Nets Shouldn't Throw Rookie Class Into Fire to Begin Next Season

The Brooklyn Nets are ready for an important season of their rebuild, but they shouldn’t try to force things too early.

Last season, the Nets were among the worst teams in the league, but they weren’t quite bad enough to sneak into the top five of the lottery odds. Add in some lottery luck from other teams, and the Nets were stuck with the No. 8 as their highest in June.

While that wasn’t what Brooklyn was hoping for, it still made up for it in some ways by using five picks throughout the first round. With the Nets set to enter next season with five first-rounders making their debuts, there could be some interesting storylines. 

Considering none of these Nets are coming into the league as clear-cut stars, Brooklyn is hoping at least one can emerge as a potential franchise cornerstone. Of course, it will take more than one season to truly know if anyone on the Nets could fit that bill.

While it should be a fun season in Brooklyn as the team and fans are introduced to the five players who could easily become the future of the franchise, that full introduction should happen over a period of time. Although a team in Brooklyn’s situation could throw its young guys into the fire immediately because winning games isn’t necessarily a priority, that likely wouldn’t be the best way for them to develop.

In the NBA, there is no substitute for experience, and that won’t change any time soon. However, the Nets can’t force experience onto the rookies who might not be ready to take on a sizeable role at the NBA level.

That’s where guys like Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton will come into play, but even Haywood Highsmith and Terance Mann could project as some important veterans. Even without the rookies, the Nets have a rotation they can trot out.

Brooklyn would probably still want to see some of its rookies on the floor playing big roles on a consistent basis. Perhaps someone like Danny Wolf is ready to take on a role immediately, given his three years of college experience. However, others who could need more time to adjust to the speed of the game could be better off splitting time in the G League, Egor Demin included.

Sure, there isn’t one perfect way to develop young talent, and Brooklyn will surely find a way to put its rookies in a good position. Still, Brooklyn throwing its young guys onto the floor and telling them to figure it out isn’t the right road ahead.