It's also possible Ben Simmons spends some time at center. The only other center on the roster is Day'Ron Sharpe, but he's undersized and spent significant time in the G League last year as a rookie. Projecting forward, it would appear as though the time is now for Claxton, especially given that he has little competition for minutes. He ended with averages of 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 steals in just under 21 minutes per game. Claxton flashed his upside on both ends of the floor again last year. At some point, it's worth the risk, but filling out a safe floor of players before gambling on Simmons is the smart call.Ĭlaxton has been a name to watch for the past two seasons. It's simply hard to gauge what's in store for the 26-year-old, who is clearly at a crossroads in his career. Optimists may think Simmons sees time at center and has a nice bounceback campaign with floor spacing around him - maybe some more rebounds and blocks. Durant and Irving will be the primary options, and Simmons may end up in a more complementary role with fewer assists and points than ever. It seems fair to expect Simmons to have his worst fantasy season yet this year. He ranked an impressive 19th in 2019-20, largely due to his league-leading 2.1 steals. The last time we saw Simmons, he had his worst fantasy season, ranking 66th in per-game production behind averages of 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 32.4 minutes. His commitment to basketball is under fire, and he's in a new team environment surrounded by two high-usage stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It's understandable if fantasy managers are cautious this season when considering Simmons. The back injury required surgery, but he'll reportedly be ready for the start of camp. He cited mental health issues as the reason he sat out while still a member of the 76ers, and once he was traded to the Nets for James Harden, a back issue kept him out for the remainder of the year. Snaring him with a second-round pick seems justifiable, and it's a move that could be a real difference maker come April. Given the risk, he is unlikely to be drafted in the first round of most drafts. Assuming there are no off-court issues to deal with, he would only need to play in 65 games to still be a first-round player from a totals perspective. The hesitation comes when attempting to ascertain how many games he will actually play. If, in fact, Durant is traded away, that only opens up more opportunities for Irving to thrive, especially on the offensive end of the court. There is no reason to think he won't be able to put up top-five numbers once again. Irving ended 2021-22 as the fifth-ranked player on a per-game basis, highlighting just how good he can be when healthy. While there have been seemingly constant rumors surrounding his playing future, it appears he will be suiting up for the Nets, with or without Kevin Durant. If there was a positive to come from his shortened season, it has to be that he will be fully healthy come opening night. That decision cost him 53 games and will undoubtedly have an impact as managers prepare for the 2022-23 season. Irving was one of the more talked about players last season, missing a substantial chunk of games because he was unvaccinated. From there, managers will need to cross their fingers that he can stay relatively healthy throughout the season. With the team pushing hard for an NBA title, Durant should be able to replicate his 2021-22 production, placing him firmly at the top of draft boards as a top-five target. Warren and Royce O'Neale, Durant is clearly still going to demand the ball, and along with Kyrie Irving, he forms one of the best one-two punches in the NBA. Although the team has added some depth pieces, such as T.J. Now seemingly locked in with the Nets, Durant feels like a relatively safe target. Those numbers were good enough to see him end the campaign as the second-best player in fantasy basketball on a per-game basis in eight-category leagues. From a fantasy perspective, Durant is coming off another strong season in which he compiled 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.1 three-pointers per game. Brooklyn Nets Fantasy Basketball Preview - Top PlayersÄurant was the talk of the town this offseason, demanding a trade off the Nets in early August, something that has since been rescinded.
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