Okafor Trade Shows Marks is Not Done Rebuilding the Nets
It should be safe to say that this season didn’t start the way Sean Marks had hoped it would.
The Brooklyn Nets general manager has dealt with major setbacks that have prevented him from fully analyzing where the team stands in terms of roster depth and talent. Jeremy Lin, the lead guard of the team, is out for the season after suffering a patellar tendon rupture and is currently in Vancouver doing a special rehabbing program and trying to work his way back from injury. D’Angelo Russell, the jewel prize from the Brook Lopez trade this past summer — and the franchise cornerstone piece of the Nets’ future — is currently sitting out of the season after having arthroscopic knee surgery to remove debris that has been plaguing him earlier in the year.
The team has also dealt with additional injuries and a roster imbalance that has prevented the Nets from truly making a great leap. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. Several reporters have begun to question whether or not if Marks truly has a plan to bring the Nets out of their directionless abyss left behind by the previous regime.
This isn’t merely for clickbait. Stefan Bondy of the Daily News has been very critical of Marks for a while now and has been letting people know whenever the subject comes up.
He’s not the only one.
WFAN writer Steven Lichtenstein posted an article recently, expressing doubts about the Nets slow rebuild progress.
“Whatever the milepost, we’re talking about improvement upon a 20–62 season, one of the worst in a woebegone franchise’s history,” Lichtenstein said. “It’s going to get a lot uglier. We’re still far away from being able to call the Nets mediocre.”
Is it safe to say that Marks is in trouble since his rebuild plan hasn’t truly taken off?
Not so fast.
This afternoon, the Nets announced they’ve made a surprise trade for the season.
That’s right. Jahlil Okafor is coming to Brooklyn.
After spending much of his time on the bench and being left behind by “the Process,” he finally gets the chance to show off his skills and get some necessary playing time to improve his game. This is an excellent opportunity for Okafor since this an organization that prides itself on player development.
“This trade provides us with a good opportunity to bring in two young players who were high picks in recent drafts and give them a chance to succeed in our system,” said Marks in a statement.
Okafor, who turns 22 next week, was the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, taken immediately after D’Angelo Russell. The 6’11” center has only played two games for the Sixers this year, averaging five points in 12 minutes. He averaged 17.5 points and seven rebounds during his rookie season.
He’s been very vocal lately in regards to his lack of playing time and his desire to play elsewhere.
“I would like for them to just send me somewhere where I can get an opportunity. I’ve done everything they’ve asked of me and I would just like to get an opportunity to play with a trade or a buyout. I just hope something happens quickly.”
Jah is finally free and is excited to finally play for an organization that wants to see him thrive.
So what does this mean for the Nets?
For starters, they finally get a young, true center to play the position. So far, the Nets only had Jarrett Allen as the only effective defensive center for the team and he’s a rookie. Tyler Zeller is okay but he was always meant to be a serviceable backup and nothing more. Timofey Mozgov has an old school type game that doesn’t fit the Nets’ fast-paced offense basketball and isn’t much of a defender, especially on pick and rolls. He also can’t create his own shot or shoot off a quick pass. He doesn’t even have a post game.
Okafor, on the other hand, is known for having an excellent low post game that can be beneficial for Brooklyn’s pick and roll schemes.
Plus Atkinson can develop him in ways similar to what he did for Brook Lopez. Like Okafor, Lopez was an excellent low post scorer, could grab rebounds left and right, and played with aggression but there never was anything else in his arsenal. Under Atkinson, he’s now become a three point shooting big man and is a threat from the outside.
If Okafor can develop the way Lopez has, then there’s no question that he’ll be a menace to opposing teams.
This is also a great no-risk deal for the Nets. They are still waiting to have control of all of their first round picks after the horrible Boston Celtics trade they made from four years ago. If Okafor succeeds, they can try to keep him for the long term of the team’s future since he would fit the roster’s youth timeline. If it doesn’t work out, he can leave with no hard feelings and no real damage to the team’s salary cap. Plus, next summer is filled with young, free agent centers that could be part of the team’s future for the long term.
Marks was dealt with a bad hand when he first took over as general manager for the Nets last year. So far, he has been able to turn a team devoid of young talent and a future into a team filled with young prospects that can be molded into a competitive roster for many years to come. He’s essentially trying to create the San Antonio Spurs culture in Brooklyn. It’s no surprise considering he was an assistant general manager over there.
It’s understandable for NY sports culture to be impatient when it comes to roster rebuilds. It means watching the slow process of a young team trying to get better over time. Golden State Warriors fans had to wait since 2009 to watch this incarnation of the team manifest into the deadliest squad in the league. Philadelphia 76ers fans had to deal with a tough stretch and years of tanking before the emergence of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Rebuilds are not instant microwavable food. They take time and the patience could eventually payoff. This may be unique to Nets fans but let’s see what Marks plans to do with the team and let his plan manifest.
*credit to the NY Post, Nets Daily, Bleacher Report, Dawkins MTA, Down to Buck.
