Before the start of the regular season Sean Marks, GM of the Brooklyn Nets, said that the season would not be measured by wins or losses but instead by progress made by players and the team throughout the season.
Since the regular season has concluded have the Nets done enough to show progress? Although finishing with the worst record the Nets had an encouraging second half of the regular season giving a few reasons for Nets fans to remain hopeful for the future.
The Significance of a Healthy Jeremy Lin
After the first five games, the Nets experienced early success and accomplished a 2-3 record which was better than anyone anticipated. Then Jeremy Lin had a series of hamstring woes that caused him to miss a total of 45 games. But since Lin's return after the NBA All-Star break the Nets put up a very respectable 11-14 record despite Lin being on a minutes restriction. Without their point guard the Nets went through a seven-week span between the months of December and February with only one win and a doleful 25 losses.
The Nets are clearly a better team with Jeremy Lin as their playmaker and it would be interesting to see what this team can accomplish with a full season of Jeremy Lin without injuries or restriction of minutes.
Brook Lopez's Offensive Game Broadened
Brook Lopez who is into his ninth season in the NBA has only taken 31 three-point attempts before this season but Nets' coach Kenny Atkinson had other plans for Lopez giving him the green light to shoot the three whenever the opportunity arose. This newfound confidence led Lopez to make over 130 threes this season when in previous seasons he only made a total of 3 three-pointers. Lopez leads the Nets in three-point shots made and leads the NBA in three-pointers made by a seven footer this season.
As impressive is Lopez's durability since this season marks his third consecutive season of being injury-free after having multiple foot surgeries. Lopez has proven he can stay on the floor and this adds some level of comfort to the Nets organization.
In the second to last game of the regular season, Lopez managed to surpass Nets' legend Buck Williams as the all-time scorer in Nets history. Lopez is unquestionably writing his own legacy with the Nets and although he managed to survive yet another NBA trade deadline filled with rumors only time will tell if Nets decide to continue building around him for the long term.
The Emergence of the Youngsters
The Nets have seven players 25 years or younger. Many have gotten an opportunity to play towards the end of the season and two players, in particular, have stood out: Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Caris LeVert has been a pleasant surprise in his rookie year and at times has shown flashes of brilliance. LeVert is a unique player that has demonstrated a balanced overall game with the ability to create for himself and for others with his agility and craftiness.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who the Nets picked up on a 10-day contract earlier in the season and then signed to a multi-year contract, has been one of the best players off the bench for the Nets. Dinwiddie has used his 6'6" frame to disrupt smaller point guards while also shooting close to 40 percent from three-point range almost quadrupling his percentages from his rookie and sophomore seasons. Most recently, the Nets defeated the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls, led by LeVert and Dinwiddie with 19 points apiece.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is another interesting prospect who came out of college as a small forward but has played the majority of his sophmore year at the power forward. Rondae has extreme versatility on the defensive end and if develops his offensive skills, can become a weapon for the Nets for years to come.
Adding Another First-Round Pick in the Upcoming Draft
The Nets will not own their own draft pick until 2019, however, GM Sean Marks relieved this burden by obtaining a first-round draft pick from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic. Nets will have the Boston Celtics' and Washington Wizards' first rounders in the 2017 NBA draft. If the Nets can find talent in the draft then it will help the ongoing rebuild process.
With a few good moves in the offseason, development of the young players, and staying healthy -- the Nets could be heading in the right direction towards improvement.