Jared Dudley feels Nets ‘definitely changed culture-wise’

Jared Dudley may have only spent one season in Brooklyn, but he left a lasting impact. Not because he was putting up big numbers, either.

The now Los Angeles Lakers forward helped the Nets develop the culture Kenny Atkinson and Sean Marks were hoping to foster, which played a significant role in the team making the postseason for the first time since 2014-15.

Even though he’s gone and playing for one of the best teams in the Western Conference alongside two superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Dudley is still keeping tabs on what’s happening in Brooklyn.

The Nets, of course, have their own pair of superstars in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Though, Brooklyn hasn’t seen much of Irving this year as a result of his right shoulder impingement. And Durant wasn’t expected to play in 2019-20 upon signing because of his surgically repaired Achilles.

Even though the two superstars aren’t playing, they’ve had an impact on the organization. From Dudley’s perspective, the change he’s noticed is with the franchise’s culture, which he explained to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News:

It definitely changed culture-wise, for sure. Because any time you bring a Durant and Kyrie, they bring their trainers, they bring their stuff, they bring their personalities, so it definitely changes. But they knew Durant wasn’t going to play this year. So development is still crucial. Can Caris [LeVert] get back to All-Star form? Can Rodions [Kurucs] take a step where if you get him to play above his contract now you have that. And then eventually what’s going to happen, when KD comes back, [it becomes] who works with KD and Kyrie? So if you develop those guys, those are trade partners. Jarrett Allen, Rodi, these guys that you can eventually use. You’ve got to have them grow. Right now, they’re kind of being a little stagnant. You’re hoping that Kyrie gets healthy and takes them to the next level.

Dudley also added:

It’s hard to maintain that type of culture. The reason I say that — culture is relative for how you want it. You can’t win a championship if you don’t have the best players. So no matter what culture you have, if you bring that same team back you’re only going so far with your talent. Adding them two you ingrain them. So adding them two, you’re going to keep the same medical staff, they’re still testing every Monday. They still have player development. Now that being said, the better player you are, the higher you are, you get perks. So maybe you don’t have to do it as much. So Kevin Durant can go to L.A. and do his thing. We understand it’s a business.