Three Potential Nets That Could Be First-Time All-Stars Next Season
Since the departure of Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have changed the direction of where the franchise is going after a huge mess. Nets GM Sean Marks is optimistic on where things are going as of now after speaking to the media almost a month ago on the organization's rebuild. With that being said, the face of the franchise is still up for grabs, and the answer to that question can be found next season. Here are three potential Nets that could get their first active All-Star selection playing for Brooklyn.
Cam Thomas is a walking bucket and could seal the deal next season. It took three seasons for Thomas to prove himself as one of the NBA's premier scorers. To be exact, he was the 26th best scorer last season averaging 22.5 points per contest. Now that Thomas is entering year four, he may take on a different role orchestrating the offense on top of his scoring with head coach Jordi Fernandez running the show. This will certainly be the determining factor on if Thomas is ready to become an All-Star next season.
Next up is Nic Claxton. All the rumors on teams he could have joined before resigning with the Nets is all out the window. He can now focus on elevating his game to the next level. Claxton seperates himself from other top bigs in the league because of his elite ability to guard the perimeter; however, being the best defender for his position will require him to do something he has never done before up until this point. Although he averaged 2.1 blocks last season, Claxton will have to string together several signature games leading up to the All-Star break of like 5 or more blocks. Last year, he blocked seven versus the Golden State Warriors.
Finally, Dennis Schroder could make a surprise as a first time All-Star next season with the way he has been playing in the past year. He already proved that he can be the best player on the world stage at the FIBA World Cup in 2023. Several All-Stars from the 2023 and 2024 game were present at the tournament. The two obstacles that stands in his way of getting to the All-Star game is his scoring and assist numbers along with the team's record entering the All-Star break. If Schroder can improve on his scoring and assist numbers from last year and if the Nets sit with a playoff seed going into February, never say never.
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