GM: Expectations ‘rising’ for talent-laden Nets
Tim BontempsESPN
LAS VEGAS — When Kevin Durant introduced on Instagram that he would be a part of the Brooklyn Nets on the stroke of free company, the crew’s mind belief — ensconced within the crew’s gleaming follow facility overlooking New York Harbor — celebrated one of many league’s elite gamers selecting to hitch the franchise.
Now comes the arduous half: making all of it work.
“I believe from our standpoint is we stand true to who we’ve got been for 3 years,” Nets common supervisor Sean Marks mentioned Tuesday throughout a information convention at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Middle addressing the crew’s summer time enterprise. “Competing and enjoying arduous and enjoying unselfish basketball. The product on the court docket speaks for itself.
“Guys, [coach Kenny Atkinson has] talked about, they wish to play right here. They wish to play in that system. The expectations, clearly they’re rising. It comes with a deeper crew. The extra expertise you purchase, everyone knows that we’re all-in on that, not solely from the 2 of us however the group as an entire.”
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Marks, sitting alongside Atkinson, spent a half-hour discussing what has been probably the most eventful offseasons within the NBA — one which noticed Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan select to crew up in Brooklyn. The actual fact all of them agreed to take action on the stroke of free company was simply one in all many indicators that this summer time was so much totally different from previous ones.
“These gamers are speaking on a regular basis,” Marks mentioned, referring to Durant making his choice with out formally taking a gathering with the Nets — or anybody else. “Our guys are speaking, who is aware of what is going on on behind closed doorways. And we allow them to have their house; I imply, that is the gamers’ sanctuary.
“The world is so small now, with social media and all people can put out each submit they need and so forth at no matter time they need. There’s plenty of hypothesis and all people’s leaping on that: Did he imply this, and did he not imply this? So I believe the market is totally different, too. This yr was a yr the place there was a lot cash available in the market.
“And guys have been going, ‘How do I capitalize? How am I going to make that cash and never be omitted?’ I do not know if it is an ideal storm. I do not know what you wish to name it. However I believe … that is undoubtedly a little bit of an anomaly yr. And perhaps that is the place it is trending.”
Nonetheless it occurred, Atkinson admitted he was caught off guard by the way it all performed out.
“Fairly truthfully, it did shock me,” Atkinson mentioned with a smile. “Clearly we improved so much final yr however it wasn’t a so-called star system. It was a gaggle of fellows that play rather well collectively. I believe it provides extra credit score to the blokes which might be coming right here that say, ‘I like that fashion of play, I like the way in which they play.’ I believe they wish to take part in one thing like that.
“Yeah, it surprises me simply because we have come a great distance in a short while. That is the largest shock. And it occurred faster. I do know Sean was strategizing and pondering big-picture. I used to be sort of centered extra on the day-to-day. It was a shock they selected to take part in such a system that we’re working.”
It actually is a great distance from the place the Nets have been presently three years in the past, after they held a summer time information convention to introduce a collection of signings — together with Jeremy Lin, Jordan Hamilton, Trevor Booker and Joe Harris.
Now, three years later, Brooklyn has turn into probably the most thrilling franchises within the league, and Harris has developed into each one of many NBA’s elite Three-point shooters and one of many faces of the Nets’ revitalization challenge.
“It is an unbelievable transition,” Harris informed ESPN. “Truly, Sean and I have been joking the opposite day as a result of three years in the past we had a press convention free of charge company and it was Anthony Bennett, Jeremy Lin, Trevor Booker, Justin Hamilton, myself and Caris LeVert. And now they’re having a presser for KD, Kyrie and DeAndre Jordan.
“However it’s a type of issues the place you may form of see the trajectory of the group. That they had laid a great, actually stable basis. The tradition was stable. All the pieces about it was rising and trending in the correct route, however clearly this bought so far faster than anybody may have realized.”
It is a transition now, although, that comes with plenty of different questions.
One is apparent: When will Durant play? Coming off the torn Achilles tendon he suffered in the course of the NBA Finals, it’s assumed he’ll miss the overwhelming majority of subsequent season — if not all of it — after which return for the ultimate three seasons of the four-year, $164 million contract to which he agreed with Brooklyn.
Marks, although, refused to take a position about when Durant may doubtlessly return to the court docket.
“He can be evaluated with the efficiency crew and so forth,” Marks mentioned. “I believe a timeline can be given in due time, however as of now, we’re actually not going to touch upon when or if and make any form of hypotheticals. It is too early.”
Each Nets leaders have been additionally requested concerning the technique of integrating Irving — who’s coming off a tumultuous season in Boston — into the combo in Brooklyn.
Final season, the Nets had super chemistry all through their underdog season, going from a crew not anticipated to make the playoffs to at least one that completed with the sixth seed within the East and pushed the Philadelphia 76ers within the first spherical.
“I am undoubtedly beginning to do my homework on him,” Atkinson mentioned. “It is nonetheless latest. I believe the problem is to get the very best Kyrie. I need him to have his finest season ever and proceed that enchancment, and that is robust as a result of he performed effectively final yr.
“I do know there’s plenty of discuss on the market, however you take a look at his numbers and take a look at the way in which he performed, he performed rather well. Positively going to problem him to maintain bettering. We play a system I do not think about altering a ton. You may need to ask him that. I believe that is a part of the rationale he was all for coming right here, our fashion of play. I believe we’ll come to a gathering of minds between me and him and the way that works inside the group.”
Lastly, Atkinson mentioned that the competitors between Jordan and Jarrett Allen for the beginning middle spot will go into coaching camp, however that Jordan — who has been a starter for years — has been amenable to coming off the bench.
“I am excited concerning the pairing,” Atkinson mentioned. “Jarrett and DeAndre and DeAndre having the ability to push Jarrett and Jarrett having the ability to push DeAndre. DeAndre, two years in the past, he was an elite, elite middle on this league. That is the place I need him to get again to. We actually wish to push him to his earlier stage. I believe Jarrett will assist him do this. So far as beginning, not beginning, Jarrett Allen mentioned, ‘Hey, I wish to be the starter,’ which I really like. It is nice. I believe we embrace the competitors. I believe that’ll play out. I do assume it helps us matchup-wise. If [against] Joel Embiid perhaps [Allen] will get two fast fouls or one thing we do have a heck of a participant to help him and doubtlessly beginning totally different guys, too. I believe that is potential. I believe it is an ideal tandem to have.
“My preliminary dialog with [Jordan] was, ‘No matter I have to do to assist us win.’ So I believe we’ll see how that performs out however I really like my preliminary conversations with him.”