Moore, a 20-point per game scorer that played in New Zealand this season — which, of course, is where Sean Marks hails from.
Other names:
Source: Brooklyn Nets mini camp invites include – Quinn Cook, Alex Stephenson, Scotty Hopson, Jerrelle Benimon, and Alex Kirk.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) May 24, 2016
What piece of news are you most excited about?
