The Brooklyn Nets are coming off a 2023-24 season where the team came away with a disappointing 32-50 record despite beginning the campaign with a 13-10 burst. While Brooklyn has plenty of matters to address this offseason as they look to get back to the playoffs, there is one NBA scout who have his honest take on the squad.
“(Mikal) Bridges is your third best player on a good team. That’s your problem right there: No stars,” one Western Conference scout said about the Nets according to a recent article by Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Since the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last season, Brooklyn has been led by players like Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton, and Spencer Dinwiddie, just to name a few.
“And, he (Bridges) didn’t play like a third best player; he played like a 3.5 or maybe even a four. So, they need a major player. They need one or two major players. Otherwise, you’re not going to win,” the scout continued. One of the main criticisms of the Nets since the breakup of the Big 3 was that there was little-to-no star power remaining on the team.
After this past season, it’s clear that the best players on the team are Bridges, Claxton, and guard Cam Thomas. As evidenced by their record this past season and their reported belief in improving the team by adding more talent in free-agency and/or trades, Brooklyn is acknowledging that the team needs better players before they’re able to win.
“They have a lot of guys who can start, or [be] capable role players. They have enough guys to be competitive. But those are guys that should be getting less shots than they are, that are playing beyond their level. Cam Thomas should be getting less shots. Bridges should be getting less shots. They need that one or two guys,” per the scout.
Ultimately, anyone that has watched the Nets this past season knows that Brooklyn needs more talent on the team if they are going to be a playoff-caliber team anytime soon.
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