Analyzing Brooklyn Nets' Best Options in 2013 NBA Draft

With this year’s edition of the NBA Draft rapidly approaching, each and every organization will be looking to improve its chances of bringing home a championship.

Teams such as the lowly Charlotte Bobcats (or Hornets) are entering what has been described as a weak draft praying for a savior. Meanwhile, teams like the Miami Heat or San Antonio Spurs will be looking for a simple role player to fit in with their already talented nucleus.

However, one of the more interesting teams entering this year’s draft is the now Jay-Z-less Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn is unfortunately sitting right on that proverbial bubble: talented enough to be a solid playoff contender, but not quite ready to make the leap into the NBA elite. With that being said, the Nets will be looking to acquire the missing piece that could propel them into title contention.

But before we look at what the Nets need, we need to look at what they have.

A Look at the Nets as They Stand

The Brooklyn Nets already feature an extremely talented core that can compete with any NBA team on any given night.

The team is built around star point guard Deron Williams, who averaged 18.9 points and 7.7 assists per game. Williams had a typical year on the court, shooting right around his career average. But he also had issues off the court, as he shouldered most of the blame for coach Avery Johnson’s midseason firing.

Accompanying Williams in the Nets' backcourt is the man that many have called the NBA’s quietest superstar, Joe Johnson. The Nets signed Johnson to a juicy contract this offseason, but he failed to live up to the hype in his inaugural campaign.

Johnson experienced dips in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game, while shooting at about his career average of 41 percent. Nets fans will hope for an improvement if Johnson is to live up to his superstar title—and contract.

Finally, the Nets have size in the form of 7-footer Brook Lopez. He was named an all-star for the first time this season, while pouring in 19.4 points per game. However, Lopez will have to shed the “soft” reputation that he has earned thus far in order to be considered one of the NBA’s elite big men. 

New Coach, Old Expectations

With that being said, the Nets have a few major needs:

While the Nets have a major draft-day decision in front of them, the most important decision the organization needs to make is who will be drawing up plays for the team next season. With the team letting P.J. Carlesimo go, it could go with Lionel Hollins, Brian Shaw, Jeff Van Gundy or even the recently fired George Karl.

General Manager Billy King has a major decision on his hands when it comes to who will be leading this team next season.

One thing that every member of the Nets organization will have to accept is the expectation of the owner Mikhael Prokhorov, who has made it evident that he is in the basketball business to win championships.

Outgoing coach Carlesimo addressed the pressure that comes with working in Brooklyn after he was let go despite a playoff appearance. Via the New York Daily News:

"

I don't know if that's realistic the way the roster is right now. I would not say that team could not win a championship. We thought we could this year if things broke a little better for us. But if you have that on your plate, that you need to win a championship in two years, I think it makes it a little challenging.

"

Re-Energizing the 3 or 4

On the court, the Nets need help in their frontcourt, where Lopez and Kris Humphries do not currently have the support they need. Reggie Evans was a solid rebounder down low, but his offense left a lot to be desired, as he averaged less than five points per game.

Meanwhile, small forward Gerald Wallace experienced a dip in offensive production, as his shooting percentage dropped to its lowest since 2003.

With that being said, the Nets need size. A player that could step in at the 3 or 4 spot would be ideal, as the team needs someone who could help with any form of offensive production from these positions.

One potential option that could fill this need is Croatian import Dario Saric. The 6’10” 19-year-old can play both the 3 and the 4 as he has a very high basketball IQ. He has been described as a player that can be trusted bringing the ball up the court and creating, but he doesn’t appear to have the NBA frame quite yet.

CBS Sports compares him to one of this year's breakout stars, Chandler Parsons. However, recent reports saying he may stay in Croatia may cause the Nets to turn elsewhere. 

One of those other potential picks is North Carolina’s Reggie Bullock. He is a scorer, as he put up about 14 per game, while shooting 54 percent from 2 and 43 percent from 3. The Nets could use someone like Bullock to give them the scoring they need from the small forward position.

CBS Sports expects him to fall to right around the Nets pick, so he may prove to be a solid option for the team.

Help in the Middle

pick, so he may prove to be a solid option for the team.

The roster could also be aided by the addition of a backup center, as Andray Blatche played there out of position most of this season. A true center would greatly benefit the team, as NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley went on record to call the team, “softer than tissue paper”.

One big man that the team is reportedly interested in is Kansas center Jeff Withey, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPN.com. Withey would provide the Nets with another valuable inside presence, as the 7-footer averaged just around 14 points per game last season while pulling down just under nine boards. Withey would make for a solid backup center that could be trusted to protect the basket.

Another option is recent National Championship winner Gorgui Dieng. The Senegalese center is known as a strong defender, as he averaged 2.5 blocks per game. His offensive game is still unpolished, although he did show improvement last year. However, he uses his size well and lives up to the widely accepted belief that you can’t teach seven feet.

Overall, this draft will be an interesting one for the Nets. Whoever the team decides on to coach will be tasked with leading the team over the hump and into NBA title contention. The road to the 2014 NBA Title begins draft day for the Brooklyn Nets, as the team will hope to finally get the piece that completes its puzzle.

Who do you think the Nets should go after? Leave an answer in the comment box below!