Brooklyn Nets: 3 blueprints to return to NBA relevance

Mar 24, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson (1) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Trading Faces To New Places

BKN receives: Reggie Jackson

DET receives: Jeremy Lin

Okay, the subheading might be weak, but the trade offers intrigue.

Salary wise, it works. The stickler (if this offer was to ever gain any traction) would be the draft capital that Detroit would most likely desire, which, I don’t know if you’ve heard, the Nets are lacking; and we haven’t even touched on how realistic it is. (Spoiler: it is!)

Let’s play a game – can you figure guess (without looking it up) which stats are Lin’s, and which ones are Jackson’s?

Player A: 14.5 PPG, 3.8 TRPG, 5.1 APG, 81.0 FT%

Player B: 14.5 PPG, 2.5 TRPG, 5.2 APG, 86.8 FT%

Can’t figure it out? How about if I add this?

Player A: 14.5 PPG, 3.8 TRPG, 5.1 APG, 81.0 FT%, 36 GP

Player B: 14.5 PPG, 2.5 TRPG, 5.2 APG, 86.8 FT%, 52 GP

Still can’t? Okay, last chance:

Player A: 14.5 PPG, 3.8 TRPG, 5.1 APG, 81.0 FT%, 36 GP, 2.1 Win Shares

Player B: 14.5 PPG, 2.5 TRPG, 5.2 APG, 86.8 FT%, 52 GP, 1.9 Win Shares

Player A is Jeremy Lin, and Player B is Reggie Jackson. Surprising right? Well, what’s more surprising is that this deal could happen.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

The Brooklyn Nets finished 20-62 last season, and are not going anywhere fast. The Pistons finished 37-45, and just outside of the playoff picture after getting swept by the defending champs the previous year. Both franchises seem to be stuck in-between a rock and a hard place, and I think a swapping of floor generals could be the fix.

There are just two teensy, tiny little problems – Jackson is getting paid like a superstar and isn’t playing like one, and Lin isn’t getting paid like a superstar, and is playing way better than Jackson.
Jackson signed a five year, $80 million dollar contract extension with the Pistons to be their PG of the future back in 2015. Lin signed a 3 year, $38.3 million dollar contract with the Nets last offseason, and (when he played) look solid despite playing with a on-life support supporting cast.

So will swapping the two fix these team’s problems?

Well, the focus of this article is to determine who the Nets should be targeting as their new/next face of the franchise. Jackson is 27, Lin is 28. While both guys are older, if Jeremy Lin can be argued to be your face of the franchise, your franchise probably isn’t in that great of shape. Jackson is injury prone (like Lin has become), but would be a fresh face, and would be around longer. Rumors seem to keep coming from Detroit’s locker room that Jackson hasn’t matured, but he could pass some insight to younger guys like Isaiah Whitehead and Archie Goodwin.

Lin is a better player in the pick-and-roll, something that SVG likes to use a lot with his bigs; particularly incumbent starting big man Andre Drummond. He’s also a better three-point shooter than Jackson, and would do wonders to give Detroit some consistent spacing in their offense; especially if KCP leaves in free agency.

Speaking of free agency…