OKC Thunder vs. Brooklyn Nets, 2019-20 team preview

Brooklyn Nets Strengths:

Front Office Team:

Attribute coach Kenny Atkinson for gaining buy-in from the roster to compete with energy every night and the development team for adeptly revitalizing reclamation projects Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris.

Yet the lions share of the credit belongs to General Manager Sean Marks who initially took over the club despite a barren draft chest and an aging team. Marks made astute often risky moves which for the most part paid off. He traded away a beloved Nets player in Thaddeus Young for the Pacers 20th draft pick Caris LeVert who fell that low due to a concerning injury history. He picked up players teams had given up on as per the aforementioned Dinwiddie and Harris.

DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe were obtained after underwhelming seasons with their former clubs then parlayed into assets. Draft picks Džanan Musa and Rodions Kurucs were added courtesy of the Raptors trade package for Carroll and Prince (a Durant favorite) via the Crabbe trade. D’Angelo Russell was yet another example of Marks’ taking a risk and his ascent became a key bargaining chip in landing Durant.

Perimeter shooting:

On initial glance Brooklyn lost a trio of their best perimeter shooters:

• Crabbe: 37.8 percent, 2.3 makes on 6.0 attempts
• D’Angelo Russell: 36.9 percent, 2.9 makes on 7.8 attempts
• Jared Dudley: 35.1 percent, 0.9 makes on 2.6 attempts

However, between the assets who remain and the additions, Brooklyn still possesses an impressive group of perimeter talents. Of the 12 players who attempted more than five 3-point shots per game last season, three of the most efficient (Harris, Irving, Prince) are now on the Nets.

Then factor in how many additional open looks players like Dinwiddie and LeVert will get this season plus their offseason emphasis on improvement and it’s a good bet Brooklyn will boast the top perimeter shooting team this season.

• Joe Harris: *47.4 percent, 2.4 makes on 5.1 attempts
• Taurean Prince: 39.0 percent, 2.2 makes on 5.7 attempts
• Kyrie Irving: 40.1 percent, 2.6 makes on 6.5 attempts
• Kevin Durant: 35,3 percent, 1.8 makes on 5.0 attempts
• Wilson Chandler: 37.3 percent, 1.2 makes on 3.1 attempts

*League best 

Depth:

Although Kevin Durant is unlikely to suit up this season the sheer depth of the roster is impressive.  Irving is debatably the best guard at driving and the addition of Jordan will help with interior scoring while aiding the growth of Jarrett Allen and Nicolas Claxton.

Marks astutely filled in the roster with supplementary assets that complement each other and provide specific tangible assets along with youngsters who can develop and eventually economically fill specific needs.