Holmes: Who are the five Brooklyn Nets players with the most to prove?
Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
The Daily News reporter ranks the top five or so Nets players with something to prove. Who has the most to prove in Brooklyn Nets training camp? The list is long and the definition of proving yourself is, of course, not necessarily what it used to be. The Nets are in a rebuild and have four first round picks. Winning is not what it used to be.
That said, there are some whose play will be evaluated over the long term, as C.J. Holmes wrote this week. Holmes ranks six players from Ben Simmons to Killian Hayes. the most important being Simmons.
General manager Sean Marks expects Simmons to be healthy and available at the start of training camp next month, and if he hopes to extend his NBA career in a meaningful way — whether with the Nets or another team — he will have to prove that he can stay healthy and play at a high level.
Right behind him is Cam Thomas who has to prove, again?, that he is more than just a bucket-getter.
However, there is still more to be desired in his game from a defensive standpoint. And while he did improve as a passer toward the end of last season, he still has much to improve in that area and has to learn how to create for others on a more consistent basis.
No. 3 is another youngster, 25-year-old Nic Claxton who got paid this summer.
Expectations will also be higher in terms of his continued development under Fernandez. He has yet to be named an All-Star, make an All-NBA team, or win any major awards. At some point this Nets franchise will need him to make the leap. It is one thing to get paid like one of the better centers in the NBA. It is another to actually play like one, night in and night out.
Following those three is an interesting entry, Zaire Williams, who was the No. 10 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
For Williams, success comes down to two things: playing efficiently and staying healthy. While he does possess the physical tools to be a plus defender in the NBA, he shot just 39.7% from the field and 30.7% from 3-point range in 51 games last season. And because of different injuries, he has appeared in just 150 games over the past three seasons.
Trendon Watford, still only 23, made the end of last season matter and wound with a one year contract with Brooklyn. Holmes put him at No. 5.
With unrestricted free agency looming once again next summer, the 23-year-old enters 2024-25 looking to prove that he is worthy of a long-term deal. If not with the Nets, then somewhere else in the league. Watford’s minutes were inconsistent last season, but he broke out down the stretch, averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists over his final 11 appearances.
Holmes also gave an “honorable mention” to Killian Hayes, the No. 7 pick in the 2020 Draft who was cut by the Pistons at the deadline, didn’t play the rest of the season and then got an Exhibit 10 deal from the Nets. Indeed Holmes compares Hayes changes at proving himself to those of Dariq Whitehead who is still recovering from three surgeries in 22 months.
Dariq Whitehead, 20, missed most of last season because of injury, then struggled mightily in his first taste of summer league action. However, the Nets’ 2023 first-round pick will not be featured on this list because of his age and injury history. Even though he is healthy now, it is important not to have unrealistic expectations given all that he has been through. So, he gets a pass, for now, because next season will essentially be an extension of his rookie year.
Killian Hayes, however, has played in 210 career games compared to Whitehead’s two. Four seasons into his NBA career, it is safe to say that the French guard has fallen short of the lofty expectations that were placed on him when the Detroit Pistons selected him seventh overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Hayes did show flashes of potential in Detroit, but if he wants to shed the bust label, he has to be better in every facet of the game — and he knows that.
Of course there are others. Bojan Bogdanovic must prove that his wrist and foot surgeries haven’t deprived him of his best skill, 3-point shooting and then there’s Cam Johnson who got fans’ hopes up after the Suns trade at the 2023 deadline, received a nearly $100 million contract but saw almost all his numbers fall off last season. That of course presumes he’ll still be on the roster.
5 Nets players with the most to prove in 2024-25 ($) - C.J. Holmes - New York Daily News
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings