{"id":3152,"date":"2016-12-28T14:30:40","date_gmt":"2016-12-28T19:30:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=3152"},"modified":"2016-12-28T14:30:40","modified_gmt":"2016-12-28T19:30:40","slug":"better-days-ahead-brooklyn-nets-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/12\/28\/better-days-ahead-brooklyn-nets-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Better Days Ahead in the Brooklyn Nets Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whew, what a win for the Brooklyn<\/strong> faithful on Monday<\/strong> night. The Brooklyn Nets<\/strong> rallied to defeat a very tough, well coached team in the Charlotte Hornets<\/strong>. This can easily be viewed as a microcosm of the 2016-17 NBA<\/strong> season for the Nets. More on that later. The wins and losses do not tell the whole story, but better days are ahead for the Brooklyn Nets.<\/p>\n

Better Days Ahead in the Brooklyn Nets Future<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A Moment of Truth<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s be totally honest for a moment here. How many fans can honestly say they knew and were confident in the abilities of many members of this team? Not many. Fans were hopeful but knew this season would be an uphill climb. Even the Nets marketing wing embraced this struggle and became \u201cBrooklyn Grit<\/strong>\u201d. The players are doing \u2018yeoman\u2019s work\u2019 on a nightly basis. Trivia question to all: Name five Nets not named Lin or Lopez! The fact that you encounter difficulty in this endeavor is normal.<\/p>\n

Through Adversity, Character Emerges<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Nets have been beset with injuries throughout this campaign. This however has not prevented the team from competing and playing hard through each and every contest. Yes, there were blowouts here and there, but by and large the Brooklyn Nets have weathered the storm admirably. There are no complaints from players in the media. Each member has mindfully and willingly sacrificed for betterment, and the improvement is self-evident.<\/p>\n

Sean Kilpatrick<\/a><\/strong>, Isaiah Whitehead<\/a><\/strong>, and Joe Harris<\/a><\/strong> are revelations. Kilpatrick is the team\u2019s second leading scorer (averaging 15 points and 4 rebounds per game). No one could have forecasted that. In the absence of starting point guard Jeremy Lin<\/a><\/strong>, Kilpatrick has proven himself nightly. Rookie Whitehead has had his bumps transitioning to basketball\u2019s elite competition. Whitehead is tenacious on defense and versatile on the offensive end. Joe Harris was a throwaway player from the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/strong>. In twenty-three minutes, Harris averages 9 points and 3 rebounds per contest. This is a far cry from his days in Cleveland. Each of these three men may have had major problems making and staying on an NBA roster prior to this season.<\/p>\n

Forwards Trevor Booker<\/a><\/strong> and Bojan Bogdanovic<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0have both stuck manfully to their tasks. Booker in particular proves that he is the player that\u2019s willing to do anything to assist the team’s progress. He has been particularly effective rebounding the basketball and providing a solid interior presence on defense. This veteran, in his seventh season, brings an attitude of professionalism each game and is very workmanlike in practice. Booker is averaging close to a double-double this season (9.6 PPG and 8.9 RPG) in 27\u00a0minutes per contest.<\/p>\n

Then there is Bojan Bogdanovic<\/a>. Bogdanovic has been delightful this season.<\/p>\n

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26pts in 26 minutes for @44Bojan yesterday vs. the Hornets at home \ud83d\udd25 https:\/\/t.co\/juLZePtuc5<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Hh0v5fpiRq<\/a><\/p>\n

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 27, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n