A Nets season that began with the euphoria of a "clean sweep" in free agency last July ended with a whimper 13-plus months later, courtesy of a mostly uncompetitive four-game sweep at the hands of the second-seeded Raptors in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Toronto raced out to leads of at least 30 points in three of the contests, including Sunday's 150-122 final massacre.
None of those aforementioned acquisitions – superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and veteran center DeAndre Jordan – nor five other key players were on hand in Orlando for Sunday's finale. Injuries, COVID-19 infections/defections, and personal absences left the Nets with a glorified Summer League team to face the defending NBA Champions.
It all felt so pointless to Nets fans who endured the slow drip of bad news throughout the season, starting with general manager Sean Marks' introductory press conference where he announced that Durant was expected to miss the entire season to complete his rehab from Achilles surgery.
That same day, the Nets reported that Irving suffered the first of many injuries this season, one that culminated in shoulder surgery after he logged a grand total of 20 games. Others followed to the infirmary and by March, coach Kenny Atkinson, who was instrumental in rebuilding this franchise from scraps, was fired. Two games later, the league shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In the re-start, the Nets' seeding games and playoff series may have just as well been simulated, since none of the participants, including coach Jacque Vaughn, are sure things to return for 2020-21. It had become painfully obvious that this season was about next season, when the two stars would triumphantly return to the court, bringing along all who deserved the opportunity to chase a ring.
Marks has a ton of work to do this offseason to get Brooklyn prepared for that opportunity. These are his priorities:
1) Nail down a coachI've always believed that the Nets had a particular leader or a ranking of leaders in mind for next season when they parted ways with Atkinson. That Vaughn acquitted himself decently in the Orlando bubble may have been cause for a rankings adjustment in his favor, but not to the top.
As I've noted, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue is my preferred candidate, but he will have options. New Orleans is the latest concern, since Lue and Pelicans Executive Vice President David Griffin have a strong relationship going back to their 2016 championship season in Cleveland with LeBron James and Irving. After Philadelphia's stumble, one would think that coach Brett Brown is in trouble as well, opening another strong job for Lue to consider.
A recent Los Angeles Times report indicated that Nets owner Joseph Tsai will make a pitch to Spurs legendary coach Gregg Popovich, though in the end it will prove fruitless. Look out for Jason Kidd, who seems to interview very well despite a troublesome resume that included a strange departure from Brooklyn in 2014.
In the end, it will come down to who has Tsai's ear. If it's his stars, the resulting hire will likely be a more accomplished coach at this level. On the other end of the spectrum, I can see Marks wanting to keep Vaughn, a coach he can more easily control (assistant placements, game plan influence, etc.).
I would suggest that Tsai be quick with his decision.
2) Re-sign Joe HarrisMarks recently made news when he indicated that getting Harris' signature on a new deal before he gets to the unrestricted free agent market was offseason "priority number one."
Since the coaching decision must come first, I have it down as "two."
Besides, even if we're only talking about players, Marks was merely stating the obvious. Twelve of the 14 Nets (not including two-way and substitute players) are already under team control for next season. Choosing Harris, who left Orlando after Game 2 to attend to his ailing mother, over Wilson Chandler wasn't that difficult a call.
In addition, if the plan was to let Harris walk after this season, then I would deem Marks guilty of gross roster mismanagement. Harris clearly would have generated a good return in a trade from a contending team needing a premier three-point shooter. Why keep him here to finish out this lost cause?
Harris' play in the two-game playoff sample (16.5 points per game) may have excoriated some of the demons from last postseason's dismal performance versus Philadelphia, upping his market value. Estimates of his upcoming annual salary range from the lower-to-mid teens. Brooklyn will likely be a luxury taxpayer, making his re-signing even more expensive. Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, a $12 million offer to Harris would add $34 million to its tax bill.
Fortunately, Tsai, the NBA's third-richest owner per Forbes, can afford it.
3) Complete the roster puzzleThis may prove to be Marks' most difficult challenge. During the four-year rebuild, his mission was simply to find talent anywhere at any position and then "let Kenny figure it out."
That included this season, where this team was woefully unbalanced – long on guards and short on forwards – even before the pandemic attrition. In addition, the Nets' bench was loaded with developmental projects, guys who weren't ready to play when injuries piled up.
That has to change. Maybe they can keep a couple of futures, maybe Nicolas Claxton and one of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Dzanan Musa, or Rodions Kurucs. Since the Nets only have the $5.7 million exception for free agents, these other slots should instead be used on minimal deal veterans, whether those be substitutes like Jamal Crawford or Tyler Johnson, or others KD and Kyrie can recruit.
After Irving went public in January about the Nets' "glaring" deficiencies, many assume Marks will be making a blockbuster trade this offseason. It's not necessary, especially if it comes at the expense of depth depletion. More than a ball-dominating "third star" like Washington guard Bradley Beal, the Nets need forward depth, specifically switchable defenders who can also shoot well enough to have to be guarded on the perimeter.
Every roster decision going forward has to be made based on fit around Durant and Irving. If this season was always about next season, next season has arrived.
For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Devils and Jets, follow Steve on Twitter: @SteveLichtenst1
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