The All-Star recreation marks the nominal midpoint of the season — and for the Nets, that season has been admittedly disappointing.
Brooklyn gimped into this weeklong break nonetheless smarting from a 50-point beating in Boston, the second-worst in franchise historical past and fourth-biggest within the NBA this season.
Even worse, at 21-33, they’re 2 ½ video games out of even the Jap Convention play-in tournamant, a lot much less the precise playoffs. They dealt away veterans Spencer Dinwiddie and Royce O’Neale on the commerce deadline, bringing in Dennis Schroder however no different beginning assist. Every other second-half enchancment goes to have to come back internally.
If it comes in any respect.
The Publish takes a shot at grading every particular person Internet nonetheless remaining, in addition to normal supervisor Sean Marks and head coach Jacque Vaughn.
The departed gamers comparable to Dinwiddie, O’Neale and Harry Giles didn’t obtain grades. Neither did the newcomers comparable to Dennis Schroder and Keita Bates-Diop, or people who logged only a handful of cameos like Armoni Brooks, Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Keon Johnson.
Nic Claxton
Stats: 44 GP, 29.4 MPG, 12.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 62.5 FG%
Regardless of a big stretch taking part in in drop protection — one thing scouts instructed The Publish harm his power degree — Claxton has had a stable season. He’s averaging a double-double for the primary time (12.2 factors, career-high 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) heading into unrestricted free company that ought to land him a nine-figure contract this summer season.
Grade: B+
Day’Ron Sharpe
Stats: 39 GP, 15.7 MPG, 7.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 58.12 FG%
His 23.4 rebound proportion isn’t only a team-high, however would lead the league by a large margin if he performed sufficient video games to qualify. The Nets already picked up his $4 million choice for subsequent season, but when he can keep wholesome and present any means by any means to deal with switching, what sort of extension would possibly they provide in the summertime?
Grade: B+
Lonnie Walker IV
Stats: 34 GP, 18.1 MPG, 11.5 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 47.4 FG%, 43.3 3FG%
Can solely be thought of a powerful success on a team-friendly $2 million veteran minimal contract — a deal he’s clearly outplayed and earned a elevate from. Walker is averaging 11.5 factors on 47.4 p.c capturing, a stable 43.3 p.c from 3-point vary regardless of not beginning a single recreation.
Grade: B-
Trendon Watford
Stats: 38 GP, 12.1 MPG, 6.0 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 54.2 FG%, 38.2 3FG%
Talking on savvy under-the-radar strikes, Watford additionally suits the invoice. With accidents to Ben Simmons and different guards, Watford has supplied sneakily-effective playmaking that belies his 6-foot-9, 240-pound body. At simply 23 years previous, he was a pleasant pickup from Portland.
Grade: B-
Jalen Wilson
Stats: 16 GP, 14.6 MPG, 5.5 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 50.0 FG%, 52.4 3P%
Something a workforce will get out of a second-round choose is a bonus; regardless of Claxton’s success, solely a couple of fifth of them make the league. However Wilson is probably the most NBA-ready of the Nets’ three rookies, incomes a rotation spot and logging a minimum of 17:45 within the final 5 video games. He’s erasing doubts about his questionable jumper by hitting .524 from deep. Mixed with a 6-foot-8 body, that’s promising.
Grade: B-
Dorian Finney-Smith
Stats: 45 GP, 28.1 MPG, 8.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 40.9 FG%, 37.6 3FG%
The one one in every of Brooklyn’s 30-year-old vets nonetheless right here after the commerce teadline. He gives much-needed toughness and grit as an influence ahead and even smallball stretch 5, capturing .376 from 3-point vary. There could possibly be a lineup crunch if the Nets get wholesome after the break.
Grade: C
Mikal Bridges
Stats: 54 GP, 35.2 MPG, 21.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 45.2 FG%, 37.1 3FG%
He’s main the workforce in scoring and averaging career-highs in factors, boards and assists. He by no means misses video games and has picked up his protection. But half the fanbase needs him shipped out for draft picks, due to unreasonable expectations from final season’s second half. He and Cam Thomas are determining tips on how to play off one another.
Grade: C+
Cam Thomas
Stats: 45 GP, 29.7 MPG, 21.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 43.9 FG%, 36.4 3FG%
An enchanting case examine, and one which divides scouts throughout the league. What do you get while you mix A scoring with F protection? He’s pouring in 21.2 factors — the third-youngest participant within the NBA mustering that a lot — however his -0.1 VORP is tied for the worst on the workforce and minus-2.1 Defensive Field Plus-Minus worst of the regulars. His extension talks might be fascinating to look at.
Grade: C
Dennis Smith Jr.
Stats: 38 GP, 20.0 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 44.0 FG%, 27.4 3FG%
Smith is as marketed. He’s a high-energy participant and pest on protection, however not a lot of a contributor on offense. Nonetheless, as a veteran minimal signing, he’s been par for the course.
Grade: C
Cam Johnson
Stats: 41 GP, 28.2 MPG, 13.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 45.5 FG%, 40.0 3FG%
In some ways, he’s improved — and had no selection, requested to do extra off the bounce than ever required in Phoenix. However that’s clearly a piece in progress. He’s averaging 13.7 factors and hit .400 from deep; however with the Nets paying him $25.7 million this season, they need to discover methods to maximise that jumper and have him dribble much less.
Grade: C-
Ben Simmons
Stats: 12 GP, 25.7 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 59.4 FG%, 00.0 3FG%
His again could by no means let him be the All-Star Ben Simmons once more, but it surely’s clear to these with out an agenda that the Nets are higher with him than with out him. He brings rebounding, protection, measurement and most of all tempo and open 3-point seems. However he’s making $37.9 million and performed simply 12 video games, hamstringing their season.
Grade: D+
Jacque Vaughn
A loyal soldier who’s so upbeat he makes Little Orphan Annie seam dour. However handed this flawed roster, he needed to clear up plenty of issues — getting the spacing with Simmons and Claxton collectively, discovering a structured offense when the previous was harm, shoring up the protection, getting in sync with the workforce’s finest gamers. He’s gotten the calculus mistaken on all too lots of them.
Grade: D+
GM Sean Marks
It’s inconceivable to grade Marks as a result of 1) it’s unclear whether or not the likes of Dennis Schroder is a long-term piece or an asset to be flipped in the summertime, and a couple of) extra vital, the most important name he must make is on Vaughn’s standing.
Grade: Inc.