Over the past couple of seasons, the Nets have been defined by their veterans. Whether it's the health status of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Andrei Kirilenko, how much Kevin Garnett has left or the steadiness of Joe Johnson, it is the team's older players that get most of the attention.
Though those players undoubtedly will have a significant impact on the Nets this season, the preseason showed that a pair of inexperienced players — Mason Plumlee and Bojan Bogdanovic — also will have significant roles.
Plumlee, who entered his rookie year last season as an afterthought, had an impressive first year as a pro, becoming a a rotation player and even making Team USA this summer. Now, Plumlee clearly has established himself as one of the four big man in coach Lionel Hollins' rotation, alongside Garnett, Lopez and Mirza Teletovic. Because Garnett and Lopez are candidates to miss time this season because of age and/or injury, Plumlee easily could play the most minutes of any big on the team.
As for Bogdanovic, he has stepped straight into the starting lineup after spending three years starring in Europe and settled in nicely on the wing next to Joe Johnson. Known as a good outside shooter, the 25-year-old also has displayed a good basketball IQ, and looks like the right kind of fit to play in a starting five that features three ball-dominant offensive players in Williams, Johnson and Lopez.
That is one observation from watching the Nets this preseason, which ended with Wednesday night's loss in Boston. Here are four others:
- Deron Williams looks healthy. This, more than anything, was what the Nets hoped to see through training camp after Williams underwent surgery on both ankles during the offseason following two straight years of issues with them.So far, so good in terms of the impact of the procedures, as Williams entered camp in terrific shape and has played confidently throughout the last few weeks of camp and preseason play. The Nets are running a lot of the same stuff offensively he did in his Utah days, and Williams has looked very comfortable in it.Williams appears set up to have a big season — assuming he can avoid further ankle issues moving forward.
- Speaking of the offense, the Nets have looked comfortable running Hollins' offense, a system which includes plenty of motion and ball movement. Given the amount of offensive firepower the Nets have, moving the ball should lead to open, quality looks.The Nets have the potential to be a very good offensive team this season, particularly if their top players are healthy, and the preseason has done nothing to change that line of thinking.
- That being said, the Nets are going to need to score effectively because their team defense and rebounding are areas of concern.Though the defense has shown some cohesion this preseason, rebounding has been an issue on multiple occasions, and likely will be during the season. Lopez has had well-documented rebounding troubles throughout his career, and Teletovic and Plumlee have not been consistent forces on the boards.
- The Nets likely will be searching for a long-term solution for the team's third point-guard spot, as The Post confirmed a Yahoo! Sports report the team was in trade talks to ship Marquis Teague to Philadelphia.Teague was brought in at the trade deadline in February and hasn't worked out, struggling mightily whenever he got a chance to play last season — leading to the Nets bringing in Jorge Gutierrez — and then this preseason.By moving Teague, the Nets will save money and open a roster spot, which could allow the team to keep Gutierrez, Cory Jefferson and Jerome Jordan — a trio of partially guaranteed contracts that would give them added flexibility.
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