How Can the Brooklyn Nets Use the D-League to Their Advantage?
Mar 24, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brett Yormark CEO of Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment talks at a press conference announcing the Long Island Nets D League team as members of the Brooklynettes display the jerseys and logo t shirts before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The NBA D-League is a league for players to hone their skills and develop into better players. The Brooklyn Nets have a D-League team of their own called the Long Island Nets. How can the Nets use the D-League to their advantage?
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The NBA D-League has brought us many players such as Jordan Clarkson, Danny Green, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, Jeremy Lin just to name a few. These players who ended up in the D-League ended up improving as players. Now, they play a bigger role with their respective teams. Standing in Long Island is the Nets’ own D-League team, the Long Island Nets. Will they find themselves another Reggie Jackson?
The Brooklyn Nets are heavily invested in their D-League affiliate, as the Long Island Nets are set to play in the Barclays Center this season and in the Nassau Coliseum in the 2017-18 season. During the Long Island Nets’ jersey revealing, Nets general manager Sean Marks announced big plans for using the D-League.
“There are many ways to construct a team, and having the ability to build from within with our D-League team is very important.”
-Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks at the LI Nets’ jersey unveiling
The Nets themselves have a few D-League alumni: Jeremy Lin, Sean Kilpatrick, and the newly signed Jorge Gutierrez. The Long Island Nets are a new D-League team that the Nets invested six million dollars in. Brooklyn is hoping for big things out of their D-League team. The Long Island Nets got themselves a former NBA player in the name of Gary Forbes, who will have something to prove to all 30 NBA teams.
Apr 3, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Dante Cunningham (44) and New Orleans Pelicans guard Toney Douglas (16) guard Brooklyn Nets guard Sean Kilpatrick (6) in the second half at Barclays Center. Pelicans defeat the Nets 106-87. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports
How Will the Nets Use the D-League to Their Advantage?
The D-League also has many NBA-bound hopefuls. Many of these players were left undrafted after being passed on by 30 teams for two rounds of the draft. What the Nets want to see is a player working hard and trying their best because every team wants a player who hustles.
This is how Brooklyn can use the D-League to their advantage. When the D-League season kicks off, there will be scouts watching these NBA hopefuls play everyday. The Nets can find players that can help benefit the team.
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Throughout the course of the season, there will be players that will go down due to injury. The Nets can use some players from the D-League if any of their players go down. They won’t have to play for 48 minutes, but they just need to perform their roles and do their jobs whether it comes down to defense, three point shooting, etc.
If there is anyone that understands the path of a D-League player, it’s Sean Kilpatrick. According to Cory Wright of Brooklynnets.com, Kilpatrick said that these D-League players should always keep working.
“Never stop working. You never know who is watching. [Some guys] blew their chances of really trying to make it to the NBA because there could be a scout there, or not even that, I mean, nowadays, they have the D-League website where you can go and watch games, so there are plenty of scouts just sitting there watching the games, and watching what you’re doing, and seeing how seriously you’re taking the D-League.”
-Kilpatrick on his approach to the D-League
Working hard definitely worked for Kilpatrick, as he secured a multi-year deal with the Nets. Now, the Long Island Nets are in the process of having players try out for the team. If they follow Kilpatrick’s advice, they can expect a roster spot from the Brooklyn Nets.