What's been missed the last several days - Nets aren't improving

[jpotter33]

Here's their additions so far this offseason:

1) Grabbing Caris Levert and Isaiah Whitehead at the draft;

2) Signing Lin to a 3 year/$36M deal;

3) Signing Trevor Booker to a 2 year/ $24.5M deal;

4) Signing journeyman Justin Hamilton to a deal (couldn't find numbers);

5) Signing Tyler Johnson to a $50M offer sheet that Miami has the right to match.

Several of these are actually decent deals and gets, such as Levert, Whitehead, and Lin for $12M a year, but they're either moves for the future that are good or good contracts for vets for contending teams rather than a rebuilding team.

However, do any of these guys really move the needle for Brooklyn, especially after losing Young this summer? I don't think so. I think this offseason has firmly entrenched them as the worst team in the league, especially with both Philly and LA improving just enough to make them a non-threat to Brooklyn's horribleness.

What potential teams right now could we argue will have a worse record than the Nets next year without any additional moves? In the East, perhaps there's an argument for Philly still, but I think Simmons will greatly benefit them and their additions will win them more games than Brooklyn. In the West, unless someone like Dallas or Sacramento blows it up and tanks, I don't see any team that could pose a threat at this moment.

What do you think? Is Brooklyn still the worst team in the league after this summer?

[Who]

To me, It doesn't look like they are trying to improve.

It looks like they want to go for patient long term team building. I do not understand this strategy when you do not own your own picks.

[PaulAllen]

Just like the Lakers(Mozgov, Clarkson, Deng) they are getting desperate to just spend the money... Both team will be at the bottom once again

[Who]

I think the Lakers are worse than the Nets.

I liked the Lin and Booker signings. Brook Lopez, RHJ and Bogdanovic are good players. The Lakers have a lot more youth and potential but I don't think those young guys are as good as those veteran players for Nets. That is why I think Brooklyn is better than LAL.

Philadelphia are probably worse as well. I don't think they have managed to improve much out on the perimeter and their big man rotation is still a mess.

So I have Brooklyn as 3rd worst.

[dreamgreen]

I've noticed and love it!!

[jpotter33]

To me, It doesn't look like they are trying to improve.

It looks like they want to go for patient long term team building. I do not understand this strategy when you do not own your own picks.

I think it came down to they couldn't improve right now rather than they're not trying to improve.

And if they are going the patient route, it'd make sense to go ahead and trade Lopez for as many assets as possible, too.

[jpotter33]

I think the Lakers are worse than the Nets.

I liked the Lin and Booker signings. Brook Lopez, RHJ and Bogdanovic are good players. The Lakers have a lot more youth and potential but I don't think those young guys are as good as those veteran players for Nets. That is why I think Brooklyn is better than LAL.

Philadelphia are probably worse as well. I don't think they have managed to improve much out on the perimeter and their big man rotation is still a mess.

So I have Brooklyn as 3rd worst.

Eh, between the young guys of Randle, Russell, Clarkson, and Ingram and their vet additions of Mozgov and Deng, I think they're clearly better than Brooklyn. I think Deng is the tipping point making them better.

There's definitely an argument for Philly, though. I still expect them to ultimately trade Noel or Okafor for a better wing or guard before the season, though.

[alldaboston]

The Lin signing is being a little underrated I think. The dude is good.

That being said, probably not good enough to keep them out of the bottom 3 teams at least

[Vox_Populi]

I agree. I'll do projections once the dust clears, but it wouldn't surprise me if they don't win 30 games again. I was worried they'd sign a near star or a legitimate starter, but they haven't yet.

[max215]

I think they did improve, not drastically though. They've had a great offseason thus far, building for the future, which will likely be good for us.

[saltlover]

To me, It doesn't look like they are trying to improve.

It looks like they want to go for patient long term team building. I do not understand this strategy when you do not own your own picks.

The point is to sign decent players on shorter contracts who might be tradeable for a future pick or young player to a team in need.  No free agent of any consequence was going to go there.  They're not in any kind of championship contention, and there's no benefit to losing, so they aren't making moves with regard to their record at all.  If they get lucky, maybe a few of the vets and young players will gel well enough to win games this year and make you a decent option next year for free agents.  And if they don't, probably they'll sell off what they can for picks.

It's not going all-out Philly -- there's no point to that.  But it's also recognizing that there weren't one or even two signings they could make this year that would make them a playoff team, so why bother signing long deals at high dollar values to the Mozgov's and Mahinmi's of the world?  They've signed players who will hopefully be good veterans to teach what young players they have how to be a professional, in a way that Philly did not.  They'll try to win every night.  On most nights, however, they will come up far short.

[Snakehead]

The Lin signing is being a little underrated I think. The dude is good.

That being said, probably not good enough to keep them out of the bottom 3 teams at least

But he is not that much better than the guy he is replacing.

That's the thing.  They are replacing some solid enough players with guys but to me they have to be just as bad if not a little worse.  The other bad teams like Philly and LA have gotten better, even if the signings may be questionable.

[Who]

I think the Lakers are worse than the Nets.

I liked the Lin and Booker signings. Brook Lopez, RHJ and Bogdanovic are good players. The Lakers have a lot more youth and potential but I don't think those young guys are as good as those veteran players for Nets. That is why I think Brooklyn is better than LAL.

Philadelphia are probably worse as well. I don't think they have managed to improve much out on the perimeter and their big man rotation is still a mess.

So I have Brooklyn as 3rd worst.

Eh, between the young guys of Randle, Russell, Clarkson, and Ingram and their vet additions of Mozgov and Deng, I think they're clearly better than Brooklyn. I think Deng is the tipping point making them better.

There's definitely an argument for Philly, though. I still expect them to ultimately trade Noel or Okafor for a better wing or guard before the season, though.

I am not as high on the Lakers young guys -- in terms of next season -- or Mozgov.

I am expecting very little from Ingram as a rookie. I don't think he is an NBA ready player. Likewise, I think Randle still has lots of work to do before being a player who actually helps his team win games. Clarkson is a solid scorer but bad at everything else. D'Angelo Russell is their best chance to have a young player who is a net positive next year but he isn't a sure thing either given how bad his defense is.

Mozgov was fairly terrible last year. I think his legs are going. My expectations are low for him. I don't see him as any better than Hibbert and Hibbert did very little for LAL last season. So, I don't think Mozgov is of much help to LAL.

So to go back up to the top and those 5 Brooklyn guys I mentioned. I think they are all better / more valuable (to winning games next season) than those Lakers young players (except for maybe D'Angelo Russell) and Mozgov.

I do still really like Deng though. He is a valuable player. But I do not think he is enough to compensate for the difference in impact between the rest of the Lakers top players and the Nets top players. Also, Deng's value could vary considerably depending on whether he is used as a SF (capable but nothing special) or PF (very good = above average starter).

That is how I rate the Lakers and why I have them below Brooklyn.

[ashanm10]

Johnson will be a good player, lots of energy

[Granath]

Whether or not they're the worst or 2nd worst team in the NBA right this minute is really academic. They stink and that's good for us.