What a difference a year makes.
Two years ago, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving were the faces of the Brooklyn Nets. A year ago, Durant, Irving, and Ben Simmons were the faces of the team. But as the 2023 NBA Draft approaches tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Nets’ home arena, they have begun a reset with only Simmons remaining on the roster from among these players.
After finishing this past regular season at 45–37, the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, then getting swept 4–0 by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, the Nets have reshaped their coaching staff.
Jacque Vaughn, who took over from Steve Nash after the former Nets head coach was fired last November just eight games into the season, signed a multi-year deal in February. On Tuesday, the team announced they had hired five new assistant coaches, including13-year NBA veteran player Kevin Ollie, who led the UConn Huskies to the 2014 NCAA title. Ollie had been the head of coaching and development for the Overtime Elite program based in Atlanta, which has produced twins Amen and Asur Thompson. Both 20-year-olds are expected to be top 10 picks tonight.
The Nets have a young star in 6–7 forward Mikal Bridges, who after coming to the team from the Phoenix Suns in February showed he is one of the league’s best two-way players. Bridges averaged 26.1 points in 27 regular season games with Brooklyn, but the Nets have many more questions than answers.
Simmons is on a max contract and hasn’t been able to duplicate his play that made him a three-time All-Star.
Brooklyn has back-to-back first-round picks at Nos. 21 and 22, in addition to the 51st pick in the second round. In total, they have up to 12 first-round picks through 2030.
After the Nets were eliminated from the playoffs, Vaughn emphasized that adding size is a priority. Center Nic Claxton, a rapidly improving young big man, is light at 6–11 and 215 pounds and has struggles battling much heavier front court players in the paint, such as the 76ers’ 7–0, 280 Joel Embiid.
“We’ve gotta get bigger over the summer, we’ve gotta get nastier, we’ve gotta get guys who really love hitting and take it personal when the other team gets a rebound,” said Vaughn in April. “That’s what we’ll be looking for.”
The best in the draft is 7–4 Victor Wembanyama, who will go No. 1 to the San Antonio Spurs. Duke’s 7–1 center Dereck Lively will be long gone when the Nets have their first pick at No. 21. James Nnaji, an 18-year-old, 6–11 center from Nigeria who played professionally in Spain this past season, may be available for Brooklyn. They could also look to trade up to get a shot at Lively or seek a trade with another team to address their need for help in the paint.
The Nets may choose the best available player or select one who, in their assessment, possesses the most potential. Dariq Whitehead, an 18-year-old, 6–7 swingman from Duke and a Newark, N.J., native, who was projected to be a top-5 pick before foot issues, including surgery, slowed his freshman season, fits that profile.