What do you get for a team that needs everything? A point guard is a good start.
In a league driven these days by the exploits of pick-and-roll wizards, the Brooklyn Nets played the entire 2015-16 season without one. By landing Jeremy Lin on the first day of free agency, the Nets filled a hole that opened up when they released Deron Williams a year ago.
But did they fill it well? Does Lin deserve a starting role?
Did the Nets get good value?
This is the first free-agent signing for new Nets general manager Sean Marks, who has already earned plaudits for the draft-related dealing that added Caris LeVert and Isaiah Whitehead to Brooklyn's growing stash of young talent. But after Marks waived the injured Jarrett Jack -- more a combo-guard than lead guy anyway -- on Thursday, the Nets were left without anything resembling a point guard on their roster.
Simply put, Lin represented the Nets' best available option. There were two starting-caliber, free-agent point guards who ranked higher than Lin by predictive real plus-minus (RPM): Mike Conley and Deron Williams. Conley would have been a great choice, but in the unlikely event that he leaves Memphis, it will be for team a lot closer to contention than the Nets. And a Williams-Nets reunion was not going to happen.
So Lin it is, for a reported $36 million over three years, the final one a player option. According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, New Orleans offered Lin $10 million per season, showing this wasn't a massive overpay by any stretch.
That's especially true because after Lin, Brooklyn would have been left targeting players like Brandon Jennings or Rajon Rondo. Of those three, I like Lin the best as a fit to orchestrate the Nets' Brook Lopez-led offense. Rondo isn't enough of a scorer, and Jennings is too scoring-oriented, a poor defender and an injury risk.
There are plenty of intangible reasons to like the deal, of course, and those will get major play in the New York media -- Linsanity returns! Lin's glory days in the Big Apple occurred when new Nets coach Kenny Atkinson was an assistant with the Knicks, so there is a natural fit.
In the context of Marks' massive rebuilding plan, the overarching goal remains to build and develop the young talent base. One way to do that is sign fair-valued veterans, build their value in a large role, then flip them for younger players or draft picks. If Lin excels for Brooklyn, his contract could become a valuable trade chip at a future deadline.
How well does Lin fit?
Lin is roughly the same age as Lopez and near that of Sean Kilpatrick and Bojan Bogdanovic, giving the Nets at least a base of in-their-prime rotation players to hold down the fort as they develop and add younger players. More such veterans are likely to come, as Brooklyn still has more than $40 million in cap space to spend and needs help pretty much everywhere.
Lin played off the ball last season in Charlotte more often than he had in previous stops. He is a below-average deep threat, so that wasn't ideal, but he did average his most points per 36 minutes (16.1) since his Knicks days. In Brooklyn, Lin will likely dominate the ball, and given that the Nets lack options, we'll see a steady supply of Lin-Lopez pick-and-roll (or pop) action. According to Synergy tracking, Lin rated in the 86th percentile (top 15 percent) of all players on the pick-and-roll last season, including his passes.
If we assume that Atkinson will favor a Spurs/Hawks-like system, Brooklyn can spread the floor with Bogdanovic, Kilpatrick and a wing-to-be-named, giving the Nets the pieces for a functional offense. Expect Marks to go after a wing scorer next. Golden State restricted free agent Harrison Barnes would be a clear target.
Lin's defense isn't as bad as his reputation. He plays the passing lanes well and rebounds well for his position. His defensive RPM last season (minus-0.18) ranked 20th among point guards. According to NBA.com/stats, the Hornets were 2.9 points better per 100 possessions on defense with Lin on the floor. That matters, especially if Kilpatrick indeed starts at shooting guard, because the Nets were brutalized on defense with him on the court last season.
The revival of Linsanity aside, this isn't a groundbreaking move. Getting the Nets back to where they want to be is going to be a long process.
You have to start somewhere. By adding a competent player to fill a gaping hole at an essential position, the Nets have clicked off the No. 1 item on their offseason to-do list. But there is much left to do. So much.