When Billy King worked to build Brooklyn’s first team last season, he prioritized versatility. King saw it as important that the Nets have a roster that could go small or big, and use different types of lineup combinations. Unfortunately, despite a high talent level, things did not play out that way in the Nets’ inaugural season in Brooklyn.
Posted in Analytics
A few days ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban posted a blog post on his personal website, regarding the state of the Mavericks: http://blogmaverick.com/2013/08/03/lets-talk-mavs-mffl/. The post is long, but can be boiled down to 2 essential points about the state of the NBA, both of which relate to the Nets:
Posted in Rumor Central
In the summer of 2010, the mantra for the NBA’s lottery teams was to acquire max cap space, for a run at LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Amare, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Rudy Gay, and David Lee. Half the league lined up hoping to score big. The results? The Heat got their Big 3. Everyone else? The Knicks, Bulls, and Warriors have seen Amare, Boozer, and Lee as albatrosses (the Warriors playoff run was triggered by Lee’s injury, and Boozer has not been the number two the Bulls hoped for next to Derrick Rose). The Hawks and Grizzlies already traded away Johnson and Gay. And every other cap room team that summer did not get a big name.
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With the big trade official, and the Nets signing Kirilenko, it would appear the Nets’ makeover is done. But then again, it appeared that Billy King was “locked in” to his roster, so nothing is what it seems. And, there is one trade piece left: DJ White. The Nets have until August 1 to cut White, or guarantee his salary. As has been reported, guaranteeing White’s deal would cost the Nets millions in taxes for White to remain glued to the bench.
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Bill King having a laugh, presumably similar to the one he had today.
Billy King has been criticized regularly since becoming Nets GM. Whether it was for his stint in Philadelphia, dealing for Deron Williams without a commitment, or overpaying for his 2012-2013 roster, the common refrain was that Billy “locked” the Nets into last year’s roster. Sure he did.
The bottom line is simple: the goal for any general manager is to put together a roster that can compete for a championship. Generally, the way to do that is to amass assets, youth, and cap flexibility and turn that into players. And, the new NBA trend is that stars want to play with other stars: this reality makes it imperative to grab a star when you can, and work to surround him with a second star. Billy succeeded by mapping out a long term vision, not because he is a reckless spender. board. Here is a lookback at some of Billy’s larger moves in his plan for Brooklyn.
Posted in Rumor Central
Brooklyn's Beat 