- The Brooklyn Nets won 45 games last season but got swept in the first round of the 2023 playoffs
- The Nets added Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Smith Jr. in free agency
- Will Ben Simmons start or come off the bench next season?
The Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant last season after both superstars requested trades. Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, while Durant was sent to the Phoenix Suns for Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.
The Nets finished the 2022-23 campaign with 45 wins. They were the sixth seed in the 2023 Eastern Conference playoffs and faced the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. The Sixers, behind James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, swept the Nets.
Brooklyn enters next season with no title aspirations since Durant and Irving are gone. However, with Bridges, Johnson, and a potentially healthy Ben Simmons leading the way, the Nets could make the playoffs again.
For that to happen, Brooklyn head coach Jacque Vaughn has to have a strong rotation.
Point Guards
Starter: Spencer Dinwiddie
Reserves: Ben Simmons, Dennis Smith Jr.
In his second stint with the Nets, Spencer Dinwiddie averaged 16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists in 26 games while shooting 40.4% from the field, 28.9% from beyond the arc, and 79.7% from the free-throw line.
Dinwiddie averaged 16.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in the four-game series against the Sixers while shooting 43.1% overall, 38.9% from 3, and 68.2% from the free-throw line. He's pretty much a lock to start at point guard for the Nets next season. The California native hasn't come off the bench since the 2021-22 season when he was with the Mavericks.
Dinwiddie is eligible to sign a four-year, $128 million extension with the Nets, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The guard is currently in the final year of his contract, which will carry a $20.4 million cap hit. Dinwiddie will make $18.9 million next season.
Ben Simmons will likely be Dinwiddie's backup. The former Sixers star only appeared in 42 games last season due to knee and back issues. He averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
During an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Simmons said he’s feeling healthy and ready to “dominate” next season. Only time will tell if Simmons can rediscover his All-Star form. Many insiders around the NBA believe next season is Simmons' last chance to prove he's a valuable, positive contributor.
Shooting Guards
Starter: Cameron Johnson
Reserves: Lonnie Walker IV, Cam Thomas
The Nets re-signed Cameron Johnson in restricted free agency on a four-year, $108 million contract this offseason. The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets were interested in Johnson, but the Nets were never going to let the talented shooter leave.
Johnson averaged 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 25 games with Brooklyn last season while shooting 46.8% from the floor, 37.2% from beyond the arc, and 85.1% from the free-throw line. He started every game for the Nets last season. That will likely be the case next season as well.
A UNC product, Johnson is one of the best shooters in the NBA. He's a career 39.3% shooter from deep, which is good for 26th among active players.
Small Forwards
Starter: Mikal Bridges
Reserve: Royce O'Neale
Mikal Bridges took his game to another level after getting traded to the Nets last season, averaging 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 27 games. Many people around the NBA believe Bridges has a chance to make his first All-Star team next season.
The 27-year-old Bridges is a strong two-way player who has improved offensively each year he's been in the NBA. The Nets' offense will likely revolve around Bridges, who shot 47.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3 with Brooklyn.
Bridges signed a four-year, $90.9 million rookie-scale extension with the Suns in October 2021. The Nets are certainly fortunate they were able to acquire a young star in the blockbuster Durant trade. All signs point toward Bridges being the new player Brooklyn builds around in the post-Durant-Irving era.
Bridges is playing for Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. That experience will likely elevate his game to new heights.
Power Forwards
Starter: Dorian Finney-Smith
Reserves: Darius Bazley, Noah Clowney
Dorian-Finney Smith averaged 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 26 games with the Nets last season. The Florida product wasn't able to find his shooting touch, as he shot only 35.1% from the field and 30.6% from beyond the arc.
The Nets are hopeful that a full offseason of training with Brooklyn players and coaches will help Finney-Smith regain his form from the outside.
At 6-foot-7, Finney-Smith can guard positions one through four. He’s one of the more versatile wing defenders in the NBA. Just ask the Mavericks. Their defense went down the drain after trading Finney-Smith to the Nets for Irving last season.
Assuming Finney-Smith is able to shoot better next season, the Nets should be able to finish games in the fourth quarter with the 30-year-old on the floor.
Centers
Starter: Nic Claxton
Reserve: Day'Ron Sharpe
Nic Claxton had his best season as a pro in 2022-23. He averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 2.5 blocks while shooting 70.5% overall. Claxton led the NBA in field goal percentage and effective field goal percentage. He does all of his damage at the rim.
The Nets are extremely high on Claxton, who is entering the final year of his contract. If the big man plays like an All-Star next season, he could sign a lucrative deal in the summer of 2024 when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Claxton has improved on both ends of the floor year after year. It's not a stretch to say that the Georgia product could average a double-double next season. For the Nets to make the playoffs and advance past the second round in 2023-24, Claxton has to be a force on offense and defense every night.
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