Latest Nets win shows why Sean Marks has work to do before trade deadline
11/20/2024 10:05 AM
The conversation surrounding the Brooklyn Nets entering this season centered on their tanking direction. However, a trio of veterans continues to raise the team’s floor early in the 2024-25 campaign. Tuesday's 116-115 win over the Charlotte Hornets was the latest example of why the Nets have work to do if they hope to secure a top draft pick.
With leader scorer Cam Thomas sidelined, Cam Johnson turned in one of his best performances with Brooklyn. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter scored 34 points — four off his career-high — on 11-of-20 shooting and 6-of-12 from three. After an injury-riddled 2023-24 campaign, Johnson is off to one of the best starts of his career while into an expanded offensive role following Mikal Bridges’ departure.
The 28-year-old has averaged 19.8 points on 53/46/97 shooting splits over Brooklyn's last eight games.
"Honestly, he's just been hooping,” Trendon Watford said of Johnson’s play. “I'm not surprised by it. Cam's a great player, so I'm not surprised by it at all. Last year was last year. He obviously heard all the noise and took it with a grain of salt and came back. And now he's doing what we know CJ can do."
CAM JOHNSON CATCHES FIRE
34 PTS | 6 3PM | @BrooklynNets W
1-1 in East Group A #EmiratesNBACuppic.twitter.com/DSifL4vwza
— NBA (@NBA) November 20, 2024
Dorian Finney-Smith posted 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting from distance against Charlotte. After a slow start to the year, he’s found his stroke along with Johnson. The 30-year-old is averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 42.5 percent from three on 5.6 attempts per game, all career-highs.
Meanwhile, Dennis Schroder added 14 points and 12 assists during the win. The veteran floor general is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 assists and 2.1 turnovers on 45/41/84 shooting splits this season. He’s one of five players averaging 17-plus points and six-plus assists on over 40 percent shooting from three, joining Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, Darius Garland and Domantas Sabonis.
“Just trust. I trust them. Their teammates trust them,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said of the veteran trio. “They do it every day. They put the work in. You see it here. Some days, the shots are not going to go in, and I still don’t care if they don’t go in. We’re still gonna trust them, and that’s what they’re building here.”
Hot play of Nets veterans could force Sean Marks’ hand
With the Nets pivoting to a rebuild this summer, all three players are rumored trade targets for contenders. Despite this, their commitment and leadership have been central to Brooklyn exceeding expectations early this year.
Johnson spoke about how the veterans have blocked trade noise amid the team’s new direction.
“All three of us have definitely been traded before, and it’s not something that we’re worried about,” he said. “There’s a lot of speculation about a lot of things all of our whole careers, my whole career… You hear a lot of outside noise. There’s no sense in letting it bother you. There’s no sense in letting it get to you. Let the future be the future. Control what you can control now.”
“And the other thing is, man, we enjoy our group, playing together. I think we are a group that gets along well with each other, and that’s important. So as long as we’re together, we’re gonna fight for wins, and we’re gonna enjoy representing Brooklyn and playing. And whatever the future holds, it holds.”
Cam Johnson on how the Nets veterans have blocked out trade noise:
"All three of us (DFS, Dennis) have been traded before. It's not something that we're worried about… The other thing is, we enjoy our group, playing together. I think we are a group that gets along well with… pic.twitter.com/vNyiF4cQzg
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 20, 2024
While the veterans enjoy the chemistry of the Nets’ new-look roster, they could be playing themselves off the team. As they perform at a high level and Brooklyn continues to win, the team’s draft odds decrease while their trade value rises.
Tuesday’s win brings the Nets to 6-9. If the season ended today, they would have the ninth-best odds in the draft lottery.
Many within league circles expect general manager Sean Marks to field offers for the veterans ahead of the trade deadline. Johnson and Finney-Smith revealed at media day that they had conversations with the GM this summer about their uncertain futures.
The start of trade season is typically Dec. 15, when players signed during the previous offseason can be moved. Marks may hold off until more buyers are at the table to maximize his return. However, with each win, he will feel more pressure to strip the team down and optimize his chances at one of the top prizes in next June’s draft.
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