Brooklyn Nets: Examining the Bench Unit
The Brooklyn Nets, like every team, will rely heavily on their starting lineup. The Nets will go as their starting lineup goes. But Brooklyn will still need production from their bench.
The Brooklyn Nets feel good about their starting lineup. It will feature Jeremy Lin, Brook Lopez, and likely Bojan Bogdanovic as well. While Lin was the biggest addition to the starting lineup, Sean Marks and company made other additions to bolster the bench behind the first unit.
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If, as expected, Bogdanovic runs with the starters, that could leave Sean Kilpatrick as one of the first options off of the bench. The Nets like Kilpatrick very much, and he has the ability to come into the game and get in a rhythm quickly.
Greivis Vasquez is recovering from an ankle injury, and it remains to be seen if he will be in full swing for games. Vasquez has said he is hopeful that won’t miss time in the regular season, and has already seen playing time in the Nets’ preseason opener. When Vasquez is healthy, he should spell Lin at backup point guard. When Kenny Atkinson feels Lin needs a rest, Vasquez is a solid veteran option to turn to off the bench.
The Nets also signed two veteran forwards: Trevor Booker and Luis Scola. Of the two, Booker is the likely choice to start at power forward. If that transpires, that would leave Scola as the backup power forward. Scola is in the latter stage of his career at 36 years old, but he’ll still be asked to play meaningful minutes.
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Brooklyn also has a younger option at power forward, in second-year forward Chris McCullough. With so many options, it will be interesting to see how Atkinson divides minutes at the four.
Marks added veteran guard Randy Foye in free agency, and Foye can serve as a backup shooting guard. Foye can come off the bench and score, moving out to the three point line when he’s at his best. Just recently, the Nets signed forward Chase Budinger. It remains to be seen if Budinger will make the team, but he will certainly have a shot during the preseason. If Budinger makes the team out of training camp, he could serve as a backup at small forward behind Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Caris Levert (Michigan) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number twenty overall pick to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Brooklyn will also have a few wildcards on the bench. Most notably, the Nets’ two draft picks in the 2016 NBA Draft. If Caris LeVert was healthy, he’d likely be ready to contribute right now. But LeVert is still working his way back from a foot injury suffered in college. When LeVert is able to play, he will become a factor off the bench.
The Nets will also get a look at second-round pick Isaiah Whitehead to see if he is ready to contribute off the bench. If Whitehead is able to make the most of his preseason opportunities, he’ll likely make the roster. However, it’s also possible that Whitehead gets assigned to the Long Island Nets in the D-League. If the Nets go that route, Whitehead would likely be recalled at some point during the season to contribute off the bench.
Brooklyn’s starting lineup is intriguing because of the combination of Jeremy Lin and Brook Lopez. The starting lineup should be able to produce each night on a consistent basis. But for the most part, the starters won’t play 48 minutes. That’s where the bench comes in, and the Nets will have some reliable options.
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