“You’d have to ask Billy that,” Kidd responded, referring to Nets general manager Billy King. So I did.
King acknowledged that the team still needs a few pieces to complement what the team already has. “We need to add some shooting,” King started off. “We need some more shooting on the bench to space the floor. … The core is going to stay intact. It’s going to be a lot of little pieces.”
He’s right. The Nets shot the eighth-most three-pointers in the league, but were 17th in three-point percentage. Plus, the team is likely to lose guard C.J. Watson, their best three-point shooter, this offseason. Watson, who shot 41.1% from deep this year, has a player option worth $1.1 million that he’s expected to decline. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson were the only other Nets to shoot above 35% from beyond the arc this year.
King may also be hinting at Bojan Bogdanovic, a Croatian shooting guard the Nets acquired in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft who plays for Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey. Bogdanovic averaged 14.6 points in 26.2 minutes per game in 49 games across two leagues in Europe, with shooting splits of 55.9% from two-point range, 38.4% from three-point range, and 83.1% from the line.
King also acknowledged that the team, which ranked second-to-last in pace in their inaugural season in Brooklyn, needs to add athleticism, particularly if Jason Kidd’s wishes to play fast come true. “We’ve got to get out and run, challenge guys to run, get the ball up quickly, and don’t settle for guys walking the ball up the court.”
