Not long ago, the Brooklyn Nets were at the bottom of a deep, dark pit. With a poor roster and virtually no draft picks of their own, they were a franchise everyone thought would be in the gutter for a long, long time.
But thanks to some patience and solid moves by the front office, they have become one of basketball’s strongest powerhouses, with a roster that includes Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Still, not all of their moves may be as good as you think.
One league scout had an interesting thing to say about the Paul Millsap signing, which has been widely praised by fans and analysts:
The Nets are getting older. But are they getting better?
Brooklyn still feels vulnerable up front and is expected to make two additions in former All-Stars Paul Millsap and LaMarcus Aldridge. Both are 36 years old.
The Nets reportedly will sign the four-time All-Star, a power forward who could come in handy if the 34-year-old Durant is ailing. “I think there’s a consensus around the league Millsap is washed,’’ one NBA talent evaluator said. “He doesn’t give them what they lost in Jeff Green unfortunately.’’
Millsap, who turns 37 in February, is obviously within the last stages of his career. After 15 seasons in the NBA, nobody is expecting him to play a significant role for the Nets.
Still, one has to wonder just how much he has left in the tank. Last season, Millsap averaged just 9 points per game on 47% shooting for the Nuggets.
In Brooklyn, alongside a trio of superstars, he could thrive.
Either way, the Nets have more than enough talent to compete, regardless of how Millsap performs. If they can stay healthy, and continue to build their chemistry, they will be a hard team for anybody to beat.
At this point, though, only time will tell if the Nets can live up to expectations. As great as the Nets are on paper, anything can happen in the NBA and nothing is a given.
