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The Nets have no fans! Wrong, as nearly 30,000 of the faithful showed up at Barclays for Game 1 and 2 of the playoffs despite changing COVID rules. And they were very, very loud.
The Nets have no Draft picks! Wrong again. Despite giving up a haul for James Harden, the Nets currently have four picks in 2021, third in the NBA after the Thunder and Pelicans who have five. The Pistons and Knicks also have four each. Admittedly, each those teams’ top pick is higher than the Nets, who have the 27th pick in the first. However, the four picks, at Nos. 27, 44, 49 and 59, are the most Sean Marks has ever had to work with and Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Nic Claxton were all taken after No. 20.
Of course, Marks has also traded away three first rounders in the last two years, two in 2019 to add cap space and another in 2020 to add Bruce Brown and Landry Shamet to help with the title run. So, although we feel a little burned by the experience, we’re back with our first Draft Watch of 2021.
With so many big stars and big contracts — not to mention big ambitions —the Nets draft strategy this year may lean toward filling gaps rather than going for the BPA, best player available. However, as the picks go deeper, raw talent, regardless of position, becomes more important.
The Nets will have roster spots to fill. The front office has nine big decisions to make this summer. That’s how many players could be free agents, restricted and unrestricted, when the off-season officially opens on August 4. Another player has a non-guaranteed deal.
In looking at the Draft, one would think the Nets would like to bolster their bigs, particularly since Jeff Green, Blake Griffin and Jeff Perry are so far unsigned for next season. Also, they could probably use some back-ups at the point, depending on what happens with Mike James, Chris Chiozza and Tyler Johnson. Spencer Dinwiddie has almost certainly played last game for Brooklyn.
Draftniks seem to agree. Many of the popular mock drafts have Brooklyn going for a big man and/or guards. Here’s their thinking about whose names the Nets will call on Thursday, July 29.
ESPN
27. Marcus Bagley, 6’8” small forward, Arizona State, freshman
44. Ariel Hukporti, 7’0” center, Germany, 19 years old
49. Johnny Juzang, 6’6” shooting guard, UCLA, sophomore
59. Daishen Nix, 6’5” guard, Team Ignite, 19 years old
NBADraft.net
27. Cameron Thomas, 6’4” shooting guard, LSU, freshman
44. Herbert Jones, 6’8” small forward, Alabama, senior
49. Matthew Hurt, 6’9” small forward, Duke, sophomore
59. Feron Hunt, 6’8” forward, SMU, junior
The Athletic
27. Day’Ron Sharpe, 6’11” center, North Carolina, freshman
44. Matthew Hurt, 6’9” small forward, Duke, sophomore
49. Moses Wright, 6’9” 22 years old, Georgia Tech, senior
59. Ariel Hukporti, 7’0” center, Germany, 19 years old
Sports Illustrated
27. Cameron Thomas, 6’4” shooting guard, LSU, freshman
44. Filip Petrusev, 6’11” center, Serbia via Gonzaga, 21 years old
49. Ochai Agbaji, 6’5” shooting guard, Kansas, junior
59. Austin Reaves, 6’5” PG/SG, Oklahoma, senior
Tankathon
27. Neemias Queta, 7’1” center, Utah State, junior
44. Scottie Lewis, 6’5” wing, Florida, sophomore
49. McKinley Wright IV, 6’0” point guard, Colorado, senior
59. Isaiah Todd, 6’10” power forward, Team Ignite, 19 years old
Chad Ford Big Board
27. Isaiah Todd, 6’10” power forward, Team Ignite, 19 years old
The Ringer NBA
27. Usman Garuba, 6’9” power forward, Spain, 19 years old
Bleacher Report
27. Ayo Dosunmu, 6’5” point guard, Illinois, junior
Yahoo! Sports
27. Quentin Grimes, 6’5” shooting guard, Houston, junior
NBC Sports
27. David Johnson, 6’5” combo guard, Louisville, sophomore
Sporting News
27. Daishen Nix, 6’5” guard, Team Ignite, 19 years old
As you can see, no real pattern in terms of who the draftniks think the Nets like. Cameron Jones, the LSU guard; Matthew Hurt, the Duke wing: Ariel Hukpurti, the German-Togolese 7-footer; and two members of the G League’s Team Ignite, Daishen Nix, a big point guard, and Isaiah Todd, a power forward are named by two of the 10 mocks (which is likely to mean nothing.) In last year’s final Draft Watch, there was a consensus that the Nets would take R.J. Hampton, the speedy wing who ultimately wound up in Orlando. They didn’t.
The 2021 Draft is expected to be a good one, particularly in the first round. But what might the Nets do with those three second rounders? They might use them to sweeten a trade; move up in the first; trade them forward to 2023 when they don’t have a second; try to get a college player to accept a two-way deal or a direct assignment to Long Island (like Jaylen Hands did) or simply use a pick or two to take an international player and stash him.
No word yet on whether the Draft will be virtual like it was last year or move back into the friendly confines of Barclays Center where it took place from 2013 through 2019. In fact, other than last year, the Nets have hosted the Draft either at Barclays or Prudential Center since 2011.