Even the most loyal of Nets fans — justifiably thrilled that the team is well on its way to a playoff berth to cap its first season in Brooklyn — know something is amiss.
It doesn’t compute that a team this expensive and talented should find itself starting power forward Reggie Evans — who started exactly 26 games in the previous four seasons, and who would be a far more attractive option if rebounding were literally the only skill required of a basketball player — when the other four players in the Nets’ starting five each have All-Star selections under their belts.
And no, Kris Humphries isn’t the answer unless you’re a Kardashian in need of a ratings bump.
As my taller colleague will tell you, Nets general manager Billy King better do his best to schmooze his former Duke teammate Danny Ferry, currently the Atlanta general manager, into swapping Humphries and MarShon Brooks for Hawks star Josh Smith before the 3 pm trade deadline on Thursday.
But if the Nets can’t land Smith, Paul Millsap, or some other talented big man, there is a way to improve Brooklyn’s roster before the trade deadline that could be nearly as beneficial. Earlier this month, ESPN reported the Nets were pursuing Charlotte shooting guard Ben Gordon in exchange for Humphries, whose limited playing time this season assures the Bobcats would receive a well-rested asset.
Gordon would give the Nets another reliable scoring option — a need not many could have foreseen way back in October. But with point guard Deron Williams struggling with his shot while playing through sundry ailments for much of the season, and Gerald Wallace more inclined to throw his body around than take over a game offensively, it would be nice to have one more established shotmaker on a team ranked 20th in points-per-game.
I continue to believe MarShon Brooks could be that guy for Brooklyn, but at this point the coaching staff seems to have concluded he’s too much of a defensive liability to keep on the floor when the game’s on the line. Gordon’s no prize on defense, but he’s a known commodity that would justify going with a smaller lineup at the end of games, curb double teaming of Brook Lopez, and allow Joe Johnson to downgrade his LinkedIn profile to “part-time” professional buzzer-beater. Plus, after clashing with Charlotte coach Mike Dunlap, he is almost certainly priced to move. If Thursday comes and goes without a peep from Brooklyn’s front office, Nets fans may wish King had pushed harder for Gordon come playoff time.
Matt Spolar is a nearly 6-foot-1 journalist with a middling high school basketball career who is sure the Nets win thanks to team’s top-tier guards.
