Nets season preview: In Jarrett Allen, Nets have reason for hope

After a half decade of misery, there is a finally a light at the end of the tunnel for the Nets: their own draft pick. The 2019 draft will be the first time since 2013 that the Nets get to use their own first-rounder.

When he took over as GM in February 2016, Sean Marks inherited a bleak situation, but he has done a strong job by working around the edges to add talent. He acquired a first-round pick in each of his three drafts with Brooklyn, landing Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Dzanan Musa. He traded for a former lottery pick in D’Angelo Russell, unearthed rotation players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, and used cap room to acquire first-round picks along with DeMarre Carroll and Kenneth Faried.

After years of being a luxury tax team early in owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s tenure, the Nets stand to have room for two max contracts in free agency next summer. Players around the league have noticed the newfound stability under Marks and head coach Kenny Atkinson, as Jimmy Butler included Brooklyn on his initial list of teams in his trade demand.

This will be a pivotal season for Brooklyn to audition to the star-studded free agent class. While the main draw to sign with the Nets will be the New York City market and the max contract, players will also want to know the roster has some proven commodities. With most of the Nets’ rotation on expiring deals, Allen stands out as a potential cornerstone.

The No. 19 pick in 2017 played just 20 minutes per game last season, but his per-36 minutes stats were impressive: 14.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Allen had a strong preseason, highlighted by a rejection of former dunk champion Blake Griffin.

He is an above-the-rim finisher and also shot 2-4 from 3-point range during preseason. A rim-running, shot-blocking, 3 point-shooting big man will be an easy selling point to free agents. After starting just 31 games as a rookie, Allen enters his second season as the starter and a building block for Brooklyn.

While Marks has used his assets well, there are still more questions than answers on the roster outside of Allen. Finding one or two more players worth investing in over the long term should be the mission this season.

X-Factor

The Nets reportedly declined to make Caris LeVert available in trade discussions with the Timberwolves about Jimmy Butler. While that was partly because Butler is entering the final year of his contract, it also speaks to how highly the Nets front office views LeVert. He is a playmaking wing with a reputation as a good shooter and defender, which is the exact kind of player every team needs. LeVert would be an easy player to slot in next to any player the Nets might target in 2019 free agency.

Outlook

The Nets were a scrappy, competitive team last season and that figures to continue this season with half of the roster entering the final year of their contracts. Brooklyn bought low on D’Angelo Russell before last season, and he got off to a strong start, averaging 20.5 points and 5.7 assists before a knee injury spoiled his season. If Russell is ever going to live up to his skillset and pedigree, a contract season seems like the most likely time.

What the Nets lack in star power, they make up for in depth. In Russell, Dinwiddie and LeVert, Brooklyn has three playmakers who can get their own shot or create one for their teammates. Allen Crabbe and Harris are both standout 3-point shooters, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Carroll are hard-nosed defenders. With Allen, Ed Davis and Kenneth Faried, Brooklyn has three big men ready to run the floor.

The Nets will be gritty once again. Marks and Atkinson have instilled a culture of hard work and the Nets will not be a pushover this season. Ultimately, however, the NBA is a star powered league. Brooklyn’s ceiling is likely in the 30-35 win range. If they exceed that, they could make some noise for the No. 8 seed, but it’s hard to envision them actually reaching the postseason – even in the East.

The season opener against the Pistons will provide a nice measuring stick for their postseason ambitions, as Detroit projects to be a team fighting for the one of the last few playoff spots.

In all likelihood, the Nets will miss out on the playoffs for the fifth straight season. With two first-round picks and boatloads of cap space next summer, however, the Nets have a clear path to relevance in their future.

More from Yahoo Sports:
• Sources: Red Sox warned about alleged Astros cheating
• Controversial trade backfires on Astros
• Pete Thamel: Top 10 college football QB prospects
• Tim Brown: Dodgers’ Machado emerges as October’s villain