Nets, With Many New Players, Look to Build Something Lasting – New York Times
In the five months since the Nets opened a new practice facility in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, the team has repeatedly spoken of the benefits of the gymnasium’s panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline.
It is hard to argue that the view is not picturesque. As for the actual outlook of the Nets’ approaching season, the finality of that portrait is less vivid.
On Wednesday, the Nets introduced six of the 10 new players expected to be on their roster when the 2016-17 season begins in October. Of their current 15 players, only Bojan Bogdanovic and Brook Lopez have played two or more seasons with the team.
The talent assembled Wednesday, headlined by the free-agent guard Jeremy Lin, took distinct paths while searching for long-term basketball security. In a sense, they are similar to the vista seen from the Nets’ practice court — in the foreground are acres of undeveloped land, with the glories of big-city success beckoning in the distance.
After leaving the anonymity of New Jersey in 2012, the Nets enter their fifth season in Brooklyn still lacking an identity. The gaudy acquisitions of Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce did not yield the expected return, leaving the Nets devoid of championships and draft picks to build for the future.
So instead of depending on aging stars with bloated contracts, the Nets are leaning on General Manager Sean Marks and Coach Kenny Atkinson to build something that lasts.
“Coach Kenny is really big on trying to emphasize trying to improve every day,” said Joe Harris, a guard who previously played with the Cleveland Cavaliers and in the N.B.A. Development League. “Him and Sean, they’re not the guys where they’re foreseeing a whole thing about where they want this season to be, how many wins they want to have.
“It really is kind of like starting it from scratch, coming in and revamping the whole thing.”
Marks, who worked in the San Antonio Spurs’ front office, said that he had not targeted players while looking for a set number of wins this season. Under the Nets’ previous leadership, prodded by the owner Mikhail D. Prokhorov, lofty expectations were tossed around frequently.
“Well, I think it’s going to be progress throughout the season,” Marks said of how he would define success. “We’ve said enough about bringing in competitive guys. I think Kenny is going to be able to bring the best out of those guys.”
Despite having a bounty of salary-cap room, the Nets were not the most attractive option for free agents. They did not meet with Kevin Durant, and instead targeted a lower tier of players with potential, starting with Lin. While the Nets were able to sign Lin to a three-year deal, they could not secure Portland Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe or Miami Heat guard Tyler Johnson.
Both players were restricted free agents whose teams decided to match the high offers the Nets had initially made.
“We didn’t get the two guys we put offer sheets on, but that’s O.K.,” Marks said. “We obviously knew we were doing the right thing because their teams matched, so that was something there. But again, enough about those guys. We’re thrilled to have this group of a mix of veterans and a youth movement.”
In addition to Harris and Lin, the Nets signed Anthony Bennett, a forward whose legacy so far has been being one of the biggest draft busts in N.B.A. history. Bennett, whom the Cavaliers selected first over all in 2013, is now with his fourth team and has averaged 4.2 points over his pro career.
After playing a smattering of N.B.A. games, center Justin Hamilton spent last season in Spain. Forward Trevor Booker played six seasons with the Washington Wizards and the Utah Jazz, where he became known largely for his defense.
Also joining the Nets is Caris LeVert, their first-round draft pick, who is recovering from a fracture in his left foot. LeVert, whose college career was plagued by foot injuries, said he expected to be ready to participate in training camp.
The Nets’ $50 million practice facility was supposed to be a selling point in drawing in superstars like Durant. Instead, the Nets attracted players with less glamorous pedigrees, whose journeys could be a key in finally forming a long-lasting character for the Nets.
“Honestly, you look at the guys that are here, it’s guys that are really itching for an opportunity, a chance to prove themselves,” Harris said. “It’s exciting.”
Lin, whose career took off with the Knicks, saw an opportunity with the Nets where many have not.
“The way I was looking at free agency is kind of when you invest in a start-up company,” he said. “You don’t necessarily look at the product right then and there at that moment — that is a big part of it — but you’re kind of betting on the founder a lot of times. You’re betting on what that person is capable of doing, because sometimes as you go through the process, the final product is going to change a lot. That’s very common in start-ups and I feel like that’s kind of how I saw this.”
He added: “I believe in this. I believe in what we’re capable of becoming, and we’re not there right now and we all know that, but that’s O.K.”
